Congress Divided as Democrats Take House, Republicans Tighten Control of Senate

The 2018 midterm elections have generated significant changes in Washington, DC, with Democrats seizing control of the House of Representatives, and the retirements or election loses of some members who have played significant roles in science policy. At the same time, Republicans have retained control of the Senate. As of November 12, Democrats hold 227 seats in the House while Republicans have 198, with the results of 10 races being too close to call. In the Senate, the GOP has a 51-seat majority and Democrats hold 46 seats, which includes two Independents who caucus with the Democrats. The Senate seats for Arizona and Florida have yet to be declared. Although it is anticipated that Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will be elected as Speaker of the House, leadership of the House, and Democratic and Republican caucuses in the House has yet to be determined. Democratic lawmakers, who have gained control of the House for the first time in 8 years, have expressed an intent to provide oversight of the Trump Administration. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) will likely be the next Chairwoman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Johnson, who is currently the Ranking Member on the panel, released a statement on the day of the election highlighting three of her priorities for the committee if she is elected to the leadership role. One goal would be ensuring “that the United States remains the global leader in innovation, which will requir...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news