Ex-U.S. President Donald Trump seems to be begging for attention from his supporters. Trump has taken several dramatical steps to gain attention. Will Republicans pay heed to Trump's drama? Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: Trump outsmarts the democrats

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to seek re-election, but a majority of democrats think one term is enough for Biden. That’s according to a new poll from the associated press-'n-o-r-c'. This also comes ahead of President Joe Biden's second state of the union address later today.

Just 37% Democrats want Biden's second term

Democrats feel one term is enough for Biden

According to a poll by Washington Post-ABC News, two years into his presidency a majority of Americans believe incumbent United States President Joe Biden has not achieved much since taking office. The survey which was released days before the US president is set to deliver a State of the Union address on Tuesday (February 7) said that 62 per cent of Americans think he has accomplished “not very much” or “little or nothing” during his time in office, while 36 per cent say he has accomplished “a great deal” or “a good amount.”

The Post-ABC News poll which was conducted between January 27 and February 1 of 1,003 adults in the US also shows how neither Democrats nor Republicans are faring well as most Americans were seen supporting Biden’s position over the debt limit more than GOP’s.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, there is also very little confidence in either Biden or House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as just under two in 10 Americans have “a great deal” or “a good amount” of confidence in the speaker to make the right decision for the country’s future. While at least 71 per cent have “just some” or no confidence at all and 68 per cent say they lack confidence in Biden, as per the poll.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-emerges-as-worlds-most-popular-leader-defeating-sunak-biden-558865">PM Modi emerges as world's most popular leader, defeating Sunak, Biden</a>

Similarly, 72 per cent of the respondents noted that they are not confident about congressional Republicans making the right decisions, while 70 per cent believe so for congressional Democrats. During his State of the Union speech, Biden is set to tout economic progress following the COVID-19 recession and draw sharp contrasts between his GOP opponents, as per media reports.&nbsp;

However, the Post-ABC poll shows that 77 per cent of Democrats say Biden has accomplished at least a good amount, this number drops to 32 per cent in the case of Independents, and only seven per cent of Republicans who took the survey agree with the statement. The report also shows how Biden’s potential reelection bid could also be affected by these doubts about his achievements which are higher than former president Barack Obama in 2010 and 2012. In fact, it noted that the incumbent president’s negative ratings are roughly on par with his predecessor, former president Donald Trump who lost his reelection bid in 2020.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-democrats-feel-one-term-is-enough-for-biden-559456">U.S.: Democrats feel one term is enough for Biden</a>

Notably, the incumbent president’s State of the Union address also comes amid the ongoing investigation into classified documents found at his Delaware home and the office he used when he was serving as the vice president, during the Obama presidency, at the Penn Biden Center, a Washington-based think tank. A poll by the Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago also shows that despite more Americans disapproving of Biden’s handling of classified documents, his overall approval rating is holding steady.&nbsp;

According to the AP-NORC poll, overall 39 per cent disapprove of Biden’s handling of the situation since the classified documents were found while only 23 per cent of the 1,068 American adults questioned said they approve of the current president’s actions. Meanwhile, 36 per cent of people had no opinion on the subject and Democrats are more likely to approve while most Republicans disapprove of Biden's actions in the classified documents row, the report noted.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-when-will-biden-deliver-his-state-of-the-union-address-in-2023-and-what-to-expect-558681">Explained: When will Biden deliver his State of the Union address in 2023? and what to expect?</a>

Additionally, the poll conducted between January 26 and 30 also shows that assessments of the president’s job performance are “strongly partisan” since 41 per cent of people approve of Biden’s handling of the top job which is just a two per cent drop from the poll conducted in December, last year. Furthermore, at least 77 per cent of Democrats approve while 91 per cent of Republicans disapprove of Biden’s presidency, both of which remained unchanged since the last poll.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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According to a poll by Washington Post-ABC News, two years into his presidency a majority of Americans believe incumbent United States President Joe Biden has not achieved much since taking office.

According to a poll by Washington Post-ABC News, two years into his presidency a majority of Americans believe incumbent United States President Joe Biden has not achieved much since taking office. The survey which was released days before the US president is set to deliver a State of the Union address on Tuesday (February 7) said that 62 per cent of Americans think he has accomplished “not very much” or “little or nothing” during his time in office, while 36 per cent say he has accomplished “a great deal” or “a good amount.” The Post-ABC News poll which was conducted between January 27 and February 1 of 1,003 adults in the US also shows how neither Democrats nor Republicans are faring well as most Americans were seen supporting Biden’s position over the debt limit more than GOP’s. Meanwhile, there is also very little confidence in either Biden or House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as just under two in 10 Americans have “a great deal” or “a good amount” of confidence in the speaker to make the right decision for the country’s future. While at least 71 per cent have “just some” or no confidence at all and 68 per cent say they lack confidence in Biden, as per the poll. ALSO READ | PM Modi emerges as world's most popular leader, defeating Sunak, Biden Similarly, 72 per cent of the respondents noted that they are not confident about congressional Republicans making the right decisions, while 70 per cent believe so for congressional Democrats. During his State of the Union speech, Biden is set to tout economic progress following the COVID-19 recession and draw sharp contrasts between his GOP opponents, as per media reports. However, the Post-ABC poll shows that 77 per cent of Democrats say Biden has accomplished at least a good amount, this number drops to 32 per cent in the case of Independents, and only seven per cent of Republicans who took the survey agree with the statement. The report also shows how Biden’s potential reelection bid could also be affected by these doubts about his achievements which are higher than former president Barack Obama in 2010 and 2012. In fact, it noted that the incumbent president’s negative ratings are roughly on par with his predecessor, former president Donald Trump who lost his reelection bid in 2020. ALSO WATCH | U.S.: Democrats feel one term is enough for Biden Notably, the incumbent president’s State of the Union address also comes amid the ongoing investigation into classified documents found at his Delaware home and the office he used when he was serving as the vice president, during the Obama presidency, at the Penn Biden Center, a Washington-based think tank. A poll by the Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago also shows that despite more Americans disapproving of Biden’s handling of classified documents, his overall approval rating is holding steady. According to the AP-NORC poll, overall 39 per cent disapprove of Biden’s handling of the situation since the classified documents were found while only 23 per cent of the 1,068 American adults questioned said they approve of the current president’s actions. Meanwhile, 36 per cent of people had no opinion on the subject and Democrats are more likely to approve while most Republicans disapprove of Biden's actions in the classified documents row, the report noted. ALSO READ | Explained: When will Biden deliver his State of the Union address in 2023? and what to expect? Additionally, the poll conducted between January 26 and 30 also shows that assessments of the president’s job performance are “strongly partisan” since 41 per cent of people approve of Biden’s handling of the top job which is just a two per cent drop from the poll conducted in December, last year. Furthermore, at least 77 per cent of Democrats approve while 91 per cent of Republicans disapprove of Biden’s presidency, both of which remained unchanged since the last poll. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US President Biden’s approval ratings dwindle ahead of State of the Union address: Polls

Democratic US Senator and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to open an investigation into a company marketing JR-15 child-size rifle.

US Senate Democrats call for probe into 'JR-15' child-size rifle

The US has hit its borrowing cap of $31.4 trillion and the treasury has now started taking 'extraordinary measures' to prevent a debt default. This comes as the US Congress heads towards a high-stakes clash between Democrats and Republicans over raising the borrowing limit.

US hits debt ceiling of $31.4 trillion, treasury taking 'emergency measures'

As the controversy surrounding the discovery of confidential documents at Joe Biden's Delaware residence gains pace, US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday named a special independent counsel to probe the matter.

As the controversy surrounding the discovery of confidential documents at Joe Biden's Delaware residence gains pace, US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday named a special independent counsel to probe the matter. Garland in a statement said Robert Hur, a former Trump-appointed Maryland US attorney will probe if the documents were mishandled by Biden or his team. Hur will be taking over the investigation from John Lausch, a Chicago federal prosecutor. “Under the regulations, the extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter," read the brief statement. "This appointment underscores for the public the department's commitment to both independence and accountability and particularly sensitive matters, and to making decisions indisputably guided only by the facts, and the law." WATCH | Gravitas: Classified documents found in Biden's possession × Garland added that he was confident in Hur's ability and that he will "carry out his responsibility in an even-handed and urgent matter and in accordance with the highest traditions of this department." After the appointment, Hur released a statement and said he will conduct an impartial investigation into the matter. “I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favour, and will honour the trust placed in me to perform this service.” The announcement by Garland comes barely hours after Biden's lawyers, in another sensational announcement said a second batch of classified documents had been unearthed in the garage of the president's private residence. It is unclear when the additional documents were discovered but according to federal law, all official documents and classified records are to be returned when the term of a federal official ends. Read more: Biden's legal team finds another batch of classified documents during a search When quizzed about the discovery, Biden said he was 'surprised' and that he did not know that government records had been taken to his private office after he had left public service. “I was surprised to learn there were any government records that were taken there to that office." Notably, the White House on Thursday admitted publicly that the documents were found at the president's residence. The statement by the White House mentioned that "a small number" of classified documents are apparently dated to the Obama-Biden administration. "As was done in the case of the Penn-Biden Center, the Department of Justice was immediately notified, and the lawyers arranged for the Department of Justice to take possession of these documents." Read more: Classified documents found at Joe Biden's Delaware residence, 'cooperating fully' with review Last year, confidential documents were found at former president Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence as well. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Special counsel named to investigate discovery of Biden classified docs

After four contentious days, 15 rounds of voting, and the fifth longest contest in history, the United States House of Representatives has finally chosen California Republican, Kevin McCarthy as the next speaker of the Congress as it convenes for its 118th session.&nbsp;

The 15th round vote took place between late Friday and early Saturday (January 7) after what can only be described as days of drama and a series of events on Capitol Hill as McCarthy scrambled to secure enough votes for the gavel following painstaking negotiations. The Republican lawmaker from California won after the longest election bid for the 435-member chamber speaker in 164 years.&nbsp;

McCarthy’s journey to the gavel

The deadlock began on January 3 when the Congress convened for the new session and the voting for the next House speaker, typically the first order of business, commenced. Notably, even weeks prior to the first round of voting, McCarthy’s bid to take the top post in the chamber was uncertain at best.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kevin-mccarthy-loses-14th-round-of-voting-us-house-still-without-speaker-550188">Kevin McCarthy finally elected House speaker after 15 rounds of voting spread across four days</a>

After the midterm elections, last year, the Republicans took over the House with a narrow majority of 222-213 from the Democrats and the outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi. Subsequently, in the same month after a closed-door meeting of the GOP conference, McCarthy emerged as the leader of the House for his party. However, the members are not obligated to vote for the party’s chosen candidate.&nbsp;

In fact, while the person typically is a member of the House, it is not required. It opens the speaker's candidacy to a range of lawmakers including Senators, former president Donald Trump and incumbent president Joe Biden, though none of them has won a majority yet. Once the chamber had the minimum number of members present to proceed or quorum, the Democrats nominated their leader Hakeem Jeffries for the speaker while the Republicans nominated Kevin McCarthy.&nbsp;

What followed can only be described as chaos, as McCarthy scrambled to garner the majority, which is typically at least 218 votes. However, he was unable to do so, making it the first time in a century that the House did not elect its speaker after one round of voting. This successfully halted major functions in Washington as not only does the lawmaker preside over the lower chamber of Congress they would also be next in line for the presidency.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mccarthy-elected-house-speaker-after-15-votes-and-days-of-negotiations-550226">McCarthy elected House speaker after 15 votes and days of negotiations</a>

McCarthy’s bid for the speakership faced a range of hurdles but predominantly it was a small group of hardliners from his own party. While this situation is not necessarily unique it proved to be quite a roadblock for the California Republican since he was unable to secure a majority even after multiple rounds of voting.&nbsp;

What happened on late Friday and early Saturday?

Kevin McCarthy became the House speaker after 15 rounds of voting and tense negotiations for days with a small but critical group of lawmakers of the Republican party who demanded concessions that essentially resulted in diluting his power as the speaker. After the 14th round of voting the 57-year-old Californian lawmaker who seemed confident earlier faced humiliation after Representative Matt Gaetz withheld his vote.&nbsp;

In the 14th of voting, McCarthy managed to garner, 216 votes while the Democratic candidate for speaker Jeffries received 212. Meanwhile, Republican Andy Biggs received support from 2 representatives, as did Republican Jim Jordan. However, with six Republicans choosing another candidate and the other six withholding their vote McCarthy was one vote away from victory.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-adjourned-as-republican-speaker-nominee-kevin-mccarthy-loses-sixth-ballot-549530">US House adjourned as Republican speaker nominee Kevin McCarthy loses sixth ballot</a>

After an hour-long recess lawmakers returned for a 15th round of voting marking the first time in over a century and a half in US history. Subsequently, the decision was up to Florida lawmaker, Gaetz, who had initially walked out of the chamber when his name was first called during the 14th round and voted “present” for the 15th round.&nbsp;

However, Gaetz withheld his vote in the previous round which prompted a scuffle where a clip shows several lawmakers approaching the Florida representative on the House floor after McCarthy spoke to him and the situation escalated to a point where a Republican Mike Rogers had to be physically pulled away from nearly lunging at Gaetz.&nbsp;

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Kevin McCarthy confronts Matt Gaetz during 14th House Speaker vote. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/118thCongress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#118thCongress</a> <a href="https://t.co/nMa9bm0KSN">pic.twitter.com/nMa9bm0KSN</a>
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Amid a series of discussions and negotiations on the floor between Republican lawmakers on the House floor, Representative Andy Biggs (Arizona), Representative Elijah Crane (Arizona) and Representative Bob Good (Virginia) changed their votes to “present” ultimately lowering the threshold which McCarthy needed to win with the same amount of votes received. &nbsp;

Who was opposing him?

Here are the 20 Republican lawmakers that opposed McCarthy’s bid for the gavel as of Thursday, prior to the negotiations with the California Republican and his allies, after which some voted “present” and some switched their votes mostly around the 11th and 12th ballot conducted on Friday.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-will-the-us-house-have-a-speaker-before-it-convenes-549146">Explained: Will the US House of Representatives have a speaker when it convenes?</a>

According to a report by CBS, the Republican lawmakers were, Andy Biggs (Arizona), Dan Bishop (North Carolina), Lauren Boebert (Colorado), Representative-elect Josh Brecheen (Oklahoma), Michael Cloud (Texas), Andrew Clyde (Georgia), Representative-elect Eli Crane (Arizona), Byron Donalds (Florida), Matt Gaetz (Florida), Bob Good (Virginia), Paul Gosar (Arizona), Andy Harris (Maryland), Representative-elect Anna Paulina Luna (Florida), Mary Miller (Illinois), Ralph Norman (South Carolina), Andy Ogles (Tennessee), Scott Perry (Pennsylvania), Matt Rosendale (Montana), Chip Roy (Texas), and Keith Self (Texas).&nbsp; 
 
What are some of the concessions made?

In a dramatic shift after several rounds of voting, McCarthy and his allies managed to flip at least a dozen votes before the 14th round of voting on Friday. According to a report by CNN, one of the most significant ones includes a provision that any member can call for a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, which would make it easier to trigger what is essentially a no-confidence vote for the speaker.&nbsp;

Additionally, the report also spoke about provisions about pairing the efforts to raise the nation’s debt ceiling with spending cuts. This comes after Republicans have repeatedly shut down much of the government and pushed the world’s largest borrowers to the brink of default in efforts to extract steep spending cuts.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-house-logjam-day-4-of-voting-for-us-house-speaker-today-550101">US House Logjam: Day 4 of voting for US house speaker today</a>

However, they have not been able to do so as Democrats in the Senate and the White House have long opposed spending cuts. Another provision includes moving 12 appropriations bills individually rather than one “omnibus” year-end spending package which rolls everything into one bill which conservatives have railed against for a few years now as they believe it evades oversight, said a report by CNN.&nbsp;

McCarthy has also reportedly agreed to cap spending for the upcoming fiscal year at 2022’s levels which would amount to a significant cut in spending affecting defence and domestic programmes amid high inflation and population growth in the US. The incumbent speaker has agreed to restore the Holman rule, which could lead to salary cuts for government officials and also said that he would create an investigative committee to probe the “weaponization” of the federal government, said a report by CNN.&nbsp;

These concessions along with others effectively lower McCarthy’s power as the US House speaker which Senate Majority Leader and Democrat Chuck Schumer, warned would “will cause a government shutdown or a default with devastating consequences to our country.” In a statement after McCarthy’s win, Schummer said, “Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s dream job could turn into a nightmare for the American people…To get the votes, he surrendered to demands of a fringe element of the Republican party.”

What happened in the House after McCarthy won?

After the results were announced the Republican conference was seen clapping and hugging McCarthy as he passed them on the House floor who subsequently expressed relief and said, “I’m glad it’s over”. The Republican lawmaker received the gavel at 1:00 am (local time) and said, “I never thought we'd get up here.” The Republican lawmaker was then sworn into office along with other members of Congress marking the end of the weeks of deadlock.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-house-adjourns-without-electing-speaker-mccarthy-loses-3rd-us-house-speaker-vote-549229">US House adjourns without electing speaker; McCarthy loses 3rd US House speaker vote</a>

In his speech, he also spoke about holding the government accountable, “It's time for us to be a check and provide some balance to the president’s policies”, referring to the incumbent President Joe Biden and his administration. He added, “We commit to stop wasteful Washington spending, to lower the price of groceries, gas, cars, housing, and stop the rising national debt.”&nbsp;

“We'll also address America's long-term challenges, the debt and the rise of the Chinese communist party,” said McCarthy and went on to speak about China and how the new House of Representatives wants the US to win against Beijing in the economic competition.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“As for the Chinese communist party, we will create a bipartisan select committee on China to investigate how to bring back the hundreds of thousands of jobs that went to China, and then we will win this economic competition,” said the new House speaker. In his first speech after becoming the speaker, addressing his colleagues he said, “Now the hard work begins.”&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Leader of House Minority and Democrat Hakeem Jeffries made history by becoming the first black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress. The Democrat from New York will take over as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is stepping down. He was selected by the Democratic caucus after the midterm elections in November. Notably, the 52-year-old is also the first leader of the House Democrats to be born after the end of World War II.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/who-is-hakeem-jeffries-the-first-black-lawmaker-nominee-for-house-speaker-know-everything-about-him-549423">Who is Hakeem Jeffries? The first black lawmaker nominee for house speaker, know everything about him</a> 
 
Addressing Jeffries, McCarthy said, “our debates will be passionate and they will never be personal.” On the other hand, the minority leader also delivered a speech about the Biden administration and Democratic Party’s accomplishments including the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act.&nbsp;

He also went on to acknowledge his predecessor and said, “Without question in my mind, Speaker Emerita Pelosi will go down in history as the greatest speaker of all time…Throughout her time in Congress, she's been a legendary legislator, a fabulous facilitator and a no-nonsense negotiator.” The House is now adjourned until 5:00 pm (local time) Monday.&nbsp; 
 
Biden and Trump congratulate the new House speaker&nbsp;

In a statement after the vote, the US president congratulated the new speaker and said, “Jill and I congratulate Kevin McCarthy on his election as Speaker of the House. As I said after the midterms, I am prepared to work with Republicans when I can and voters made clear that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well.”

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-announces-3-billion-in-aid-package-for-ukraine-including-bradley-armoured-vehicles-550147">US announces $3 billion in aid package for Ukraine, including Bradley armoured vehicles</a> 
 
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump also took to his social media platform Truth social and said, “ The 'Speaker' selection process, as crazy as it may seem, has made it all much bigger and more important than if done the more conventional way.” He added, “Congratulations to Kevin McCarthy and our GREAT Republican Party!” reported CNN.&nbsp;

 
(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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After four contentious days, 15 rounds of voting, and the fifth longest contest in history, the United States House of Representatives has finally chosen California Republican, Kevin McCarthy as the next speaker of the Congress as it convenes for its 118th session.

After four contentious days, 15 rounds of voting, and the fifth longest contest in history, the United States House of Representatives has finally chosen California Republican, Kevin McCarthy as the next speaker of the Congress as it convenes for its 118th session. The 15th round vote took place between late Friday and early Saturday (January 7) after what can only be described as days of drama and a series of events on Capitol Hill as McCarthy scrambled to secure enough votes for the gavel following painstaking negotiations. The Republican lawmaker from California won after the longest election bid for the 435-member chamber speaker in 164 years. McCarthy’s journey to the gavel The deadlock began on January 3 when the Congress convened for the new session and the voting for the next House speaker, typically the first order of business, commenced. Notably, even weeks prior to the first round of voting, McCarthy’s bid to take the top post in the chamber was uncertain at best. ALSO READ | Kevin McCarthy finally elected House speaker after 15 rounds of voting spread across four days After the midterm elections, last year, the Republicans took over the House with a narrow majority of 222-213 from the Democrats and the outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi. Subsequently, in the same month after a closed-door meeting of the GOP conference, McCarthy emerged as the leader of the House for his party. However, the members are not obligated to vote for the party’s chosen candidate. In fact, while the person typically is a member of the House, it is not required. It opens the speaker's candidacy to a range of lawmakers including Senators, former president Donald Trump and incumbent president Joe Biden, though none of them has won a majority yet. Once the chamber had the minimum number of members present to proceed or quorum, the Democrats nominated their leader Hakeem Jeffries for the speaker while the Republicans nominated Kevin McCarthy. What followed can only be described as chaos, as McCarthy scrambled to garner the majority, which is typically at least 218 votes. However, he was unable to do so, making it the first time in a century that the House did not elect its speaker after one round of voting. This successfully halted major functions in Washington as not only does the lawmaker preside over the lower chamber of Congress they would also be next in line for the presidency. ALSO WATCH | McCarthy elected House speaker after 15 votes and days of negotiations McCarthy’s bid for the speakership faced a range of hurdles but predominantly it was a small group of hardliners from his own party. While this situation is not necessarily unique it proved to be quite a roadblock for the California Republican since he was unable to secure a majority even after multiple rounds of voting. What happened on late Friday and early Saturday? Kevin McCarthy became the House speaker after 15 rounds of voting and tense negotiations for days with a small but critical group of lawmakers of the Republican party who demanded concessions that essentially resulted in diluting his power as the speaker. After the 14th round of voting the 57-year-old Californian lawmaker who seemed confident earlier faced humiliation after Representative Matt Gaetz withheld his vote. In the 14th of voting, McCarthy managed to garner, 216 votes while the Democratic candidate for speaker Jeffries received 212. Meanwhile, Republican Andy Biggs received support from 2 representatives, as did Republican Jim Jordan. However, with six Republicans choosing another candidate and the other six withholding their vote McCarthy was one vote away from victory. ALSO READ | US House adjourned as Republican speaker nominee Kevin McCarthy loses sixth ballot After an hour-long recess lawmakers returned for a 15th round of voting marking the first time in over a century and a half in US history. Subsequently, the decision was up to Florida lawmaker, Gaetz, who had initially walked out of the chamber when his name was first called during the 14th round and voted “present” for the 15th round. However, Gaetz withheld his vote in the previous round which prompted a scuffle where a clip shows several lawmakers approaching the Florida representative on the House floor after McCarthy spoke to him and the situation escalated to a point where a Republican Mike Rogers had to be physically pulled away from nearly lunging at Gaetz. Kevin McCarthy confronts Matt Gaetz during 14th House Speaker vote. #118thCongress pic.twitter.com/nMa9bm0KSN — CSPAN (@cspan) January 7, 2023 × Amid a series of discussions and negotiations on the floor between Republican lawmakers on the House floor, Representative Andy Biggs (Arizona), Representative Elijah Crane (Arizona) and Representative Bob Good (Virginia) changed their votes to “present” ultimately lowering the threshold which McCarthy needed to win with the same amount of votes received. Who was opposing him? Here are the 20 Republican lawmakers that opposed McCarthy’s bid for the gavel as of Thursday, prior to the negotiations with the California Republican and his allies, after which some voted “present” and some switched their votes mostly around the 11th and 12th ballot conducted on Friday. ALSO READ | Explained: Will the US House of Representatives have a speaker when it convenes? According to a report by CBS, the Republican lawmakers were, Andy Biggs (Arizona), Dan Bishop (North Carolina), Lauren Boebert (Colorado), Representative-elect Josh Brecheen (Oklahoma), Michael Cloud (Texas), Andrew Clyde (Georgia), Representative-elect Eli Crane (Arizona), Byron Donalds (Florida), Matt Gaetz (Florida), Bob Good (Virginia), Paul Gosar (Arizona), Andy Harris (Maryland), Representative-elect Anna Paulina Luna (Florida), Mary Miller (Illinois), Ralph Norman (South Carolina), Andy Ogles (Tennessee), Scott Perry (Pennsylvania), Matt Rosendale (Montana), Chip Roy (Texas), and Keith Self (Texas). What are some of the concessions made? In a dramatic shift after several rounds of voting, McCarthy and his allies managed to flip at least a dozen votes before the 14th round of voting on Friday. According to a report by CNN, one of the most significant ones includes a provision that any member can call for a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, which would make it easier to trigger what is essentially a no-confidence vote for the speaker. Additionally, the report also spoke about provisions about pairing the efforts to raise the nation’s debt ceiling with spending cuts. This comes after Republicans have repeatedly shut down much of the government and pushed the world’s largest borrowers to the brink of default in efforts to extract steep spending cuts. ALSO WATCH | US House Logjam: Day 4 of voting for US house speaker today However, they have not been able to do so as Democrats in the Senate and the White House have long opposed spending cuts. Another provision includes moving 12 appropriations bills individually rather than one “omnibus” year-end spending package which rolls everything into one bill which conservatives have railed against for a few years now as they believe it evades oversight, said a report by CNN. McCarthy has also reportedly agreed to cap spending for the upcoming fiscal year at 2022’s levels which would amount to a significant cut in spending affecting defence and domestic programmes amid high inflation and population growth in the US. The incumbent speaker has agreed to restore the Holman rule, which could lead to salary cuts for government officials and also said that he would create an investigative committee to probe the “weaponization” of the federal government, said a report by CNN. These concessions along with others effectively lower McCarthy’s power as the US House speaker which Senate Majority Leader and Democrat Chuck Schumer, warned would “will cause a government shutdown or a default with devastating consequences to our country.” In a statement after McCarthy’s win, Schummer said, “Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s dream job could turn into a nightmare for the American people…To get the votes, he surrendered to demands of a fringe element of the Republican party.” What happened in the House after McCarthy won? After the results were announced the Republican conference was seen clapping and hugging McCarthy as he passed them on the House floor who subsequently expressed relief and said, “I’m glad it’s over”. The Republican lawmaker received the gavel at 1:00 am (local time) and said, “I never thought we'd get up here.” The Republican lawmaker was then sworn into office along with other members of Congress marking the end of the weeks of deadlock. ALSO WATCH | US House adjourns without electing speaker; McCarthy loses 3rd US House speaker vote In his speech, he also spoke about holding the government accountable, “It's time for us to be a check and provide some balance to the president’s policies”, referring to the incumbent President Joe Biden and his administration. He added, “We commit to stop wasteful Washington spending, to lower the price of groceries, gas, cars, housing, and stop the rising national debt.” “We'll also address America's long-term challenges, the debt and the rise of the Chinese communist party,” said McCarthy and went on to speak about China and how the new House of Representatives wants the US to win against Beijing in the economic competition. “As for the Chinese communist party, we will create a bipartisan select committee on China to investigate how to bring back the hundreds of thousands of jobs that went to China, and then we will win this economic competition,” said the new House speaker. In his first speech after becoming the speaker, addressing his colleagues he said, “Now the hard work begins.” Meanwhile, Leader of House Minority and Democrat Hakeem Jeffries made history by becoming the first black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress. The Democrat from New York will take over as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is stepping down. He was selected by the Democratic caucus after the midterm elections in November. Notably, the 52-year-old is also the first leader of the House Democrats to be born after the end of World War II. ALSO READ | Who is Hakeem Jeffries? The first black lawmaker nominee for house speaker, know everything about him Addressing Jeffries, McCarthy said, “our debates will be passionate and they will never be personal.” On the other hand, the minority leader also delivered a speech about the Biden administration and Democratic Party’s accomplishments including the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act. He also went on to acknowledge his predecessor and said, “Without question in my mind, Speaker Emerita Pelosi will go down in history as the greatest speaker of all time…Throughout her time in Congress, she's been a legendary legislator, a fabulous facilitator and a no-nonsense negotiator.” The House is now adjourned until 5:00 pm (local time) Monday. Biden and Trump congratulate the new House speaker In a statement after the vote, the US president congratulated the new speaker and said, “Jill and I congratulate Kevin McCarthy on his election as Speaker of the House. As I said after the midterms, I am prepared to work with Republicans when I can and voters made clear that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well.” ALSO READ | US announces $3 billion in aid package for Ukraine, including Bradley armoured vehicles Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump also took to his social media platform Truth social and said, “ The 'Speaker' selection process, as crazy as it may seem, has made it all much bigger and more important than if done the more conventional way.” He added, “Congratulations to Kevin McCarthy and our GREAT Republican Party!” reported CNN. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kevin McCarthy becomes US House speaker after historic 15 rounds of voting: Here's what happened

The US House of Representatives was adjourned till 2200 hours ET (0300 GMT) after a failed 13th ballot to elect the next speaker.&nbsp;

While Republican speaker nominee Kevin McCarthy failed to gain the desired votes to become the speaker, he managed to make substantial headways, after three days of monotony.&nbsp;

On Friday afternoon, during the 12th and 13th ballots, McCarthy managed to flip 14 GOP lawmakers cumulatively who had previously not voted for him. McCarthy managed to have 214 votes in his favour while Democrat nominee Hakeem Jeffries had 212.&nbsp;

With two Republican leaders expected to not play any further part in the House proceedings due to personal reasons, the magical figure for McCarthy lies at 216, instead of the previous 218.&nbsp;House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was elected with the same number of votes in 2021.&nbsp;

Media reports suggest that McCarthy's team engaged in overnight negotiations with the rebels and even held a conference call in the morning to make the gains.&nbsp;

However, Matt Gaetz,&nbsp;Andy Biggs, Bob Good, Lauren Boebert and Matt Rosendale remain the five Republican leaders, adamant about not voting McCarthy into power. Notably, Mccarthy, the House minority leader can only afford four Republicans to vote against him.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-house-logjam-day-4-of-voting-for-us-house-speaker-today-550101">WATCH |&nbsp;US House Logjam: Day 4 of voting for US house speaker today</a>

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After being rather dormant throughout the proceedings, McCarthy finally had an air of confidence about him as he suggested that the lawmakers will get the job done tonight.&nbsp;

"We’ll come back tonight. I believe at that time we’ll have the votes to finish this once and for all," said McCarthy.&nbsp;

"It just reminds me of what my father always told me. It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. And now we have to finish for the American public."

Though McCarthy sounded optimistic, he had to make numerous concessions to the holdouts, according to several reports. McCarthy has reportedly accepted to bring back the rule that allows any member to bring the 'motion to vacate' which will trigger a vote on removing the speaker.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-speaker-contest-enters-11th-ballot-breaks-a-164-year-record-549879">Read more:&nbsp;US House adjourned: McCarthy loses 11th ballot in the longest speaker contest in 164 years</a>

Other concessions include expanding the number of seats in the powerful House Rules Committee and attempting to bring a constitutional amendment that will impose term limits on members of the House and Senate.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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The US House of Representatives was adjourned till 2200 hours ET (0300 GMT) after a failed 13th ballot to elect the next speaker. While Republican speaker nominee Kevin McCarthy failed to gain the desired votes to become the speaker, he managed to make substantial headways, after three days of monotony.

The US House of Representatives was adjourned till 2200 hours ET (0300 GMT) after a failed 13th ballot to elect the next speaker. While Republican speaker nominee Kevin McCarthy failed to gain the desired votes to become the speaker, he managed to make substantial headways, after three days of monotony. On Friday afternoon, during the 12th and 13th ballots, McCarthy managed to flip 14 GOP lawmakers cumulatively who had previously not voted for him. McCarthy managed to have 214 votes in his favour while Democrat nominee Hakeem Jeffries had 212. With two Republican leaders expected to not play any further part in the House proceedings due to personal reasons, the magical figure for McCarthy lies at 216, instead of the previous 218. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was elected with the same number of votes in 2021. Media reports suggest that McCarthy's team engaged in overnight negotiations with the rebels and even held a conference call in the morning to make the gains. However, Matt Gaetz, Andy Biggs, Bob Good, Lauren Boebert and Matt Rosendale remain the five Republican leaders, adamant about not voting McCarthy into power. Notably, Mccarthy, the House minority leader can only afford four Republicans to vote against him. WATCH | US House Logjam: Day 4 of voting for US house speaker today × After being rather dormant throughout the proceedings, McCarthy finally had an air of confidence about him as he suggested that the lawmakers will get the job done tonight. "We’ll come back tonight. I believe at that time we’ll have the votes to finish this once and for all," said McCarthy. "It just reminds me of what my father always told me. It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. And now we have to finish for the American public." Though McCarthy sounded optimistic, he had to make numerous concessions to the holdouts, according to several reports. McCarthy has reportedly accepted to bring back the rule that allows any member to bring the 'motion to vacate' which will trigger a vote on removing the speaker. Read more: US House adjourned: McCarthy loses 11th ballot in the longest speaker contest in 164 years Other concessions include expanding the number of seats in the powerful House Rules Committee and attempting to bring a constitutional amendment that will impose term limits on members of the House and Senate. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Kevin McCarthy claims he'll win the speaker vote as the House is adjourned ahead of 14th ballot

President Joe Biden has commented for the first time as the House speaker election remains in a logjam. Biden took a shot at the Republicans and said they needed to 'get their act together'.

President Joe Biden has commented for the first time as the House speaker election remains in a logjam. Biden took a shot at the Republicans and said they needed to 'get their act together'. "This is not a good look. It's not a good thing. This is the United States of America, and I hope they get their act together," said Biden before adding, “The rest of the world is looking.” "How do you think this looks to the rest of the world? We're finally coming out of - the first time we're getting through the whole issue relating to January 6." The Republican-led House of Representatives could not elect the speaker on Tuesday after Republican nominee Kevin McCarthy was stalled by a rebel group of far-right party men. McCarthy became the only political leader in a century - the first since the Civil War to lose the opening three rounds of the ballot to become the House speaker. After McCarthy's colleagues pulled their vote, a chaotic House was forced to be adjourned. Read more: Kevin McCarthy becomes the first person to lose three rounds of House speaker voting in a century As of the last update, the House gathered on Wednesday where McCarthy once again lost in the fourth ballot. McCarthy needs to win 218 votes of the full House to become the speaker and replace former Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi. Usually, the speaker is elected much before the official voting. However, the conservatives of the party are staunchly against McCarthy and have used the razor-thin majority in the House to their advantage. WATCH | U.S. House Speaker Voting: No majority for republican speaker candidate Kevin McCarthy × Meanwhile, former present Donald Trump lent his weight behind McCarthy by taking to Truth Social and penning a supporting message. Republicans, do not turn a great triumph into a giant and embarrassing defeat,” Trump posted on his Truth Social website Wednesday morning. “It’s time to celebrate. You deserve it. Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a great job – just watch!” wrote Trump. Read more: Who is Republican Kevin McCarthy, the last of the 'young guns' in US Congress? Despite the majority of the rebels being Trump supporters, it is highly unlikely that McCarthy is going to witness a change of heart amongst the lot. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Biden wants Republicans to get their 'act together' on House speaker voting

Amid the US House of Representatives speaker election conundrum, where Republicans are unable to reach a consensus, Democrat leader and House member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has pitched a rather unusual solution.&nbsp;

Speaking to&nbsp;MSNBC, Ocasio-Cortez suggested that Republican speaker nominee Kevin McCarthy may consider entering into negotiations with the Democrats to secure the required votes.&nbsp;

"I do not believe that Kevin McCarthy has the votes. I believe that a lot of the opposition to him is very personal. I believe his leadership style is incompatible with a lot of Republican members and certainly the Democratic caucus," said&nbsp;Ocasio-Cortez.&nbsp;

"So the question is, is there anyone in their caucus that can build that consensus? If there isn't, McCarthy's team may have to come to the Democratic party. And, if that's the case, then what would that even look like? It's rather unprecedented. Could it result in a potential coalition government?"

The far-left leader also wondered what could the Democrats benefit from in exchange for the votes.&nbsp;"Could we get Democratic chairs of committees as a result?"&nbsp;

AOC suggested that her opinion did not mean the party was open to such a discussion but if McCarthy approached the Democrats, there could be a potential for a coalition government.&nbsp;

"But, really, it's about the cards that are in McCarthy's hands. And if he chooses to approach the Democratic Caucus, then that would be a negotiation, in and of itself, for a potential coalition government. But, again, this is very much an unprecedented time."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-house-speaker-voting-no-majority-for-republican-speaker-candidate-kevin-mccarthy-549475">WATCH |&nbsp;U.S. House Speaker Voting: No majority for republican speaker candidate Kevin McCarthy</a>

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McCarthy needs to win 218 votes of the full House to become the speaker and replace former Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi.&nbsp;

Usually, the speaker is elected much before the official voting. However, the conservatives of the party are staunchly against McCarthy and have used the razor-thin majority in the House to their advantage.&nbsp;

The likes of&nbsp;Andy Biggs,&nbsp;Paul Gosar, and&nbsp;Matt Gaetz have been the loud voices objecting to McCarthy's endorsement as the Republican nominee since November.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-urges-republicans-to-back-mccarthy-in-race-to-become-us-house-speaker-549468">Read more:&nbsp;Trump urges Republicans to back McCarthy in race to become US House speaker</a>

As of the last update, McCarthy had failed to secure a majority in the fifth round of ballots as well.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Amid the US House of Representatives speaker election conundrum, where Republicans are unable to reach a consensus, Democrat leader and House member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has pitched a rather unusual solution.

Amid the US House of Representatives speaker election conundrum, where Republicans are unable to reach a consensus, Democrat leader and House member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has pitched a rather unusual solution. Speaking to MSNBC, Ocasio-Cortez suggested that Republican speaker nominee Kevin McCarthy may consider entering into negotiations with the Democrats to secure the required votes. "I do not believe that Kevin McCarthy has the votes. I believe that a lot of the opposition to him is very personal. I believe his leadership style is incompatible with a lot of Republican members and certainly the Democratic caucus," said Ocasio-Cortez. "So the question is, is there anyone in their caucus that can build that consensus? If there isn't, McCarthy's team may have to come to the Democratic party. And, if that's the case, then what would that even look like? It's rather unprecedented. Could it result in a potential coalition government?" The far-left leader also wondered what could the Democrats benefit from in exchange for the votes. "Could we get Democratic chairs of committees as a result?" AOC suggested that her opinion did not mean the party was open to such a discussion but if McCarthy approached the Democrats, there could be a potential for a coalition government. "But, really, it's about the cards that are in McCarthy's hands. And if he chooses to approach the Democratic Caucus, then that would be a negotiation, in and of itself, for a potential coalition government. But, again, this is very much an unprecedented time." WATCH | U.S. House Speaker Voting: No majority for republican speaker candidate Kevin McCarthy × McCarthy needs to win 218 votes of the full House to become the speaker and replace former Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi. Usually, the speaker is elected much before the official voting. However, the conservatives of the party are staunchly against McCarthy and have used the razor-thin majority in the House to their advantage. The likes of Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, and Matt Gaetz have been the loud voices objecting to McCarthy's endorsement as the Republican nominee since November. Read more: Trump urges Republicans to back McCarthy in race to become US House speaker As of the last update, McCarthy had failed to secure a majority in the fifth round of ballots as well. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggests McCarthy open negotiations with the Democrats for House speaker votes

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday renominated former Los Angeles mayor and ambassador-designate to India Eric Garcetti as the new congressional session began. Despite the controversies surrounding his name, Garcetti has been Biden's preferred choice to serve as the ambassador to India.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday renominated former Los Angeles mayor and ambassador-designate to India Eric Garcetti as the new congressional session began. Despite the controversies surrounding his name, Garcetti has been Biden's preferred choice to serve as the ambassador to India. Garcetti's name was first proposed in July 2021, a few months after Biden took over the office. However, since then, Garcetti has not been able to receive approval from the US Senate, primarily due to a sexual harassment controversy. Garcetti has been accused of turning a blind eye towards misconduct by a top aide in his mayor's office. A claim that he has repeatedly denied being aware of. Read more: Who is Eric Michael Garcetti, the next US ambassador to India? Here's what you should know Notably, it was Republican Senator Chuck Grassley that blocked Garcetti's confirmation initially but later the Democrats remained non-committal citing the lack of votes. However, with the Democrats gaining an advantage in the Senate after the November midterm elections, hopes have rekindled that Garcetti will earn his confirmation soon. The Biden administration's renomination of 85 of the 175 candidates that could not receive the nod in the last congressional session also pointed to a sense of urgency that had been missing for some time now. Ever since Kenneth Juster's departure as the US ambassador to India in January 2021, Washington has appointed six interim envoys. WATCH | US ambassador-designate to India Eric Garcetti: Will actively raise Human Rights issue × The bilateral relations between the two countries are at a crucial juncture. The absence of a full-time envoy can have a negative impact as the ambassador acts as a bridge between the top hierarchy of the two countries during critical periods. Usually, the absence of an ambassador is seen as a downgrade in ties. Countries often show displeasure over policy issues to foreign nations by recalling their envoys. However, with India playing a pivotal part in the region and on the global map, the US cannot afford to have any high-ranking officer in the Roosevelt House. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Garcetti renominated by Biden. Will India finally receive its US envoy after two years?

In the weeks leading up to the 118th session of the United States Congress, which is set to convene on Tuesday (December 3) at noon (local time), the attention has been focused on Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy whose bid to become the speaker of the House of Representatives has been uncertain at best.&nbsp;

Notably, this is not the first time that the California lawmaker has sought to lead the 435-member House. In 2015, he faced similar opposition from a small section of the Republican party (GOP) after he entered the race when House Speaker John Boehner, (R-Ohio) resigned.&nbsp;

Last year, following the midterm elections the GOP, took over the House with a narrow majority of 222-213 from the Democrats and the outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi. However, given the opposition against McCarthy so far, from people of his own caucus, Tuesday might become the first time ever in nearly 100 years that a majority is garnered to elect a speaker of the chamber. &nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-south-korea-plan-coordinated-response-against-north-koreas-nuclear-threat-549144">US, South Korea plan 'coordinated response' against North Korea's nuclear threat</a>

Importance of a House speaker

The role of a speaker is critical for the government in Washington to function since not only will the lawmaker preside over the lower chamber of Congress they would also be next in line for the presidency. Typically, a speaker is elected at the beginning of a new Congress, however, the House can elect a new one if the incumbent dies, resigns or is removed from office, said a report by Associated Press. &nbsp;

Additionally, the chamber cannot be organised until a speaker who is to preside over it is chosen, therefore, the vote to choose a speaker will be the first one taken once the lawmakers convene for the session on January 3 even before the new and returning members of both parties are sworn in.&nbsp;

The speaker has “massive influence over what sorts of bills and amendments get voted on in Congress”, said Christian Fong, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, to Al Jazeera. He added that this also gives them a significant amount of control over what becomes a law in the upcoming session.&nbsp;

Who will lead the house from both parties in the upcoming session?

After the midterm elections, both the GOP conference and Democratic caucus held an informal vote where they selected the lawmaker they want to lead their party for the upcoming session. Therefore, by mid-November, following a close-door vote with Republicans, McCarthy emerged as the leader of the House for his party. Subsequently, by the end of the month, Democrats chose Representative Hakeem Jeffries from New York to lead the party in the House. &nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-midterms-republicans-win-the-us-house-kevin-mccarthy-to-become-the-house-speaker-535052">US Midterms: Republicans win the U.S. House; Kevin McCarthy to become the House Speaker</a>

How does the voting take place?

Once the House has the minimum number of members present to proceed or quorum, leaders of the house will read out the names of the speaker nominee from their respective party before the roll call vote for the election. Subsequently, the clerk appoints lawmakers from each party as tellers to tally the votes.&nbsp;

Notably, once the Congress begins on January 3, the members are not obligated to vote for the party’s chosen candidate, in fact, while the person typically is a member of the House it is not required. Therefore, any lawmaker including the incumbent President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and Senators, can be nominated and have previously received votes for speaker’s office, in the past, but not gained the majority, reported AP.&nbsp;

This is because lawmakers in the House call out the name of their choice from the floor in a time-consuming roll call. So far, the number to reach a majority in the 435-member chamber has been 218 votes, however, many speakers including the outgoing speaker Pelosi have taken the gavel with less than that. &nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-slams-kevin-mccarthy-for-saying-he-would-hit-nancy-pelosi-with-gavel-402272">Twitter slams Kevin McCarthy for saying he would hit Nancy Pelosi with gavel</a>

This is because some members vote present instead of calling out a name, therefore, according to AP, every lawmaker that votes “present” lowers the total tally needed to reach a majority. In case a majority is not reached on the first ballot, as many have speculated would happen in McCarthy’s case, the clerk will repeat the roll call vote several times until a majority is garnered.&nbsp;

The passing of the gavel

Once the speaker nominee has won a majority of the vote the clear announces the results. Subsequently, a bipartisan committee typically one consisting of the members of the candidate’s home state escorts the speaker-elect to the dais for the oath-taking ceremony, where the outgoing speaker, in this case, speaker and California Democrat Pelosi, joins their successor and passes the gavel in a peaceful transition of power.&nbsp;

Why do many people McCarthy would not be able to garner a majority to become the speaker?

The last time a speaker for the House of Representatives was not elected in the first round of votes was exactly a century ago in 1923 when a speaker was selected after nearly nine rounds of voting. “It’s a very thin (GOP majority), so it only takes a small group of determined representatives to really get together and pose a credible threat to prevent the Speaker from being elected”, said Fong to Al Jazeera. The professor also spoke about how despite growing bipartisan opposition to the power of the Speaker, the path to the gavel will be particularly difficult for McCarthy.&nbsp;

The situation that&nbsp;the&nbsp;Republican lawmaker faces&nbsp;is not entirely unique, as&nbsp;the outgoing speaker Pelosi who held the position for nearly four years witnessed similar internal opposition during her reelection in 2021. However,&nbsp;despite protests from five members of her caucus she managed to retain her position with&nbsp;Dems'&nbsp;slim majority in the chamber, at the time.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/kevin-mccarthy-struggles-to-clinch-support-to-be-us-house-speaker-amid-hardline-opposition-549139">Kevin McCarthy struggles to clinch support to be U.S. House speaker amid hardline opposition</a> 
 
According to Fong, Republicans who are opposing McCarthy’s bid for the gavel&nbsp;are from the so-called “safe-districts”, where they did not face much competition in the elections&nbsp;or had trouble raising funds due to their strong political base. Therefore, they do not value the power a speaker holds over what would otherwise be “valuable resources” for the House members which include committee assignments and campaign funding.&nbsp;

Additionally, the California Republican faces a number of critics who want change in the way the House operates and have long complained that the structure gives too much power to leaders and argued for changes which would make small groups of dissenters obstruct and change legislation, reported the New York Times.&nbsp;

McCarthy currently faces at least a dozen lawmakers who would choose anyone else but him which has left him scrambling for votes at the last minute&nbsp;and negotiating with the opposing lawmakers on concessions which may dilute his powers, should he take the office of the speaker,&nbsp;in the upcoming session. This mix also includes&nbsp;a group of newly elected lawmakers who are still weighing their options, said the NYT.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-banned-from-all-us-house-of-representatives-managed-devices-547210">TikTok banned from all US House of Representatives-managed devices</a> 
&nbsp;

What will happen if McCarthy fails?

As mentioned earlier, the speaker is an important part of not only the House but also the functioning of the US government, therefore with&nbsp;no one to preside over the chamber, it cannot fully form, name its committee chairmen, or even hold floor proceedings. In one word, chaos,&nbsp;"One thing to stress about this whole process, nothing else happens in the House of Representatives until a speaker is elected. It's the only leadership position specifically mentioned in the Constitution," said NPR's&nbsp;congressional correspondent, Deirdre Walsh.

She added, "Members of Congress cannot even be sworn in to start a new session of Congress without a speaker first being elected. So opening day could be very chaotic."&nbsp;

Additionally, the GOP is holding on to a majority in the lower chamber by just a couple of&nbsp;votes which&nbsp;makes McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker all the more critical given that members with outsized power can threaten to effectively dilute if not wipe out the&nbsp;power Republicans would otherwise enjoy as a majority in the chamber,&nbsp;affecting potentially every upcoming legislation the dissenters&nbsp;they do not get their way.&nbsp;

“One reason why you don’t see more opposition to the Speaker in the modern era is that the Speaker controls all kinds of valuable resources that members of the House of Representatives really want,” said Fong to Al Jazeera.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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In the weeks leading up to the 118th session of the United States Congress, which is set to convene on Tuesday (December 3) at noon (local time), the attention has been focused on Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy whose bid to become the speaker of the House of Representatives has been uncertain at best.

In the weeks leading up to the 118th session of the United States Congress, which is set to convene on Tuesday (December 3) at noon (local time), the attention has been focused on Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy whose bid to become the speaker of the House of Representatives has been uncertain at best. Notably, this is not the first time that the California lawmaker has sought to lead the 435-member House. In 2015, he faced similar opposition from a small section of the Republican party (GOP) after he entered the race when House Speaker John Boehner, (R-Ohio) resigned. Last year, following the midterm elections the GOP, took over the House with a narrow majority of 222-213 from the Democrats and the outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi. However, given the opposition against McCarthy so far, from people of his own caucus, Tuesday might become the first time ever in nearly 100 years that a majority is garnered to elect a speaker of the chamber. ALSO READ | US, South Korea plan 'coordinated response' against North Korea's nuclear threat Importance of a House speaker The role of a speaker is critical for the government in Washington to function since not only will the lawmaker preside over the lower chamber of Congress they would also be next in line for the presidency. Typically, a speaker is elected at the beginning of a new Congress, however, the House can elect a new one if the incumbent dies, resigns or is removed from office, said a report by Associated Press. Additionally, the chamber cannot be organised until a speaker who is to preside over it is chosen, therefore, the vote to choose a speaker will be the first one taken once the lawmakers convene for the session on January 3 even before the new and returning members of both parties are sworn in. The speaker has “massive influence over what sorts of bills and amendments get voted on in Congress”, said Christian Fong, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, to Al Jazeera. He added that this also gives them a significant amount of control over what becomes a law in the upcoming session. Who will lead the house from both parties in the upcoming session? After the midterm elections, both the GOP conference and Democratic caucus held an informal vote where they selected the lawmaker they want to lead their party for the upcoming session. Therefore, by mid-November, following a close-door vote with Republicans, McCarthy emerged as the leader of the House for his party. Subsequently, by the end of the month, Democrats chose Representative Hakeem Jeffries from New York to lead the party in the House. ALSO WATCH | US Midterms: Republicans win the U.S. House; Kevin McCarthy to become the House Speaker How does the voting take place? Once the House has the minimum number of members present to proceed or quorum, leaders of the house will read out the names of the speaker nominee from their respective party before the roll call vote for the election. Subsequently, the clerk appoints lawmakers from each party as tellers to tally the votes. Notably, once the Congress begins on January 3, the members are not obligated to vote for the party’s chosen candidate, in fact, while the person typically is a member of the House it is not required. Therefore, any lawmaker including the incumbent President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and Senators, can be nominated and have previously received votes for speaker’s office, in the past, but not gained the majority, reported AP. This is because lawmakers in the House call out the name of their choice from the floor in a time-consuming roll call. So far, the number to reach a majority in the 435-member chamber has been 218 votes, however, many speakers including the outgoing speaker Pelosi have taken the gavel with less than that. ALSO READ | Twitter slams Kevin McCarthy for saying he would hit Nancy Pelosi with gavel This is because some members vote present instead of calling out a name, therefore, according to AP, every lawmaker that votes “present” lowers the total tally needed to reach a majority. In case a majority is not reached on the first ballot, as many have speculated would happen in McCarthy’s case, the clerk will repeat the roll call vote several times until a majority is garnered. The passing of the gavel Once the speaker nominee has won a majority of the vote the clear announces the results. Subsequently, a bipartisan committee typically one consisting of the members of the candidate’s home state escorts the speaker-elect to the dais for the oath-taking ceremony, where the outgoing speaker, in this case, speaker and California Democrat Pelosi, joins their successor and passes the gavel in a peaceful transition of power. Why do many people McCarthy would not be able to garner a majority to become the speaker? The last time a speaker for the House of Representatives was not elected in the first round of votes was exactly a century ago in 1923 when a speaker was selected after nearly nine rounds of voting. “It’s a very thin (GOP majority), so it only takes a small group of determined representatives to really get together and pose a credible threat to prevent the Speaker from being elected”, said Fong to Al Jazeera. The professor also spoke about how despite growing bipartisan opposition to the power of the Speaker, the path to the gavel will be particularly difficult for McCarthy. The situation that the Republican lawmaker faces is not entirely unique, as the outgoing speaker Pelosi who held the position for nearly four years witnessed similar internal opposition during her reelection in 2021. However, despite protests from five members of her caucus she managed to retain her position with Dems' slim majority in the chamber, at the time. ALSO WATCH | Kevin McCarthy struggles to clinch support to be U.S. House speaker amid hardline opposition According to Fong, Republicans who are opposing McCarthy’s bid for the gavel are from the so-called “safe-districts”, where they did not face much competition in the elections or had trouble raising funds due to their strong political base. Therefore, they do not value the power a speaker holds over what would otherwise be “valuable resources” for the House members which include committee assignments and campaign funding. Additionally, the California Republican faces a number of critics who want change in the way the House operates and have long complained that the structure gives too much power to leaders and argued for changes which would make small groups of dissenters obstruct and change legislation, reported the New York Times. McCarthy currently faces at least a dozen lawmakers who would choose anyone else but him which has left him scrambling for votes at the last minute and negotiating with the opposing lawmakers on concessions which may dilute his powers, should he take the office of the speaker, in the upcoming session. This mix also includes a group of newly elected lawmakers who are still weighing their options, said the NYT. ALSO READ | TikTok banned from all US House of Representatives-managed devices What will happen if McCarthy fails? As mentioned earlier, the speaker is an important part of not only the House but also the functioning of the US government, therefore with no one to preside over the chamber, it cannot fully form, name its committee chairmen, or even hold floor proceedings. In one word, chaos, "One thing to stress about this whole process, nothing else happens in the House of Representatives until a speaker is elected. It's the only leadership position specifically mentioned in the Constitution," said NPR's congressional correspondent, Deirdre Walsh. She added, "Members of Congress cannot even be sworn in to start a new session of Congress without a speaker first being elected. So opening day could be very chaotic." Additionally, the GOP is holding on to a majority in the lower chamber by just a couple of votes which makes McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker all the more critical given that members with outsized power can threaten to effectively dilute if not wipe out the power Republicans would otherwise enjoy as a majority in the chamber, affecting potentially every upcoming legislation the dissenters they do not get their way. “One reason why you don’t see more opposition to the Speaker in the modern era is that the Speaker controls all kinds of valuable resources that members of the House of Representatives really want,” said Fong to Al Jazeera. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained: Will the US House of Representatives have a speaker when it convenes?

United States President Joe Biden, on Thursday, signed a $1.7&nbsp;trillion funding bill which will keep the country’s federal government operating till the end of their federal budget year in September 2023. The 4000-page bill includes record military spending, funding for students with disabilities, affordable housing for families, and so on.&nbsp;

The bill was due for the presidential signature by late Friday and was signed hours before the deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown on the Caribbean island of St. Croix. where Biden is currently vacationing.

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Today, I signed the bipartisan omnibus bill, ending a year of historic progress. 
 
It'll invest in medical research, safety, veteran health care, disaster recovery, VAWA funding – and gets crucial assistance to Ukraine. 
 
Looking forward to more in 2023. <a href="https://t.co/KTI1R9qMij">pic.twitter.com/KTI1R9qMij</a>
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The legislation was passed in Congress last week with a Senate, bipartisan vote of 68-29, with the support of 18 of the 50 Senate Republicans. It was also passed in the Democrat-controlled House with Republican support 225-201, days before Christmas. At the time, Biden had said that this move shows that the two opposition parties can work together.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-passes-17-trillion-spending-bill-including-45-bn-ukraine-aid-avoids-partial-shutdown-546204">US House passes $1.7 trillion spending bill, including $45 bn Ukraine aid, avoids partial shutdown</a>

However, House Republican Kevin McCarthy, who hopes to become the Speaker when his party takes over and Congress opens on January 3, called the bill a “monstrosity that is one of the most shameful acts I've ever seen in this body”, during the floor debate. Noting that the bill spends too much, but not enough to curb illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl into the US.&nbsp;

Notably, the bill accounts for record military spending and emergency aid to Ukraine (amid its conflict with Russia), additional aid and funding for students with disabilities and protecting workers' rights which also includes more job-training resources, as well as affordable housing for families, veterans and those fleeing domestic violence.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-congress-passes-17-trillion-spending-bill-aims-at-averting-govt-shutdown-546216">US: Congress passes $1.7 trillion spending bill, aims at averting govt shutdown</a>

The “bipartisan omnibus bill”, as the US president called it, also includes at least a six per cent increase for domestic initiatives to $772.5 billion while the spending on defence has increased by 10 per cent to $858 billion.&nbsp;

Lawmakers also provided nearly $45 billion for Ukraine and its NATO allies which was more than what Biden had asked for and a $40 billion emergency spending to help communities across the country as they recover from natural disasters, like drought, hurricanes, and so on.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-debt-reaches-all-time-high-of-31-trillion-by-2029-interest-payments-may-overtake-defence-expenditure-522565">US debt reaches all-time high of $31 trillion, by 2029 interest payments may overtake defence expenditure</a>

Notably, the bill also includes an overhaul of the 19th-century Electoral Count Act which is seemingly a direct response to former US President Donald Trump’s bid to persuade Republican lawmakers and then Vice President Mike Pence to object to the certification of incumbent president Biden’s win after the elections had concluded.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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United States President Joe Biden, on Thursday, signed a $1.7 trillion funding bill which will keep the country’s federal government operating till the end of their federal budget year in September 2023.

United States President Joe Biden, on Thursday, signed a $1.7 trillion funding bill which will keep the country’s federal government operating till the end of their federal budget year in September 2023. The 4000-page bill includes record military spending, funding for students with disabilities, affordable housing for families, and so on. The bill was due for the presidential signature by late Friday and was signed hours before the deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown on the Caribbean island of St. Croix. where Biden is currently vacationing. Today, I signed the bipartisan omnibus bill, ending a year of historic progress. It'll invest in medical research, safety, veteran health care, disaster recovery, VAWA funding – and gets crucial assistance to Ukraine. Looking forward to more in 2023. pic.twitter.com/KTI1R9qMij — President Biden (@POTUS) December 29, 2022 × The legislation was passed in Congress last week with a Senate, bipartisan vote of 68-29, with the support of 18 of the 50 Senate Republicans. It was also passed in the Democrat-controlled House with Republican support 225-201, days before Christmas. At the time, Biden had said that this move shows that the two opposition parties can work together. ALSO READ | US House passes $1.7 trillion spending bill, including $45 bn Ukraine aid, avoids partial shutdown However, House Republican Kevin McCarthy, who hopes to become the Speaker when his party takes over and Congress opens on January 3, called the bill a “monstrosity that is one of the most shameful acts I've ever seen in this body”, during the floor debate. Noting that the bill spends too much, but not enough to curb illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl into the US. Notably, the bill accounts for record military spending and emergency aid to Ukraine (amid its conflict with Russia), additional aid and funding for students with disabilities and protecting workers' rights which also includes more job-training resources, as well as affordable housing for families, veterans and those fleeing domestic violence. ALSO WATCH | US: Congress passes $1.7 trillion spending bill, aims at averting govt shutdown The “bipartisan omnibus bill”, as the US president called it, also includes at least a six per cent increase for domestic initiatives to $772.5 billion while the spending on defence has increased by 10 per cent to $858 billion. Lawmakers also provided nearly $45 billion for Ukraine and its NATO allies which was more than what Biden had asked for and a $40 billion emergency spending to help communities across the country as they recover from natural disasters, like drought, hurricanes, and so on. ALSO READ | US debt reaches all-time high of $31 trillion, by 2029 interest payments may overtake defence expenditure Notably, the bill also includes an overhaul of the 19th-century Electoral Count Act which is seemingly a direct response to former US President Donald Trump’s bid to persuade Republican lawmakers and then Vice President Mike Pence to object to the certification of incumbent president Biden’s win after the elections had concluded. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US President Biden signs $1.7 trillion government spending bill for upcoming fiscal year

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema has left the democratic party and switched to the independent. White House say defection does not change the Democratic Senate control.

US: Kyrsten Sinema leaves the democratic party and switches to independent

Trump Organization, Capitol Hill and more: Former US Prez Donald Trump and the investigations into him

Democrats already control the U.S. Senate by the slimmest of margins. But the final balance of power will be decided in the southern state of Georgia on December 6th with a runoff election between Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more.

WION-VOA Co-Production | Dec 6: Georgia Senate runoff

The Democratic Party has elected Hakeem Jeffries as the new leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. Who exactly is the man set to replace Nancy Pelosi? Priyanka Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Hakeem Jeffries elected Democrat House Leader

Chris Murphy, Connecticut's Democratic US Senator, on Sunday expressed doubt over a proposed ban on assault weapons. Murphy's comments suggested that he is unsure that it could pass the upper chamber.&nbsp;

Murphy has been one of the leading gun control advocates in the Senate.&nbsp;His remarks came amid the ban being pushed by President Biden in the wake of the latest mass shootings in the country.&nbsp;

After shooting tragedies in Virginia and Colorado in the last two weeks,&nbsp;questions were raised&nbsp;about the funding of law enforcement agencies in places that refuse to enforce red flag laws.&nbsp;

Murphy said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday: "If you passed an assault weapons ban you would see less mass shootings in this country. You are not going to magically eliminate mass-shootings, but an AR-15, or AR-15 style weapon, is generally the choice of mass shooters."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-zelensky-says-that-russia-planning-new-strikes-537993">Russia-Ukraine war: Zelensky says that Russia planning new strikes</a>&nbsp;

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Opponents of new gun laws say we should just enforce the laws we have. 
 
But many counties have declared themselves “2nd Amendment Sanctuaries”, where gun laws aren’t enforced. 
 
On <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a> this morning I talked about the need for Congress to take action on this crisis.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1596872139449290753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In the aftermath of recent shootings, during the lame-duck session of Congress this year Biden said he was going to try to get rid of assault weapons.&nbsp;

Biden said: "The idea we still allow semi-automatic weapons to be purchased is sick. Just sick. I'm going to try to get rid of assault weapons."&nbsp;

On being asked about the votes and whether or not the proposal could garner 60 votes, Murphy said: "Probably not. But let's see if we can try to get that number as close to 60 as possible."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/protests-in-china-over-covid-restrictions-police-in-shanghai-drag-and-detain-demonstrators-537991">Protests in China over Covid restrictions: Police in Shanghai drag and detain demonstrators</a>&nbsp;

He continued: "If we don’t have the votes, then we’ll talk to Senator Schumer and maybe come back next year with maybe an additional senator and see if we can do better."&nbsp;

The Democratic-led House passed legislation in July to reinstate the 1990s-era ban on assault weapons.

After the passage of a landmark bipartisan bill on guns, strengthening background checks and red flag laws, which allow authorities to remove firearms from those posing a danger.&nbsp;

However, the legislation is dead in the Senate, where it would require 60 votes to pass.&nbsp;

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Chris Murphy, Connecticut's Democratic US Senator, on Sunday expressed doubt over a proposed ban on assault weapons. Murphy's comments suggested that he is unsure that it could pass the upper chamber.

Chris Murphy, Connecticut's Democratic US Senator, on Sunday expressed doubt over a proposed ban on assault weapons. Murphy's comments suggested that he is unsure that it could pass the upper chamber. Murphy has been one of the leading gun control advocates in the Senate. His remarks came amid the ban being pushed by President Biden in the wake of the latest mass shootings in the country. After shooting tragedies in Virginia and Colorado in the last two weeks, questions were raised about the funding of law enforcement agencies in places that refuse to enforce red flag laws. Murphy said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday: "If you passed an assault weapons ban you would see less mass shootings in this country. You are not going to magically eliminate mass-shootings, but an AR-15, or AR-15 style weapon, is generally the choice of mass shooters." ALSO READ | Russia-Ukraine war: Zelensky says that Russia planning new strikes Opponents of new gun laws say we should just enforce the laws we have. But many counties have declared themselves “2nd Amendment Sanctuaries”, where gun laws aren’t enforced. On @CNN this morning I talked about the need for Congress to take action on this crisis. — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) November 27, 2022 × In the aftermath of recent shootings, during the lame-duck session of Congress this year Biden said he was going to try to get rid of assault weapons. Biden said: "The idea we still allow semi-automatic weapons to be purchased is sick. Just sick. I'm going to try to get rid of assault weapons." On being asked about the votes and whether or not the proposal could garner 60 votes, Murphy said: "Probably not. But let's see if we can try to get that number as close to 60 as possible." ALSO READ | Protests in China over Covid restrictions: Police in Shanghai drag and detain demonstrators He continued: "If we don’t have the votes, then we’ll talk to Senator Schumer and maybe come back next year with maybe an additional senator and see if we can do better." The Democratic-led House passed legislation in July to reinstate the 1990s-era ban on assault weapons. After the passage of a landmark bipartisan bill on guns, strengthening background checks and red flag laws, which allow authorities to remove firearms from those posing a danger. However, the legislation is dead in the Senate, where it would require 60 votes to pass. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

After shooting tragedies in US, Democrats renew calls for assault weapons ban

Expect a wild two-year ride through legislative gridlock, Republican Party investigations of President Joe Biden, and ugly campaigns for the 2024 presidential elections for which former president Donald Trump announced his candidacy even though his star power is waning.

After results that fell far short of Republican expectations, it is far from certain that Trump will be the nominee of a party he has dominated for six years. Infighting broke out even before he announced his candidacy at an event shunned by senior party establishment figures and even his daughter Ivanka, a close aide and confidante during his four years in power.

Election day was November 8 but because of complicated electoral procedures that vary from state to state, it took nine days for the announcement that Republicans had captured the 218 seats they needed to control the 435-seat chamber. Their wafer-thin majority stands in stark contrast with predictions of a “red tsunami,” red being the party colour.

The Democrats kept control of the Senate, winning 50 of the 100 seats. One Senate contest, in Georgia, will be decided in a run-off vote on December 6. It pits the Democratic incumbent, Raphael Warnock, against the Trump-backed former football star Herschel Walker. But even if Walker wins, Democrats would control a 50-50 split as Vice President Kamala Harris has the tie-breaking vote.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-retain-control-of-us-senate-after-cortez-masto-wins-nevada-reports-533660">Read more:&nbsp;Democrats retain control of US Senate with Cortez Masto's win in Nevada</a>

The election result not only surprised Republican leaders and most media prognosticators predicting a “red wave” but it also ran against a long-established historical trend. In the 22 mid-term elections from 1934 to 2018, the incumbent president’s party averaged a loss of 28 seats in the House and four in the Senate.

The reason: Republicans largely campaigned on economic issues: inflation, the high price of food and gasoline as well as rising crime and immigration. Biden and Democratic candidates focused on threats to democracy highlighted by January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by Trump followers trying to overturn the results of the presidential elections Biden won.

Another key theme was abortion after the Supreme Court, dominated by conservative judges, struck down a woman’s constitutional right to abortion established 47 years ago. The decision sparked demonstrations across the country.

The election featured an intervention without precedent on behalf of the Republican Party — a tweet from Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, to his 110 million followers. “Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress given that the Presidency is Democratic.”

It’s a simplistic argument, open for debate. Clearly, Americans paid little attention to the recommendation of the world’s richest man. Rather than curb excesses, the actual outcome of the vote, a divided congress, is more likely to result in frequent stalemates and scant chance of progress on issues of key importance for the future of the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/elon-musks-appeal-to-independent-minded-voters-pitches-for-republican-congress-532231">WATCH |&nbsp;Elon Musk's appeal to independent-minded voters, pitches for Republican Congress</a>

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A Republican House and a Democrat-controlled Senate make up for the standard definition of a 'gridlock'. Two legislative houses controlled by different parties with starkly different philosophies. In deeply polarised America, there is almost nothing the two parties agree on.

However, there is one important geopolitical issue on which they now see eye-to-eye — support for Ukraine since Russia unleashed a war on the country on February 24. But far-right Republicans have begun to question the massive military and financial support provided by the Biden administration and its NATO allies.

Just hours after the official result of the contest for the House was announced, it became clear that for the next two years, Republican focus would be on investigative rather than legislative efforts.

James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who is expected to chair the House Oversight and Reform Committee, announced the panel would investigate the Biden family’s financial affairs, with a focus on President Biden’s son Hunter and his business dealings in Ukraine, Russia and China.

Republicans are also planning a House Judiciary Committee probe into allegations that the Biden administration exerted undue influence on the Department of Justice and on courts pressing ahead with multiple criminal investigations arising from attempts to reverse Trump’s loss in the 2020 elections.

The former president is also facing a civil trial in New York that could wreck his financial empire. Analysts from both sides of the political divide have speculated that Trump’s announcement of his candidature was aimed to protect him from prosecution. According to the Justice Department, his status as a candidate would make no difference. But how this will play out remains to be seen.

In his speech announcing his presidential run, Trump appeared to assume he would be his party’s nominee. That would have been a reasonable bet before the mid-term elections and the defeat of candidates he endorsed in return for perpetuating his baseless assertion that the 2020 elections were stolen from him.

Now, even former allies and Rupert Murdoch’s media empire viz. the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and Fox News,&nbsp;have begun to portray him as a loser.

In his speech announcing his third run at the presidency, Trump remarked “I am a victim. I will tell you. I am a victim,” a reference to an array of investigations and an FBI raid on his Mar-a-Largo home to seize top secret documents he had taken from the White House.

There was a succinct response from former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, once a close ally: “Republicans don’t vote for victims. They vote for leaders.”

Under Trump’s leadership, the Republican Party scored big losses in the 2018 mid-term elections; two years later he lost in the presidential race, and this year most Trump-backed candidates lost and the “red wave” turned out to be merely a trickle.

This makes little difference to the type of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol and those who cheered the insurrection and continue to insist he won the vote. But what might change his status in the eyes of his devoted base is that Trump is becoming an object of public mockery.

The prize for diminishing the former president with ridicule goes to the once Trump-friendly New York Post which ran a front-page two days after the election with the headline ‘Trumpty Dumpty’ under a picture of Trump as an egg perched on a brick wall. The text next to the mock-up: “Don (who couldn’t build a wall) had a great fall – can all the GOP’s men put the party back together again?”

The Post, once described by Trump as his favourite paper, pushed its new-found, Murdoch-sanctioned disdain even further five days later. It buried Trump’s announcement of a 2024 run on page 26 and teased the story with a single line on the bottom of the front page: “Florida Man Makes Announcement.”

It’s difficult to imagine a jab more stinging for a man as hungry to be the centre of attention as Donald Trump.

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Expect a wild two-year ride through legislative gridlock, Republican Party investigations of President Joe Biden, and ugly campaigns for the 2024 presidential elections for which former president Donald Trump announced his candidacy even though his star power is waning.

Expect a wild two-year ride through legislative gridlock, Republican Party investigations of President Joe Biden, and ugly campaigns for the 2024 presidential elections for which former president Donald Trump announced his candidacy even though his star power is waning. After results that fell far short of Republican expectations, it is far from certain that Trump will be the nominee of a party he has dominated for six years. Infighting broke out even before he announced his candidacy at an event shunned by senior party establishment figures and even his daughter Ivanka, a close aide and confidante during his four years in power. Election day was November 8 but because of complicated electoral procedures that vary from state to state, it took nine days for the announcement that Republicans had captured the 218 seats they needed to control the 435-seat chamber. Their wafer-thin majority stands in stark contrast with predictions of a “red tsunami,” red being the party colour. The Democrats kept control of the Senate, winning 50 of the 100 seats. One Senate contest, in Georgia, will be decided in a run-off vote on December 6. It pits the Democratic incumbent, Raphael Warnock, against the Trump-backed former football star Herschel Walker. But even if Walker wins, Democrats would control a 50-50 split as Vice President Kamala Harris has the tie-breaking vote. Read more: Democrats retain control of US Senate with Cortez Masto's win in Nevada The election result not only surprised Republican leaders and most media prognosticators predicting a “red wave” but it also ran against a long-established historical trend. In the 22 mid-term elections from 1934 to 2018, the incumbent president’s party averaged a loss of 28 seats in the House and four in the Senate. The reason: Republicans largely campaigned on economic issues: inflation, the high price of food and gasoline as well as rising crime and immigration. Biden and Democratic candidates focused on threats to democracy highlighted by January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by Trump followers trying to overturn the results of the presidential elections Biden won. Another key theme was abortion after the Supreme Court, dominated by conservative judges, struck down a woman’s constitutional right to abortion established 47 years ago. The decision sparked demonstrations across the country. The election featured an intervention without precedent on behalf of the Republican Party — a tweet from Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, to his 110 million followers. “Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress given that the Presidency is Democratic.” It’s a simplistic argument, open for debate. Clearly, Americans paid little attention to the recommendation of the world’s richest man. Rather than curb excesses, the actual outcome of the vote, a divided congress, is more likely to result in frequent stalemates and scant chance of progress on issues of key importance for the future of the country. WATCH | Elon Musk's appeal to independent-minded voters, pitches for Republican Congress × A Republican House and a Democrat-controlled Senate make up for the standard definition of a 'gridlock'. Two legislative houses controlled by different parties with starkly different philosophies. In deeply polarised America, there is almost nothing the two parties agree on. However, there is one important geopolitical issue on which they now see eye-to-eye — support for Ukraine since Russia unleashed a war on the country on February 24. But far-right Republicans have begun to question the massive military and financial support provided by the Biden administration and its NATO allies. Just hours after the official result of the contest for the House was announced, it became clear that for the next two years, Republican focus would be on investigative rather than legislative efforts. James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who is expected to chair the House Oversight and Reform Committee, announced the panel would investigate the Biden family’s financial affairs, with a focus on President Biden’s son Hunter and his business dealings in Ukraine, Russia and China. Republicans are also planning a House Judiciary Committee probe into allegations that the Biden administration exerted undue influence on the Department of Justice and on courts pressing ahead with multiple criminal investigations arising from attempts to reverse Trump’s loss in the 2020 elections. The former president is also facing a civil trial in New York that could wreck his financial empire. Analysts from both sides of the political divide have speculated that Trump’s announcement of his candidature was aimed to protect him from prosecution. According to the Justice Department, his status as a candidate would make no difference. But how this will play out remains to be seen. In his speech announcing his presidential run, Trump appeared to assume he would be his party’s nominee. That would have been a reasonable bet before the mid-term elections and the defeat of candidates he endorsed in return for perpetuating his baseless assertion that the 2020 elections were stolen from him. Now, even former allies and Rupert Murdoch’s media empire viz. the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and Fox News, have begun to portray him as a loser. In his speech announcing his third run at the presidency, Trump remarked “I am a victim. I will tell you. I am a victim,” a reference to an array of investigations and an FBI raid on his Mar-a-Largo home to seize top secret documents he had taken from the White House. There was a succinct response from former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, once a close ally: “Republicans don’t vote for victims. They vote for leaders.” Under Trump’s leadership, the Republican Party scored big losses in the 2018 mid-term elections; two years later he lost in the presidential race, and this year most Trump-backed candidates lost and the “red wave” turned out to be merely a trickle. This makes little difference to the type of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol and those who cheered the insurrection and continue to insist he won the vote. But what might change his status in the eyes of his devoted base is that Trump is becoming an object of public mockery. The prize for diminishing the former president with ridicule goes to the once Trump-friendly New York Post which ran a front-page two days after the election with the headline ‘Trumpty Dumpty’ under a picture of Trump as an egg perched on a brick wall. The text next to the mock-up: “Don (who couldn’t build a wall) had a great fall – can all the GOP’s men put the party back together again?” The Post, once described by Trump as his favourite paper, pushed its new-found, Murdoch-sanctioned disdain even further five days later. It buried Trump’s announcement of a 2024 run on page 26 and teased the story with a single line on the bottom of the front page: “Florida Man Makes Announcement.” It’s difficult to imagine a jab more stinging for a man as hungry to be the centre of attention as Donald Trump. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

After America’s cliffhanger midterm elections, what next?

Seven Democratic senators warned the Federal Trade Commission in a letter they wrote on Thursday that Twitter, which is now controlled by Elon Musk, was disregarding users' rights and urged the organisation to look into any violations of the consent decree it had signed with Twitter.&nbsp;

Senators Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren, among other senators, requested that the government consider taking enforcement steps against the business and, as necessary, specific executives.&nbsp;

The lawmakers wrote in a letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan, "Twitter's new Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, has taken alarming steps in recent weeks that have undermined the integrity and safety of the platform, and announced new features despite clear warnings those changes would be abused for fraud, scams, and dangerous impersonation."

The first two weeks of the billionaire's ownership of Twitter have been characterised by quick change and mayhem. The previous CEO of Twitter and other senior executives were swiftly ousted, and earlier this month, he laid off half of the company's workers.&nbsp;

Also &nbsp;Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kherson-residents-switch-russian-sim-cards-with-ukrainian-ones-535144">Kherson residents switch Russian SIM cards with Ukrainian ones</a>

There have been worries that the turmoil may cause Twitter to break the terms of a May 2022 settlement with the American regulator, when Twitter agreed to enhance its privacy procedures and put the responsibility on individuals who held specific roles.&nbsp;

Last Monday, the FTC claimed it was "tracking recent Twitter developments with deep concern. No CEO or company is above the law, and companies must follow our consent decrees."

(with inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

Seven Democratic senators warned the Federal Trade Commission in a letter they wrote on Thursday that Twitter, which is now controlled by Elon Musk, was disregarding users' rights and urged the organisation to look into any violations of the consent decree it had signed with Twitter.

Seven Democratic senators warned the Federal Trade Commission in a letter they wrote on Thursday that Twitter, which is now controlled by Elon Musk, was disregarding users' rights and urged the organisation to look into any violations of the consent decree it had signed with Twitter. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren, among other senators, requested that the government consider taking enforcement steps against the business and, as necessary, specific executives. The lawmakers wrote in a letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan, "Twitter's new Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, has taken alarming steps in recent weeks that have undermined the integrity and safety of the platform, and announced new features despite clear warnings those changes would be abused for fraud, scams, and dangerous impersonation." The first two weeks of the billionaire's ownership of Twitter have been characterised by quick change and mayhem. The previous CEO of Twitter and other senior executives were swiftly ousted, and earlier this month, he laid off half of the company's workers. Also Read: Kherson residents switch Russian SIM cards with Ukrainian ones There have been worries that the turmoil may cause Twitter to break the terms of a May 2022 settlement with the American regulator, when Twitter agreed to enhance its privacy procedures and put the responsibility on individuals who held specific roles. Last Monday, the FTC claimed it was "tracking recent Twitter developments with deep concern. No CEO or company is above the law, and companies must follow our consent decrees." (with inputs from agencies)

United States: Democratic senators accuse Musk of undermining Twitter

Republicans have won a majority in the House of Representatives; Democrats control the Senate. There is a clear division is the U.S. Congress, also a division with the Republicans. What does the divided state of America mean for Americans? Priyanka Sharma tells you.

Gravitas | The divided state of America: A divided Congress, a division within the House

Republicans have won enough seats to control the US House of Representatives, gaining the power to investigate President Joe Biden, curb spending and shape the legislative agenda in the next two years.

It's not the 'red wave' Republicans had anticipated, but it will allow the party to block Biden's agenda. While the House went to the Republicans, the Senate came under the control of the Democrats with 50 seats, setting the stage for a divided government in Washington.

The confirmation came from Edison Research which declared that Republicans won the 218 seats they needed to control the House, after they pocketed California's 27th Congressional district.

This is the first time in the 21st century that the Republicans are ahead with a narrow majority. In 2001, the GOP had just a nine-seat majority, 221-212 with two independents.

The results serves as a major setback for the party, which was riding on the economic crisis and Biden’s lagging popularity.

<h2>Donald Trump's white house bid sparking divisions among Republicans</h2>

<h2 class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trumps-white-house-bid-sparking-divisions-among-republicans-534289/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></h2>

The results are expected to play a spoilsport to House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy’s plans to become a speaker, as some conservative members have been reticent in extending support while some have placed conditions.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-donald-trump-readies-to-make-2024-prez-announcement-several-republicans-express-concern-534319" hreflang="en">As Trump readies to make 2024 announcement, most Republicans express concern</a>

A blame game has already started within the Republicans, with many pointing fingers at former president Donald Trump for the worse-than-expected outcome.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republican-election-denier-kari-lake-has-lost-governors-race-in-arizona-msnbc-forecast-says-534195" hreflang="en">Election denier Kari Lake has lost governor's race in Arizona, reports suggest</a>

Several of the candidates backed by Trump have struggled to score a victory against the Democrat rivals.

With Trump announcing a third White House bid, several Republican members have expressed apprehension at the prospect, fearing that it might have repercussions in seats where voters are still being counted.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

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Republicans have won enough seats to control the US House of Representatives, gaining the power to investigate President Joe Biden, curb spending and shape the legislative agenda in the next two years.

Republicans have won enough seats to control the US House of Representatives, gaining the power to investigate President Joe Biden, curb spending and shape the legislative agenda in the next two years. It's not the 'red wave' Republicans had anticipated, but it will allow the party to block Biden's agenda. While the House went to the Republicans, the Senate came under the control of the Democrats with 50 seats, setting the stage for a divided government in Washington. The confirmation came from Edison Research which declared that Republicans won the 218 seats they needed to control the House, after they pocketed California's 27th Congressional district. This is the first time in the 21st century that the Republicans are ahead with a narrow majority. In 2001, the GOP had just a nine-seat majority, 221-212 with two independents. The results serves as a major setback for the party, which was riding on the economic crisis and Biden’s lagging popularity. Donald Trump's white house bid sparking divisions among Republicans The results are expected to play a spoilsport to House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy’s plans to become a speaker, as some conservative members have been reticent in extending support while some have placed conditions. Also read | As Trump readies to make 2024 announcement, most Republicans express concern A blame game has already started within the Republicans, with many pointing fingers at former president Donald Trump for the worse-than-expected outcome. Also read | Election denier Kari Lake has lost governor's race in Arizona, reports suggest Several of the candidates backed by Trump have struggled to score a victory against the Democrat rivals. With Trump announcing a third White House bid, several Republican members have expressed apprehension at the prospect, fearing that it might have repercussions in seats where voters are still being counted. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US midterms: Republicans get House control, setting stage for divided govt, probe on Biden

In a remarkable turn of events, the US Senate on Wednesday cleared a 60-vote procedural hurdle in a test of support for a long contentious bill on same-sex relationships.&nbsp;Breaking a filibuster to start off debate on passing of this landmark bill providing federal protection for same sex and interracial marriages, the Senate voted 62-37 in support of the bill. All 50 members of the Democratic caucus along with 12 Republicans voted to start a debate on the bipartisan bill.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgias-six-week-abortion-ban-unconstitutional-rules-judge-534714">Georgia’s six-week abortion ban unconstitutional, rules judge</a>

However, as per the procedure once the bill is passed through the Senate it will require to be passed again through the House. After this, it will go to the President who will sign it into a legislation.&nbsp;It is interesting to note this comes in the backdrop of US elections vote counting where Republicans are projected to win a majority in the House. In view of this, the Democrats supporters of the bill are hoping to get the legislation passed by the end of the year.&nbsp;

After US Supreme Court struck down Roe vs Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that enshrined the constitutional right to abortion, the advocates of same sex were fearful. However, now there is hope that the rights of those in same-sex marriage would be protected.&nbsp;

The bill would not make mandatory for all states to legalize same-sex marriage but it would require individual US states to recognize another state’s legal marriage.&nbsp;An individual state could still pass a law to ban same-sex marriage in case Supreme Court overturns its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalised same-sex marriage.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="Kevin McCarthy is Republican nominee for House speaker">Kevin McCarthy is Republican nominee for House speaker</a>

The Respect for Marriage Act must clear the 100-member Senate before it can become law. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told CNN that he wants his chamber’s bill to pass by Thursday before senators leave for their Thanksgiving recess all next week.

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-midterm-elections-republicans-hit-majority-target-534910">US Midterm Elections: Republicans hit majority target</a>

“We’re hoping that could happen,” he said. After the test vote, Schumer hoped “both sides can work quickly together to move this bill through the Senate and on to the president’s desk.” “It already passed the House earlier this year with significant 47 Republican votes and I’m optimistic we can achieve a significant result in this chamber,” he added.

&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

In a remarkable turn of events, the US Senate on Wednesday cleared a 60-vote procedural hurdle in a test of support for a long contentious bill on same-sex relationships.

In a remarkable turn of events, the US Senate on Wednesday cleared a 60-vote procedural hurdle in a test of support for a long contentious bill on same-sex relationships. Breaking a filibuster to start off debate on passing of this landmark bill providing federal protection for same sex and interracial marriages, the Senate voted 62-37 in support of the bill. All 50 members of the Democratic caucus along with 12 Republicans voted to start a debate on the bipartisan bill. ALSO READ | Georgia’s six-week abortion ban unconstitutional, rules judge However, as per the procedure once the bill is passed through the Senate it will require to be passed again through the House. After this, it will go to the President who will sign it into a legislation. It is interesting to note this comes in the backdrop of US elections vote counting where Republicans are projected to win a majority in the House. In view of this, the Democrats supporters of the bill are hoping to get the legislation passed by the end of the year. After US Supreme Court struck down Roe vs Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that enshrined the constitutional right to abortion, the advocates of same sex were fearful. However, now there is hope that the rights of those in same-sex marriage would be protected. The bill would not make mandatory for all states to legalize same-sex marriage but it would require individual US states to recognize another state’s legal marriage. An individual state could still pass a law to ban same-sex marriage in case Supreme Court overturns its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalised same-sex marriage. ALSO READ | Kevin McCarthy is Republican nominee for House speaker The Respect for Marriage Act must clear the 100-member Senate before it can become law. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told CNN that he wants his chamber’s bill to pass by Thursday before senators leave for their Thanksgiving recess all next week. WATCH | US Midterm Elections: Republicans hit majority target “We’re hoping that could happen,” he said. After the test vote, Schumer hoped “both sides can work quickly together to move this bill through the Senate and on to the president’s desk.” “It already passed the House earlier this year with significant 47 Republican votes and I’m optimistic we can achieve a significant result in this chamber,” he added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US Senate crosses initial hurdle in same-sex, interracial marriage protection bill

Despite Republicans' poor performance in the midterm elections, US President Joe Biden on Monday (November 14) stated that he does not anticipate being able to codify Roe v. Wade into law. The law, which gives constitutional right to abortion, was scrapped by the US Supreme Court earlier this year.

Prior to election day, Biden had stressed how important it was to elect more Democrats to the House. He said, "If we do that, here's the promise I make to you and the American people: The first bill I will send to Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-expected-to-pledge-codifying-abortion-rights-ahead-of-mid-term-elections-526545">Also read |&nbsp;Joe Biden expected to pledge codifying abortion rights ahead of mid-term elections</a>

But now as Republicans seem certain to regain the House of Representatives, it seems a bit difficult for Democrats to stick to their promise. As of Monday, Republicans hold 212 House seats, while Democrats hold 203. The Republicans are currently ahead in seven of the 10 races. The party only needs to secure three to claim its victory, Fox News reported.

The president made his current remarks after his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping since assuming office, while attending the G20 summit in in Bali, Indonesia.&nbsp;

During a press conference, a reporter asked the president whether Americans should anticipate Congress with regard to abortion rights. Biden said, "I don't think they can expect much of anything other than we're going to maintain our positions." He added, "I'm not going to get into more questions. I shouldn't even answer your question."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-midterm-elections-michigan-kentucky-lead-state-abortion-rights-wins-532692">Also read |&nbsp;US midterm elections: Michigan, Kentucky lead state abortion rights wins</a>

He continued, unless something exceptional occurs in the House, they won't be able to do so as there aren't enough votes.

Eagerly waiting for results, he said, "I think we're going to come very close in the House but I don't think we're going to make it."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Despite Republicans' poor performance in the midterm elections, US President Joe Biden on Monday (November 14) stated that he does not anticipate being able to codify Roe v.

Despite Republicans' poor performance in the midterm elections, US President Joe Biden on Monday (November 14) stated that he does not anticipate being able to codify Roe v. Wade into law. The law, which gives constitutional right to abortion, was scrapped by the US Supreme Court earlier this year. Prior to election day, Biden had stressed how important it was to elect more Democrats to the House. He said, "If we do that, here's the promise I make to you and the American people: The first bill I will send to Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade." Also read | Joe Biden expected to pledge codifying abortion rights ahead of mid-term elections But now as Republicans seem certain to regain the House of Representatives, it seems a bit difficult for Democrats to stick to their promise. As of Monday, Republicans hold 212 House seats, while Democrats hold 203. The Republicans are currently ahead in seven of the 10 races. The party only needs to secure three to claim its victory, Fox News reported. The president made his current remarks after his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping since assuming office, while attending the G20 summit in in Bali, Indonesia. During a press conference, a reporter asked the president whether Americans should anticipate Congress with regard to abortion rights. Biden said, "I don't think they can expect much of anything other than we're going to maintain our positions." He added, "I'm not going to get into more questions. I shouldn't even answer your question." Also read | US midterm elections: Michigan, Kentucky lead state abortion rights wins He continued, unless something exceptional occurs in the House, they won't be able to do so as there aren't enough votes. Eagerly waiting for results, he said, "I think we're going to come very close in the House but I don't think we're going to make it." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Democrats won't be able to codify Roe v. Wade as they lack enough votes, says US President Joe Biden

In politics, it's a given that some individuals tend to go deep into their own pockets to fund for campaigns for political parties or for their candidates and the news of the collapse of the crypto trading firm FTX comes as a blow for the Democrats.

US: Founder of crypto trading firm FTX was Democrats second biggest donor

The Democrats are all set to control the Senate. According to American Network's report the Democrats have won the Nevada elections after Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto won a tie to re-election race against Republican Adam Laxalt.

US Midterm Elections: Democrats retain control of Senate; Cortez Masto defeats Republican Laxalt

US Midterm Elections: Boost for Biden as Democrats retain control of US Senate

Republicans and Democrats are in a tight race for control of the US Congress, as counting continues following the midterm elections.

US awaits verdict on midterm elections

Over 5 American states have voted to uphold abortion rights. Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, California & Vermont, all 5 of them held a referendum on abortion. The people of all 5 states have voted overwhelming in favour of abortion. Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: US Midterm Election: These 5 states have upheld abortion rights

Results are still being declared in the US mid-term elections, with control of Congress hanging in the balance. Republicans are likely to take control of the House of Representatives, but the Senate fight remains on a knife-edge.

US Midterm Elections 2022: Republicans and Democrats are neck to neck in senate race

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