العربي الديمقراطي The Latest From The Arab World
مقالات مشابهة
US Republicans stormed the Senate by thumping Democrats in the mid-term elections on Tuesday, and now control both houses of Congress, virtually assuring a testy final two years in office for President Barack Obama.
Riding on a frustration among voters with Washington’s politicians and policies, Republicans captured at least 7 seats from Senate Democrats in the poll. This will be the first time since 2006 that the Republicans control both houses of Congress.
“The American people have put their trust in the Republican Party”, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said.
Senior Senate Republican Mitch McConnell retained his Kentucky seat, and is set to replace Harry Reid as Senate majority leader.
“This experiment in big government has lasted long enough. It’s time to go in a new direction”, McConnell said at his victory speech.
However, he added that while he and the President disagree on several issues, they “have an obligation to work together on issues where we can agree”.
Reid congratulated McConnell on his victory but urged for cooperation between the two parties.
“The message from voters is clear: they want us to work together”, he said.
Republicans also maintained their majority in the House of Representatives, which they had won in 2010.
Additionally, this will be the first time that over a hundred women could win House seats. Projections also suggest that Republicans could gain 14-16 House seats, thereby giving them their greatest majority since 1946.
Republicans also cleaned up in important gubernatorial races, winning re-elections in Kansas, Wisconsin and Florida, and also winning traditionally-democratic states of Massachusetts, Maryland and Obama’s home state of Illinois, where Democrat Pat Quinn was ousted by Republican Pat Quinn.
“We are humbled by the responsibility the American people have placed with us, but this is not a time for celebration. It’s time for government to start getting results and implementing solutions to the challenges facing our country, starting with our still-struggling economy”, House speaker John Boehner said.
Without a legislative base, Obama will find it difficult to pass reforms, with his opponents also gaining the ability to obstruct his appointments to official and judicial posts. The party of the incumbent President generally trades badly during the mid-term elections in the President’s second term – every President since Ronald Reagan has had to leave office with the opposition in control of Congress.