Analysis: Kevin McCarthy's 218 problem
CNNNov 16, 2022
After over a week since the Nov. 8 midterms, Republicans are now projected to win a majority in the US House of Representatives. This portends two years of divided government as the Democratic Party retained control of the Senate.
The GOP secured the 218 seats needed to flip control from the Democrats on Wednesday evening following a win in California's 27th Congressional district. However, their majority will still be quite slim and narrower than was generally predicted before the midterms.
There was no so-called "red wave." Though Republicans eking out a majority is a win for them, their road ahead won't be a cakewalk. The Republican party is deeply divided, and Kevin McCarthy's first challenge will be formally getting elected House Speaker. Democrats only need to influence a few Republicans along the way to yield influence in the new House.
Now that Republicans have control of the House, they can proceed with investigating Hunter Biden's business dealings, the process of the Jan. 6 Committee, and Biden's catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Democrats wrongly thought Americans were worried about access to abortion and so-called "threats to democracy," but, in reality, Americans are more concerned over bread-and-butter issues, like inflation and the economy.