After a day-long stalemate, with the House Speaker selected and House members finally sworn in, the House can focus on resuming business and organizing Republican-led committees.
Every new Congress must pass a new set of House rules, and doing so will be at the top of the 118th Congress’ to-do list when the House reconvenes on Monday.
With a Republican majority in the House, new powers to set the agenda emerged — investigative and legislative.
Legislative agenda: House Republicans would be limited in their ability to pass bills in Congress, while Democrats control the Senate and the White House — where the president can veto legislation. Still, House Republicans will be able to push a messaging bill that highlights their agenda.
In an exclusive interview with CNN ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy outlined his plan for power.
These programs include:
- fight inflation
- Rising crime and border security
- He also left the door open to launching eventual impeachment proceedings, which some of his members have begun calling for
There are also policy issues that must be passed — such as funding the government — that will test the ability of Republicans and Democrats to work together.
Read more about what Republicans plan to do with their new House majority Gentlemen