The Democrats have won control of both the House of Representatives and Senate.
asserted
Democrats → win → Representatives
The midterm election result means Donald Trump's Republican Party has lost control of Congress and will have a harder time passing new laws or appointing new officials.
asserted
Party → mean → officials
So, what happens now?
asserted
what → happen → ?
Legislation
Once Congress turns over, Democrats will be able to block partisan legislation pushed by Republicans.
asserted
Democrats → turn → Republicans
And they have made a plan for their first 100 hours of House control, which the New York Times describes as a "shock-and-awe legislative sprint".
asserted
Times → make → sprint
It includes introducing bills aimed at removing tariffs, ending the Iran war and cutting health insurance costs, according to multiple reports.
uncertain
It → include → reports
But the party will still lack the power to pass them into law, for two reasons.
asserted
party → lack → reasons
LoadingFirstly, getting a bill through the Senate requires 60 senators to agree to bring it to a vote.
asserted
getting → get → vote
Even if Democrats win a majority of the Senate's 100 seats, they are almost certain to fall short of 60.
asserted
they → win → 60
(An exception to this rule applies to "budget reconciliation" bills to adjust government spending and taxes.)
asserted
exception → apply → spending
Secondly, Mr Trump has the power to veto a bill unless it has two-thirds support in both chambers.
asserted
it → have → chambers
Winning the House gives the Democrats hefty investigative powers, with the authority to subpoena documents and witnesses.
asserted
Winning → win → documents
They have indicated they intend to open congressional probes into Mr Trump and connections between his family's business interests and his presidential powers.
asserted
they → indicate → interests
Trump officials and allies could also face investigations.
uncertain
officials → face → investigations
"If you have been stealing from the American people, screwing over the American people or short-changing the American people, beginning on day one of the new Congress, we are going to hold the crooks accountable," the Democrats' House leader Hakeem Jeffries told a recent rally.
asserted
leader → steal → rally
Some party members also want investigations into arms of government like the Department of Justice and the FBI, which are led by Trump allies and have been pursuing his political enemies.
asserted
which → want → enemies
"Day one, we need to be opening investigations into the heads of every single one of these agencies," progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told a town hall session in Maine last month.
asserted
Cortez → need → Maine
Some Democrats want to see Mr Trump impeached for a third time, but the party is split over this.
asserted
party → want → this
Democrats could impeach him with a House majority, but convicting him and removing him from office would require two-thirds of the Senate.
uncertain
convicting → impeach → Senate
Democratic figures like Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton have said they do not support impeaching Mr Trump and the party should put its energy elsewhere.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appears to be a more likely target for impeachment.
asserted
Hegseth → say → impeachment
If Democrats pursue that effort, it could get support from members of both parties.
uncertain
it → pursue → parties
A resolution to impeach Mr Hegseth has already been introduced by outgoing Republican Thomas Massie.
asserted
resolution → impeach → Massie
It relates to US actions in Iran, Venezuela, Yemen and elsewhere.
asserted
It → relate → Iran
Mr Jeffries has meanwhile been telling midterm rallies that his party plans to "run Pete Hegseth out of town".
asserted
party → tell → town
"Pete Hegseth needs to be pushed aside by the president, or we're going to have to deal with that situation if he is not," Mr Jeffries told MS NOW late last month.
asserted
Jeffries → need → NOW
He has not explicitly said whether he supports impeaching either Mr Hegseth or Mr Trump.
asserted
he → say → Hegseth
The new Congress will not be sworn in until January 3.
Members of the current Congress will return on November 9 with significant work left to do.
asserted
Members → swear → work
A top priority will be passing new government funding bills before December 11, when existing funding expires.
asserted
funding → pass → December
If new funding bills are not passed before the deadline, there will be another shutdown of government services.
asserted
bills → pass → services
It would be the fourth shutdown of Mr Trump's second presidency, and could mean more political chaos before the year is out.
Hiring and firing
The president requires the support of the Senate to get the people he wants into positions of power.
uncertain
he → mean → power
A majority of senators must vote to confirm the president's picks for roles like cabinet secretaries and Supreme Court justices.
asserted
majority → vote → secretaries
So the Democrats' new-found Senate majority means they should find it easier to block Mr Trump's nominations.
"One of the reasons we want to do everything we can to take back the Senate is not let Trump put such horrible justices — MAGA justices — on the Supreme Court and the lower courts," Democrat Senate Leader Chuck Schumer told NBC News in September.
asserted
Schumer → find → September
Some of the sitting justices are well past retirement age — including conservatives Clarence Thomas, 78, and Samuel Alito, 76.
asserted
Some → sit → Thomas
Justice Alito has ruled out retiring before Congress changes, and Justice Thomas also reportedly wants to stay on.
uncertain
Thomas → rule → ?
They could now face pressure to step aside while Republicans still hold a Senate majority, but ultimately the decision will be theirs.
uncertain
decision → face → majority
Mr Trump should find it easier to quickly replace members of his cabinet, if he wants to, as he has the power to fire them.
asserted
he → find → them
The Aporia
