Overview
- Voters handed Democrats control of the House and Senate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, shifting congressional power to the party for the 120th Congress that begins January 3, 2027.
- Democratic leaders say they will introduce measures to end or limit U.S. military operations in Iran using the War Powers Resolution and funding restrictions, but any law could be blocked by a presidential veto or Senate procedural hurdles.
- The new majority plans to challenge the administration's tariff authority to lower import-driven costs and to pursue affordability steps on fuel, groceries and health funding.
- House and Senate committees will use subpoenas, oversight hearings and budget leverage to investigate the administration, block appointments and potentially open impeachment inquiries, though those actions may be political as much as prosecutorial.
- Practical outcomes will depend on negotiations, the Senate's rules including the filibuster, and the lack of two-thirds veto-override majorities, and the shift is already reshaping the political map and the 2028 landscape.