Despite forecasts predicting Democrats would hold onto their majority in the Senate, the party’s lawmakers are bracing for what a House of Representatives controlled by Republicans would look like.
The prediction Dems hold onto the Senate gives the party some leverage and congressional support for President Joe Biden, but not enough to prevent the inevitable gridlock expected to occur with the GOP controlling the lower chamber.
Democrats have already envisioned the more than likely scenario of Republicans taking over the House majority.
One such Democrat is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.), who asserted, “if Republicans win control of the House, they will not be able to govern. It’ll be a cascading nightmare of dysfunction and horrible for the country and horrible news for anybody who relies on federal funding.”
And if Republicans win the upper and lower chamber, Murphy described a frightening reality that includes “a series of shutdowns and funding crises.”
The Connecticut Democrat also called the “new breed of Republicans” anarchists, who don’t believe the “government should be funding anything.”
The fears of a deadlock aren’t unfounded. Current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who is set to become the next House Speaker should the GOP take the lower chamber, sided with former President Trump when he urged Republicans to block legislation that would raise the debt ceiling. A move that would place the country at risk of default.
In October, when the House of Representatives voted to raise the debt ceiling, the GOP in the House heeded Trump’s calls. Every Republican lawmaker voted not to raise the debt ceiling.
