Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm election, but their legislative power faces immediate constraints.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries declared "Today begins the great American comeback," but Democrats campaigned on investigating corruption, lowering healthcare and grocery costs, and curtailing the Iran war. Enacting those promises will prove difficult.
Republican President Donald Trump retains veto power over legislation. Congress can override a presidential veto only with a two-thirds majority in both chambers, which Democrats do not have. Trump posted an image of a red campaign hat with "VETO" written across it on Truth Social, though he also told the New York Times that he would "probably work something out" with Democrats.
Democrats can use newly controlled committees to investigate Trump and his administration. Robert Garcia, a Democratic congressman from California, said he would lead a powerful House oversight committee and called on those close to Trump to "Lawyer up." The Senate can also confirm or block Trump's cabinet and judicial nominations.
The House has power to impeach Trump, as Democrats did twice during his first term. The Senate voted to acquit him both times. Impeachment requires a two-thirds Senate majority to convict and remove a president, a threshold Democrats cannot meet. Hakeem Jeffries has kept Democrats' impeachment plans vague, telling CNN in August that the party had "ruled nothing in" and "ruled nothing out."
Senator Chris Coons told the BBC that Democrats should not treat the election as "a mandate," warning the party remained "deeply unpopular." He said Democrats must "prove we can get stuff done" on low wages and rising costs.