House majority seals complete Republican control, accelerating advance of rightwing agenda
The Guardian|November 15, 2024
Now that Republicans have won a majority in the House of Representatives, Donald Trump and his party will have a governing trifecta in Washington come January, putting the new president in a powerful position to enact his rightwing agenda.
Joan E Greve
House majority seals complete Republican control, accelerating advance of rightwing agenda

Even without majorities in both chambers of Congress, Trump's victory in the presidential race already gave him significant control over US foreign policy and the makeup of the federal government, both of which he is seeking to overhaul.

But a Republican trifecta in Washington will give him sweeping authority to implement his legislative priorities. Trump's plans include extending tax cuts, rolling back landmark laws signed by Joe Biden and advancing a conservative cultural agenda.

One of the Republicans' most repeated campaign promises was that they would extend the tax cuts Trump signed into law in 2017, many of which are set to expire at the end of 2025. An analysis by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found making the cuts permanent would cost $288.5bn (£227.3bn) in 2026 alone and disproportionately benefit the highest-income households.

Perhaps the most haunting possibility for Democrats is that Republicans would use their governing trifecta to enact a nationwide abortion ban.

This story is from the November 15, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 15, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE GUARDIANView All
The Guardian

New year refresh A month-by-month guide to sorting out your finances

Rupert Jones and Hilary Osborne offer a checklist of the vital tasks you need to tackle throughout the year, from filing your tax return to making the most of your holiday cash

time-read
9 mins  |
December 28, 2024
Lost in music How Britain's clubs are disappearing fast - and why they are worth rescuing
The Guardian

Lost in music How Britain's clubs are disappearing fast - and why they are worth rescuing

When the patrons of Watford's Przym nightclub celebrated New Year's Eve a year ago, they were marking the end of an era - or rather, seven eras.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 28, 2024
The Guardian

Nissan shares down 15% as investors react to plan for merger

Shares in the Japanese carmaker Nissan have taken their biggest fall since August's stock market sell-off, as investors turned their attention to the company's planned tie-up with domestic rivals Honda and Mitsubishi.

time-read
1 min  |
December 28, 2024
Climbing out of trouble? Rise in share price suggests BA's turbulent days may be over
The Guardian

Climbing out of trouble? Rise in share price suggests BA's turbulent days may be over

It's been a long and turbulent time since anyone used British Airways' old slogan \"the world's favourite airline\" with a straight face.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 28, 2024
The Guardian

North-south divide flips as EU's periphery beats core economies

The European Central Bank is facing a tough balancing act in 2025, trying to navigate a reversal of fortunes in eurozone economies as the hardest-hit nations of the 2010s debt crisis outperform the traditional core.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 28, 2024
Number of retailers on the brink of collapse up by 25%
The Guardian

Number of retailers on the brink of collapse up by 25%

Footfall levels up 18% on Christmas Eve compared with last year.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 28, 2024
The Guardian

London-listed mining company halts operations in Mozambique

The London-listed mining company Gemfields said yesterday it had temporarily halted its ruby mining operation in Mozambique after groups \"took advantage\" of political unrest to attempt to invade and set fire to its site, resulting in two deaths.

time-read
1 min  |
December 28, 2024
The Guardian

Aid convoy reaches besieged area of Sudanese capital

An aid convoy has reached a besieged area of Khartoum for the first time since Sudan's civil war broke out in April 2023, bringing food and medicines in a country where half of the people are at risk of starvation.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 28, 2024
Mexico The mayor who turned wasteland into a utopia
The Guardian

Mexico The mayor who turned wasteland into a utopia

Mexico City's mayor, Clara Brugada, has never been afraid to court controversy and has taken some imaginative steps in her efforts to undo decades of economic and cultural inequality.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 28, 2024
Crisis on cat island On Aoshima, is time finally running out for human and feline inhabitants?
The Guardian

Crisis on cat island On Aoshima, is time finally running out for human and feline inhabitants?

The reason for Aoshima's nickname is clear before we set foot on the island.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 28, 2024