Democratic leaders celebrated their sweeping midterm victory on Tuesday night with promises to move fast on the cost of living and to hold President Donald Trump's administration to account, after major networks projected that their party had won both the House and the Senate.
"America is back!" House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told supporters at his election-night event in Washington, D.C.
Jeffries, who is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House when the new Congress convenes in January, said voters had "made clear they've had enough of the extremism, enough of the corruption." "Today begins the great American comeback," he said, vowing to make the country "affordable for every single American."
His speech centered on housing, groceries, gas prices and health care. He did not mention the Iran war, even though Democrats have said ending the conflict is among their priorities for their first 100 days in the majority, according to the Associated Press.
By late Tuesday, NBC News projected that Democrats were on track to win 244 House seats, far beyond the 218 needed for a majority.
"With or without the president"
In the Senate, where Democrats had flipped seven Republican-held seats by early Wednesday, according to Roll Call, Chuck Schumer is set to return as majority leader. A Democratic Senate will control the committees and can block Trump's judicial and cabinet nominees for the rest of his term.
"We're going to deliver for the people of America, with or without the president," Schumer said.
The New York senator cast the result as a mandate. "Against all odds, we Democrats have won the Senate, and we have five words for the American people: Relief is on the way," he said.
Oversight: "Lawyer up"
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, is set to become its chairman. In a statement issued after Democrats secured the House majority, his office said he has vowed to take on "the Trump Crime Family, corporate corruption, DHS and ICE abuses, and the cover-up of the Epstein files." The statement itself was two words long: "Lawyer up."
When the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, Democrats will hold subpoena power for the first time in Trump's second term, giving Garcia and other committee chairs the tools to compel testimony and documents from the administration.
Videos: MS NOW, PBS News, NBC News via social media. Image: Office of Rep. Robert Garcia. Photo: The White House via Wikimedia Commons (file)
