Decision-making in U.S. Congress under Trump’s presidency not to be unanimous – expert

eksandr Kraiev, Director of the ‘North America’ program at the Ukrainian Prism analytical center and lecturer at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, explained this in a comment to Ukrinform.

“Debates and counterbalances are entirely possible. The recent vote in the House of Representatives for the Speaker demonstrated internal resistance within the party. A few members were not immediately ready to vote for Mike Johnson,” Kraiev said.

According to him, voting for the Speaker of the House is a highly significant issue, with members traditionally supporting their party cleague. However, even in this case, approximately 15 representatives required convincing before the voting process could proceed.

“It seems that during almost every vote, concessions will have to be made to conservatives, a faction within the Republican Party. The Republican majority in the House of Representatives is very narrow, making smooth voting unlikely,” Kraiev stated.

A similar situation exists in the Senate, where Republicans hd 53 seats. While 50 votes are sufficient to pass legislation prosed by the President or the House of Representatives, debates require the consent of 60 senators.

“So, seven additional votes will need to come from Democrats. This means Republicans in the Senate won’t have full autonomy either. For procedural matters requiring two-thirds support from all 100 senators, negotiations will also be necessary,” Kraiev noted.

Read also: Trump may present start of settlement negotiations as victory – expert

The expert highlighted that over half of U.S. governors, including newly elected and re-elected officials, are Democrats. This indicates that Trump supporters lack absute power at the state level, where significant authority lies, maintaining a balance of power.

“It cannot be said that Republicans have won everything,” Kraiev remarked.

As reported, events marking the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump are set to begin on January 18. Over recent weeks, Trump has made several sensational statements, including the possibility of annexing Canada and Greenland, as well as reclaiming contr over the Panama Canal.

On January 3, after an extended process of bipartisan negotiations and voting, the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives re-elected Mike Johnson as Speaker in the new session.