Judy: Lawmakers return to
capitol hill this week after a
drawn out midterm battle for
power in congress.
Democrats have retained control
of the upper chamber but a
Georgia runoff will determine if
they gain a seat or return to a
split-down-the-middle 50/50
senate.
The balance of power in the
lower chamber is pending as
several house races are still
being counted.
The election outcomes and the
lack of final results have put
several key leadership issues in
flux for Republicans.
Lisa Desjardins has more on all
this.
Hello to you, Lisa.
You are at the capitol.
Let's talk about the house
balance of power.
We don't have all the results
in.
Where do things stand and what
are you watching?
Lisa: What a plot line in
congress.
Let's look at where the races
are for the house of
representatives.
The balance of power as we know
it as called by the associated
press.
The number, 204 Democrats, 212
Republicans.
As we've been repeating, Kevin
Mccarthy's Republicans need 218
votes and they don't have that
yet in this chamber.
Let's look at some of the races
that are still close.
California's 13th congressional
district.
You have the pistachio and
almond farmer ahead of Adam
great, whose family is in the
dairy business, by just 84
votes.
61% of the expected votes and.
Democrats could come back and
take the seat or it could be
Republicans.
The account in California takes
a long time and we don't know
when we will have the results
but let me give a summary of
where we are overall.
In the race for the house of
representatives, we have 19
uncalled races across the
country.
Those are nearly split between
Republicans and Democrats,
Republicans have just one more
they are leading in.
Overall we are waiting mostly
for the west.
California with a large number
of seats and Arizona has two
seats left.
I just came from a house
Republican meeting, they are
holding speeches tonight to
determine who their leaders will
be in the next session, and of
course Kevin Mccarthy has a
spoken and says he wants to be
speaker.
No one stood to challenge him
but it is something I think we
will be talking about.
Judy: As you say, you came from
the meeting.
What did the numbers mean for
Republicans right now?
Lisa: Kevin Mccarthy does not
have the 218 votes to be speaker
right now.
But it does appear he has a
majority of support from his
conference.
He did not speak to reporters as
he went in, smiled simply.
He wanted no one to speak
against him.
However, we are tracking some
who may oppose him.
Representative Andy Biggs from
Arizona from the freedom caucus
has said he may challenge
Mccarthy.
If the Republicans have just a
slight four seat majority, that
means Kevin Mccarthy needs every
Republican to vote for him
except for four or five.
That's talk about some who have
indicated openly they are not on
board with Kevin Mccarthy.
That includes Republicans like
Matt Gaetz, chip Roy, Thomas
Massie, who I spoke with
tonight, would not commit either
way.
Kevin Mccarthy has no margin for
error.
He may come out of tonight's
meeting as the nominee, so to
speak, for speaker, but it is
not clear he has the votes to
actually become speaker in
January.
He has a great deal of work to
do to figure that out and get
those votes.
The conservative freedom caucus
is asking for concessions,
including different
parliamentary procedures that
would tie his hands and give
more power to conservatives and
the freedom caucus.
They are not the only ones
asking for concessions.
The entire conference realizes
if you have four seats
determining majority, everyone
has power and everyone is asking
for concessions.
It is a complicated and
potentially chaotic process that
house Republicans are just
beginning to enter.
Judy: It reads like a suspense
novel.
Finally, what about the senate?
We know the Democrats did manage
to hang on to the majority.
What do the numbers mean for
what they will be able to get
done?
Lisa: It really is not even two
days since we knew that senate
Democrats would retain majority,
and already the senate majority
leader chuck Schumer is making
moves.
He has announced this week at
the senate will be having a vote
on legislation to codify
same-sex marriage in some ways.
Essentially that legislation,
which is bipartisan, would mean
any same-sex marriage certified
by one state would be recognized
by all states.
That is something we know some
moderate Republicans are on
board, we don't know how many.
I think it is not an accident
that is after senate Democrats
got the majority.
They are saying we have more to
do and we will get started.
As for Republicans, lots of
finger pointing, as you would
expect.
Unhappy Republicans in the
senate.
However, a few, including Rick
Scott, who ran the Republican
senate, pointing fingers at
leader Mitch Mcconnell and
saying we need to delay
leadership elections, we don't
think Mcconnell is the one to do
it.
But they are in the minority.
Mitch Mcconnell is going ahead
with elections and I have no
reason to doubt he will continue
to be the Republican leader in
the senate.
Judy: A lot of suspense in the
senate too.