- [Narrator] This year's midterm elections
could tip the balance of power in Congress.
Republicans need net gains of one Senate seat
and four House seats,
to take control of both chambers.
- During midterm elections a lot is at stake,
but most importantly
the most watched thing here in Washington
is the battle for the control of Congress.
- [Narrator] WSJ National Politics Reporter,
Joshua Jamerson,
explains how Democrats and Republicans
have been shaping the conversation
around the economy, abortion, gun violence,
immigration and student loan forgiveness,
with the goal of persuading voters.
Americans are feeling the pain of inflation
as they face the biggest price increases in four decades.
- Grocery bills, gas prices, things like that,
where money is impacting people's everyday lives.
I would say that is definitely something I hear from voters
when I'm traveling on the campaign trail.
- [Narrator] Some Republican candidates,
including Senator Ron Johnson,
who is seeking reelection in Wisconsin,
claim that the party controlling Washington now
is responsible for rising prices.
- Democrats are printing trillions of dollars
to pay for their massive depths of spending.
Inflation is the Democrat's tax on the middle class.
- That's what you hear mostly from Republicans,
is that simply by curtailing
what Joe Biden Democrats are able to spend,
that our presence in Washington in majorities
would have a positive impact on your finances.
- [Narrator] Democrats have countered
that there is more at work when it comes to inflation
than just government policies.
Candidates, including Georgia Senator, Rafael Warnock,
point to supply chain issues
and their willingness to take on
what they see as price gouging.
- What if I told you shipping container companies
have been making record profits,
while prices have been skyrocketing on you?
That's why I'm pushing to hold them accountable.
- Democrats have tried to explain this
and explain how they might use
some of those inflationary pressures.
But there's a saying in politics,
that it's a lot harder to explain,
and if you're explaining,
you're already starting not in a position of strength
and that's something the Democrats have tried to combat.
- [Narrator] The leak of a Supreme court draft opinion,
signaling the court's intention
to overturn Roe V. Wade,
made abortion a campaign issue
even before the court released its decision in late June.
- That definitely rippled across the campaign trail.
I happened to be in Georgia,
with a few Republican candidates there,
and they immediately started talking
about how this was a victory for the Republicans.
- [Narrator] Republican leaders argued
that this long sought victory
will energize their own voters.
- The argument to voters was
this is what your vote for Republicans got,
this long held decade-long effort
to get constitutional originalists
with more of a conservative view
on the Supreme court to make these decisions.
- [Narrator] Democrats are hoping this will inject urgency
into the midterm elections.
- A woman's right to choose,
reproductive freedom,
is on the ballot in November.
- [Narrator] A survey of American adults
shows increased support for abortion access.
According to a WSJ poll,
some 57% of respondents
said a woman should be able to obtain legal abortions
for any reason.
- How that relates to a political issue is a big question,
and one that I don't think we'll get an answer to
until November
- [Narrator] A string of mass shootings in the U.S.
reignited the debate around laws to curb gun violence
and has led to the passage
of the first major federal change to gun laws in decades.
- God willing.
This is going to save a lot of lives.
- [Narrator] While many congressional Democrats
support aspects of the bipartisan legislation,
that includes funding for red flag laws
and mental health programs,
some don't think the package goes far enough.
- Now, of course, this bill doesn't do
everything we need,
not by a mile,
we all understand this is a compromise.
- Democrats generally would agree
that universal background checks
is something that they would like to see.
And then underneath that,
there's some support for banning certain assault weapons.
(gunshot in distance)
- [Narrator] But many congressional Republicans
have insisted that Democrats' efforts
to change U.S. gun laws
or further restrict access to firearms is not the answer.
- Their so-called solutions
wouldn't have stopped these mass murders.
And they know this
- In addition to issues of shared interest
among Republicans and Democrats,
the two parties also have their individual focuses.
Republican candidates are betting immigration
is one voters care about.
Republican representative, Kevin McCarthy,
who is the front runner to become House Speaker,
if the party wins control in November,
argues the Biden administration's immigration policy
has allowed dangerous drugs to flow into the U.S.
- Fentanyl is now the number one killer
to Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.
There is no longer a few border cities.
Every city in America is now a border city.
- It really is about this idea
that the Southern border is porous,
and Democrats won't stop people
from illegally crossing into the country.
- [Narrator] Democrats, however,
have been talking about student loan forgiveness.
As a candidate,
President Biden proposed forgiving $10,000
of federal student loan debt, per borrower.
- Democrats remember that,
and they're kind of disappointed
that it hasn't happened yet.
- [Narrator] Biden is likely to decide
on a student loan forgiveness plan later this summer,
aimed in part at motivating young voters to cast ballots.
But some Republicans are betting this will backfire
and be met with resentment from many voters.
Many also argue that forgiving student loan debt
would add to the national debt and further fuel price rises.
- Republicans counter
the economy is already really really hot,
and canceling student loan debt
could just add more inflation.
Republicans will say if you send us to Washington,
if you give us control of the House that's in it,
we can act as a check on this Joe Biden presidency.