Republicans and Democrats are vying for control of the Senate, which comes down to two runoff elections in Georgia. Republicans secured 50 Senate seats in the general election, so Democrats will need to win both races for a 50-50 split. In that case, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will have the power as president of the Senate to cast a tie-breaking vote whenever the chamber is deadlocked.
Democrats winning control of the White House, Senate and House would be “a huge deal,” PBS NewsHour correspondent Lisa Desjardins said. If they have a trifecta, “[Democrats] not only can steer the agenda, but they will be able to pass at least one major piece of legislation through a process called reconciliation.”
Among President-elect Joe Biden’s stated top priorities are addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and criminal justice reform.
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