Democrats win Congress, but Trump’s veto power limits their agenda

Democrats have won control of both chambers of the US Congress in the midterm elections, opening a two-year confrontation with President Donald Trump over the party’s promises to lower living costs, challenge his immigration policies, investigate his administration and press for an end to the war on Iran. Their majorities will not take effect until January. The election result gives Democrats control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, allowing them to set committee agendas and conduct investigations.

It also gives Senate Democrats the ability to confirm or block Trump’s cabinet and judicial nominees. The BBC said the Senate could, for example, block a Supreme Court nominee or pressure the president to choose a candidate with bipartisan support if a vacancy arose. Legislative action will be more difficult.

Most Senate bills need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and even legislation that clears both chambers normally requires the president’s signature. Trump has threatened to veto Democratic measures, telling a podcast on Monday: “I’ll veto everything.” The BBC also reported that Trump struck a more conciliatory tone with the New York Times after the Republican losses, saying he would work with Democrats, although the practical scope of such cooperation remains unclear. Affordability was central to the Democratic campaign.

The party promised action on energy, housing, healthcare, groceries and petrol, but economists cited by Al Jazeera said the routes available to Congress vary by issue. Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research argued that congressional pressure to end the Iran war could reduce energy costs, because the conflict has driven up prices after Iran restricted commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Healthcare may offer a more achievable area for compromise.

Baker said Democrats could seek to restore enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that expired in 2025 and reverse Medicaid cuts. They could attach those provisions to government spending bills, which Congress must pass and which might be politically harder for Trump to reject. Baker said Republicans could find it difficult to oppose measures that prevent voters from paying more for healthcare.

Tariffs may be harder to unwind. Baker warned that reversing Trump’s tariff campaign would probably require substantial Republican support, including enough votes to override a veto. Alex Jacquez of Groundwork Collaborative said prices often rise faster than they fall, meaning that even successful policy changes might not immediately reduce household costs.

Investigations will be the Democrats’ most immediate tool. Al Jazeera cited experts who said committees could subpoena corporate executives over grocery and electricity prices, while the BBC said possible targets include Trump’s family, corporate corruption, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the government’s handling of the Epstein files. Democrats have also signalled interest in examining the source of the Trump family’s wealth and its expanding business interests.

The House could impeach Trump, but conviction would require 67 Senate votes, a threshold Democrats are unlikely to reach alone. The BBC noted that Democratic leaders have not ruled impeachment in or out, while Senator Chris Coons cautioned that the party must prove it can deliver rather than treat the result as a mandate.