The US returns to the polls in an election that could influence Biden’s domestic and foreign policies: from marijuana legalization to military support for the war in Ukraine
The United States goes back to the polls this Tuesday for midterm elections. They will serve as a thermometer to gauge the support of the Joe Biden administration when nearly two years of his tenure have passed. The outcome will also depend on the White House’s ability to advance its political agenda. Here’s a quick guide to not getting lost in the election.
What are midterm elections?
These are the elections in which the Congress (which consists of two Houses) is partially renewed. They are so named because they are detained halfway through the president’s four-year term. They are on Tuesday, November 8.
What’s at stake?
The 435 seats in the House of Representatives (the equivalent of the Congress of Deputies), 36 of the 100 seats in the Senate are being renewed, and there are also elections to elect governor in 39 different states.
The 435 seats in the House of Representatives will be renewed.
Because it’s important. Because they will measure the legislative capacity of the Biden cabinet. Right now, the Democrats have a majority. If Republicans turn the tables, they can hinder the government’s legislative agenda in two ways:
– In internal politics: The Republicans will fight against the climate agenda and will try to avoid a tax reform to tax the profits of oil and gas companies, a tax increase for large multinationals, a drop in drug prices, an increase in gun control…
– In foreign policy: Resources earmarked for the war in Ukraine could run out. Republicans (and some Democrats) doubt sending hundreds of billions of dollars to Kiev ($52 trillion in packages have been approved), while inflation erodes the domestic economy and threatens a recession.
35 of the 100 existing seats will be renewed (each of the 50 states has two senators, regardless of population or size). Each senator is elected for six years.
Because it’s important. Because the Senate has the power to appoint committees of inquiry, such as the one that investigates Trump’s role in the Capitol Hill attack. Republican Party Wants to Investigate Biden Son’s Relations with China; the hasty departure from Afghanistan; and the possibility that Covid originated in a Chinese lab. The Senate also makes appointments to the Supreme Court. At the moment, each party has 50 seats and the Democrats win because of the good vote of the vice president, Kamala Harris.
36 out of 50 states elect a governor. 20 are Republicans and 16 are Democrats.
Because they are important. Because states have broad legislative capacities. Besides federal laws, which are mandatory across the country, there are endless matters for states to decide. One of the most medial examples is the abortion law; since August, each state regulates it in its own way. Another example is the law regarding marijuana.
What are they? The ‘mid-term’ elections are accompanied by a series of legal initiatives – voting – in several states that want to introduce legal reforms in their territories.
Because it’s important. In the vote to be held this month, the main topics to be voted on will be abortion and the legalization of marijuana. Five states will vote on measures related to voluntary termination of pregnancy and many others related to the free use of cannabis. Five Southern states are also voting to abolish terms referring to slavery and forced labor that have existed since the 1800s from their criminal codes.
Source: La Verdad
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
