The Republican Party has managed to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, unofficial results show, securing the required 218 out of 435 seats in the chamber according to projections published by CNN on Nov. 13.
With a Republican-controlled Congress, Trump would be able to promptly appoint his Cabinet and other key administration officials, facilitating the advancement of his agenda for at least the next two years. However, Democrats, holding narrow majorities in both the House and Senate, would still maintain some influence.
On the same day, President-elect Donald Trump reportedly endorsed sitting House Speaker Mike Johnson to retain his position. Johnson will still need to secure 218 votes on the House floor on the first day of the new Congress to win his first full term as speaker.
"If there’s unified government … if we have a bicameral approach — Republicans in both chambers working together to develop that agenda and implement it, and President Trump is guiding the way — I think you will certainly have a lot less dissension in the ranks on our side," Johnson said in an interview with NBC News at a Pennsylvania campaign stop before the election.
Republicans most recently gained control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections securing 222 of the 435 seats in the chamber. With these results, since the year 2000, Republicans have managed to secure control of the House in nine of the last 13 sessions of congress.
Facing pressures from the far-right wing of his party, including from former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Johnson has at times been skeptical of providing U.S. support for Ukraine.
In early 2024, Johnson led House Republicans in blocking a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, arguing that domestic immigration policies at the U.S.-Mexico border should instead be prioritized.
Following concessions from Johnson and fellow House Republicans after repeatedly being pressured by U.S. and Ukrainian government officials, the aid package was approved by the House in April 2024.
A total 101 Republican House members voted in favor of the Ukraine aid bill, 112 voted against, and one voted present. Meanwhile, among Democrats, 210 House members voted yes, with none opposing the bill.
Some of the most outspoken Republican opponents of U.S. aid for Ukraine, such as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who won re-election on Nov. 5, have categorically said they will not vote for any future funding for Ukraine.
Coming together with Republican victory in the Senate and the presidency itself, the House win cements a commanding mandate for President-elect Trump's second term.
Andrea Januta
