Democrats’ control of both chambers beginning in January will expand their ability to challenge President Donald Trump’s foreign policy through votes and oversight, with consequences for U.S. positions on Iran, Ukraine and Israel, Reuters reported.
EconoTimes previously examined the prospect of greater congressional scrutiny of Trump’s foreign policy after the midterms.
Reuters said Democrats will have more say over which measures reach the floor and when. The final size of their majorities has not been settled.
The Senate blocked Trump’s request for a 67% increase in the military budget, which would bring it to $1.5 trillion, Reuters reported. Democrats cited Trump’s decision to pursue the Iran war without seeking Congress’ approval, as well as his cuts to social programs. The administration has also suspended or withdrawn billions in foreign aid Congress had approved; Democrats say they want that money restored. Reuters noted that lawmakers from both parties backed foreign aid in earlier periods, including during Trump’s first term.
On Iran, Reuters reported that a measure calling for an end to the fighting unless Congress authorized it passed both chambers with some Republican support, but the administration did not follow it. Democrats could use defense spending and confirmation votes to press Trump to seek congressional authorization to continue the war. They may also require officials to explain their plans at public hearings, Reuters said.
For Ukraine, direct U.S. military and financial assistance has largely stopped under Trump despite support from lawmakers in both parties, Reuters reported. Democrats could schedule new aid legislation for a vote. Reuters said past bipartisan backing could help a bill win the two-thirds majorities in both chambers needed to override a presidential veto. Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, who is expected to lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at blocking Trump’s plan to return Russian diesel to the global market, the outlet reported.
Reuters reported that U.S. military aid to Israel includes $3.8 billion a year in baseline support, with billions more provided since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. A summer House vote to end aid drew support from nearly half of the chamber’s Democrats, according to Reuters. Some members who opposed that measure, including Meeks, have backed limits on weapons such as heavy bombs. Reuters linked weakening Democratic support for Israel to Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza, violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s close ties with Republicans.
In Latin America, Reuters reported, some Democrats have called for investigations into Trump’s actions involving Venezuela. U.S. forces removed the country’s president, and lethal attacks on vessels near its coast have continued for more than a year, the outlet reported. Some Democrats criticize Cuba sanctions as harmful to civilians and want the U.S. to stop taking part in foreign elections. Reuters said the administration has also sought a role in elections across Honduras, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil.
The new Congress is due to convene in January, when Democrats will set which measures reach the floor for votes, Reuters reported.
