Dem
52
Ties
2
GOP
46
Congress is very dysfunctional, but some things really need to be done. These include funding the government, paying for the war in Iran, replenishing all the munitions used up in the war, and variety of other "must-pass" items. The trouble is that many of them are controversial and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) doesn't want to bring them up for votes before the midterms because Democrats will use the votes against House candidates.
So it is increasingly clear that there will have to be a lame-duck session of Congress after Nov. 3 to get this stuff done. But more and more items are being put off to be handled in a short lame-duck session in which members who have been defeated will still get to make major votes. If Democrats win the House, they may not be willing to make deals in November or December, and important items could be pushed into January.
There is the $1.5 trillion Donald Trump has asked for defense, but also aid for farmers. They are struggling with drought, tariffs, and fertilizer prices. Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act pumped the majority of its money into rural areas—and those areas rewarded the Democrats by overwhelmingly voting for Trump in 2024. Democrats might just decide that farmers aren't a priority anymore and that lowering tariffs and importing food from Brazil is better idea. While Republicans could pass some items using budget reconciliation, that is a time-consuming multi-step process and Democrats could slow it down. Other items (like regulating crypto) can be filibustered. If Democrats pick up 20+ House seats and control of the Senate, they are not going to be keen on giving the Republicans a last hurrah in December.
In short, although it depends to some extent on the election results, the lame-duck session is likely going to be a big mess. (V)