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Biden delivers remarks as midterm election results come in
President Joe Biden delivered remarks Wednesday as the control of Congress hung in the balance with several key races still undecided.
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden delivered remarks Wednesday as the control of Congress hung in the balance with several key races still undecided.
"It was a good day, I think, for democracy," Biden told the press. "It was a good day for America."
Biden said that "Democrats had a strong night" as midterm election results continued to come in.
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Democrats showed surprising strength, defeating Republicans in a series of competitive races and defying expectations that high inflation and Biden’s low approval ratings would drag the party down.
"While the press and pundits are predicting a giant red wave, it didn’t happen," Biden continued.
Following the 2020 election, the Senate has been split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving Democrats the deciding vote.
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Biden said the polls indicate the "overwhelming majority" of Americans support the elements of his economic agenda including lowering drug costs, fixing roads and bridges, tackling the climate crisis and requiring corporations to pay their fair share in taxes.
The president said regardless of the final results of the midterm election, he is ready to continue to work with his Republican colleagues with a bipartisan approach.
Biden’s ‘intention’ to run again for president
During the press briefing, a reporter asked whether he would announce soon whether he would run again for president.
"Our intention is to run again. That’s been our intention," Biden shared. "This is ultimately a family decision, and I think everybody wants me to run, but we’re going to have discussions about it, and I don't feel any hurry one way or another to make that judgment."
When pressed for a time frame, Biden said he will likely come to that decision sometime "early next year."
Former president Donald Trump has been suggesting for months that he will make a 2024 run for a return to the White House.
On the eve of the midterm elections on Monday, Trump teased a major announcement, which could be his decision on a 2024 presidential run.
"Two years ago we were a great nation, and we will be a great nation again. Not to detract from tomorrow's very important even critical election… I'm going to be making a very big announcement on Tuesday Nov. 15 at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach," Trump said of what will likely be a third presidential campaign.
What happens if Republicans win the House and Senate?
Republicans only need five (out of 435) in the House to grab the majority and only one out of 35 seats in the Senate. Despite the Roe v. Wade decision, it's still possible for the GOP to control both chambers of Congress, according to the Washington Post.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced a law to ban abortion across the country after 15 weeks. Senate Republican leaders weren’t on board with the idea. However, if the GOP controls the House and Senate, there will likely be a push by Republicans to bring an abortion ban up for a vote, the Washington Post reported.
RELATED: Live midterm election results: Key U.S. House races
But with two years to go before a presidential election, Republicans have more incentive to block Biden’s agenda. That means Biden can expect Republicans to block any of his spending requests for pandemic aid, climate change, and anything else that comes up. There could even be shutdown threats as both parties try to gain leverage in spending bills.
The Associated Press reports that a Republican-led Senate could pass bills sent over by a GOP House, putting political pressure on Biden. And the GOP would regain control of committees and, with it, the power to conduct investigations and oversight of the administration. According to the AP, a Republican Senate could also make life difficult for Biden by blocking or delaying passage of the president’s judicial and executive branch nominees.
This story was reported from Los Angeles. Daniel Miller and the Associated Press contributed.