WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump has so far selected four Republican members of the US Congress to join his administration, at least temporarily giving up his party’s slim majority in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and are on track to win at least 219 seats in the 435-member U.S. House, with three races still up for grabs. But Trump’s election would temporarily eliminate that House majority early next year, leaving the party with a narrow path to legislation.
JD Vance, a junior senator from Ohio, will have to resign his Senate seat shortly before he is sworn in as vice president on January 20. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a fellow Republican, is expected to run for president. Vance’s seat until a special election in 2026.
Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, Marco Rubio, must first have his nomination approved by the Senate, where he currently serves. If confirmed, the governor of his home state of Florida, fellow Republican Ron DeSantis, would name an interim replacement to serve until the 2026 election.
Elise Stefanik of New York, Trump’s nominee to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, will also need Senate confirmation. Her seat in the House will remain vacant until a special election scheduled by New York Gov. Kathy Hochol, a Democrat, is held, which by law is 70 to 80 days after Stefanek leaves the House. Must be.
Trump’s pick for White House national security adviser, Michael Waltz, will not require Senate confirmation and is expected to step down and begin his new role at the start of the Trump administration. Firebrand Florida congressman Matt Gaetz was Trump’s first choice for US attorney general. However, Gaetz has since removed himself from consideration after his nomination faced some opposition from Republican senators. However, Gaetz resigned from Congress and said he does not intend to return for a new legislative term, so the Republican House majority will have to deal with the vacancy until DeSantis takes his seat. do not call for special elections to fill