Winning the election is one thing. Making Congress work is another. How will the Democrats now turn electoral success into effective congressional power to constrain Donald Trump and advance their own policy agenda?
Daniel Schuman of the American Governance Institute joins us to explain how the new Congress will organise itself between election day and January, when the new House of Representatives and Senate are sworn in.
The outgoing “lame duck” Congress faces the prospect of last-minute confirmation battles and an urgent funding deadline if a government shutdown before Christmas is to be avoided. Next year will bring fresh battles over the budget and spending.
Meanwhile, incoming representatives must recruit staff, establish offices and learn the ropes of an unfamiliar institution.
For Democrats, there are decisions to be made about leadership positions, who gets coveted committee places, and agree the rules that will govern the House.
Their choices will shape whose priorities advance, who can block them and how effectively the party can work together. Daniel explains how these internal party bargains distribute power and why a stronger Speaker may not mean a stronger Congress.
The conversation examines Democratic factions, Congress’s strongest levers, especially appropriations, and the limits of oversight, subpoenas, contempt and impeachment when an administration resists compliance and courts take time.
Then comes the confrontation with the White House. Can lawmakers use the power of the purse to curb Trump’s foreign adventures and reinstate support for Ukraine?
Could the Senate block appointments to the courts and federal agencies? And how should committees balance investigating the administration with advancing legislation that delivers for voters?
We explore what happens if officials refuse to testify, why contempt proceedings can stall, and how immunity, presidential pardons and lengthy court battles complicate accountability.
Daniel offers a stark assessment of checks and balances under strain: Congress has formidable powers on paper, but making them work depends on more than an election victory.
From induction to internal bargaining, this is a guide to the decisions, procedures and pressure points that will determine what the new Congress can achieve and where its limits lie.
______
00:00 Introduction: Inside the new Congress
01:49 Why the outgoing Congress stays in power
03:39 Shutdown deadlines and last-minute Supreme Court appointments
07:16 Learning the job: How new representatives are inducted
10:40 New Congress, new House rules: An opening for reform?
15:32 Who runs the House? The Speaker, committees and members
19:50 The Democrats’ internal battles: Factions, leadership and reform
23:10 What powers can Congress use against Trump?
26:09 Ukraine funding and the limits of impeachment
27:35 The power of the purse: How spending deals get made
30:07 Investigations, subpoenas and officials who refuse to cooperate
33:40 Investigate or legislate? Delivering the Democrats’ agenda
36:54 Immunity, pardons and running down the clock
40:03 Can America’s checks and balances be repaired?
43:46 Blocking nominees and debating Supreme Court reform
47:08 A crisis moment: What happens when presidential power defies the rules?
48:00 Our next episode: Baroness Kidron talks about her work at the centre of parliamentary efforts to regulate the online world
____
🎓 Learn more using our resources for the issues mentioned in this episode.
❓ Send us your questions about Parliament:
✅ Subscribe to our newsletter.
📱 Follow us across social media @HansardSociety / @hansardsociety.bsky.social
£ - Support the Hansard Society and this podcast by making a donation today.
Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.
Presenters: Mark D’Arcy and Ruth Fox
Producer: Richard Townsend
","author_name":"Hansard Society"}