Democrats unlikely to share power in 50-50 Senate
by Susan Ferrechio, Chief Congressional Correspondent & David Mark, Senior Editor
January 06, 2021 10:54 AMThe last time the Senate split 50-50, the closest thing to smartphones were Blackberry devices, considered cutting edge on Capitol Hill. And congressional offices still routinely conducted business by fax machines.
Much in Congress has changed since the five-month period during the first half of 2001, when the Senate was split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. But 20 years on, the Senate looks to be back to an even split, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris set to break ties in favor of Democrats.
While Democrats and Republicans entered a kind of power-sharing agreement two decades ago, partisanship has grown deeper, and the quest for total control is much stronger. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, declared himself the new majority leader in a statement Wednesday, even as one of the Georgia races remained too close to call. Schumer made no mention of sharing power with the GOP.
"For the first time in six years, Democrats will operate a majority in the United States Senate — and that will be very good for the American people," Schumer said, promising to usher in "bold changes" in the coming Congress.
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