Georgia run-off election: Democrats expect Senate control of politics

ATLANTA / WASHINGTON (AFP) Control of the US Senate is within the reach of Democrats from future US President Joe Biden. In two rounds of the Georgia run-off election, one Democratic candidate was already deemed the winner, while the other gradually expanded his lead.

For Biden, the other success means that he will gain the freedom to carry out his agenda. The leading Democrats in the US Congress were already cheering. Biden showed restraint in the face of the single open race. The American people want work and they want unity. I am more confident than ever in our ability to achieve both. ”

According to forecasts by American television stations and the Associated Press, Democrat Raphael Warnock (51 years old) is no longer able to achieve victory over the current republic Kelly Loeffler (50) in Georgia. With 98 percent of the vote counted, Warnock turned up over 54,700 votes. With a vote of 50.6 to 49.4 percent, Loeffler couldn’t claim a recount; The difference must be less than 0.5 percentage points.

In the second race, Democrat John Usoff (33) advanced against former incumbent David Purdue (71) by a narrow margin of more than 17,500 votes and a gap of about 0.4 percentage points. Ausov was already claiming victory and thanking the people of Georgia for their confidence. Initially, the US media fell back on predictions about the run-off election. Thousands of postal votes could still arrive from abroad by Friday.

With the victory of AUSOF, the Democrats will have a de facto majority in the Senate and in the future will control the House of Parliament and the White House. Like the Republicans, they will have 50 council seats. Then designated Vice President Kamala Harris can resolve the impasse as Chamber Chair by voting in favor of the government. Among other things, the Senate confirms presidential candidates for government posts. If the Trump Republicans succeed in defending their narrow majority with a victory for Perdue, they could also put bills in the way of the Biden government.

Before the results of the US presidential election were confirmed in Congress, there were bickering between Trump supporters and security guards outside the Capitol Building in Washington. Several television channels showed how hundreds of supporters of the US president marched to Parliament after a speech by Trump, and some fought with the emergency services. According to the Washington Post, at least two buildings belonging to the nearby Parliament have been evacuated. In his speech about alleged fraud in the US presidential election, Trump called on his supporters to move to the Capitol Building, which houses the Senate and House of Representatives.

On the other hand, Biden adopted a more conciliatory tone and extended his hand to the Republicans again on Wednesday: He is determined to try to work with politicians from both parties “to achieve great things for our nation.” Voters in Georgia have made clear that they want action to address crises like the Coronavirus and climate change.

The leading Democrat in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, announced that thanks to the victories of the Democratic candidates, the party would gain a majority in the House of Representatives for the first time in six years. “It feels like a brand new day,” he said – although the run-off result was not yet confirmed.

House Leader, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, said both houses of Congress could now make “extraordinary progress” for Americans with Biden. The new policy will rely on science to contain the epidemic. And she promised to help people in the country in the current crisis and the economy would be revitalized again.

The current Trump promoted Purdue and Loofler in Georgia. Meanwhile, according to US observers, his unfounded allegations of election fraud by Democrats angered some Republican voters and encouraged Democrats to vote. Biden won the Georgia presidential election against Trump by only 11,779 votes.

Biden will be sworn in as the new president on January 20. Two weeks before the swearing-in, there may have been the last major confrontation in Washington on Wednesday in the row over the presidential election result. The House and Senate met jointly to confirm Biden’s victory. The meeting was chaired by current US Vice President Mike Pence.

Confirming election results in Congress is usually a formality after elections in the United States. However, various Republicans from both houses of Congress announced that they would object to the findings from several states – fueled by Trump’s unsupported allegations of fraud. It is possible that a disruptive action could significantly lengthen the procedure. She has no hope of success. Both houses of Congress must agree to an objection, which is impossible with a majority of House Democrats.

Ahead of the meeting, Trump had increased pressure on his deputy to intervene in his role as president of the Senate to nullify the outcome. Speaking to thousands of supporters in Washington, he said, “If Mike Pence does the right thing, we will win the election.” Pence did not obey the president’s demands. Shortly before the start of the meeting, he declared that his constitutional oath did not allow him to unilaterally reject the votes of the electorate. The law only allows a penny to have a ceremonial role at the meeting.

Trump lost the presidential election in early November by a clear margin to Biden. Trump refuses to admit defeat. During his appearance in Washington he renewed his claims that he had robbed the victory through massive fraud. However, neither Trump nor his lawyers have provided any solid evidence to support this. Dozens of lawsuits were dismissed from courts, including the US Supreme Court.

State voters confirmed Biden’s apparent victory. The Democrat received 306 out of 538 votes – 36 more than required. 232 voters voted for Trump. Post-election official procedures in the United States state that results from each state must be read, accounted for, and definitively confirmed in Congress. Hence, the official who won the elections. It is the end of a long official business before a new president is sworn in.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210106-99-912313 / 19