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Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-Ga.) win Tuesday night padded Democrats’ Senate majority, which could help President Biden, who is headed into the last two years of his first term with a divided government.
While Republicans will hold a narrow majority in the House, Warnock’s victory will give Biden and Democrats a small but critical added margin in the Senate, where they will hold a 51-49 majority.
Here are four ways Warnock’s reelection helps the president.Biden’s path for nominees eased
With the Democrats securing 51 seats, President Biden’s nominees will have an easier time getting approval without procedural hold ups. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
The White House and its allies may most immediately benefit from having 51 senators in the form of judicial and administrative nominations.
Having 51 seats rather than a 50-50 split with Republicans will enable Democrats to take control of Senate committees, likely making it easier for Biden’s nominees to get approval from those panels without procedural holdups. When it comes to full Senate votes, the party could theoretically afford to lose one or two votes and still approve a nomination.
The change will be critical for Biden, especially because with a split Congress, his legislative agenda may be in limbo. But the president can still make a major impact on the judiciary with court nominees.
“The Joe Biden- Ron Klain judicial makeover project continues apace for two more years thanks to Rev. Warnock’s critical win tonight, which gives Senate Democrats the breathing room to even more efficiently confirm Biden’s new brand of judge,” Brian Fallon, executive director of the progressive group Demand Justice, tweeted Tuesday night.
On the administrative side, the extra seat will similarly make it easier for Biden to get replacements confirmed should any Cabinet officials step down. And should a Democratic senator be absent because of health issues or another reason, they will still have the votes to advance nominees.Biden less reliant on single senators like Manchin
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