# The New 2027 Congress **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 4, 2026, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394 "2026-11-04T06:07:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394/82 "2026-11-07T12:07:14Z")
Yes, I meant 2021, it was late ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394/83 "2026-11-07T13:33:44Z")
That’s a great point about all the damage Trump can do… _to the Republican Party._ Every announced candidate is a personal affront to him, the attention shifting to the campaign will enragingly remind him that his time of relevance is ending and every good piece of legislation he opposes will tar those candidates when voters go to the polls. There is opportunity there for Democrats to do good works while fence straddling voters are reminded daily of GOP dysfunction. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Gordon\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_G)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394/84 "2026-11-07T18:37:18Z")
What Should the Democrats in Congress Do Now? Both during the remaining weeks of the lame-duck Congress, and during 2027-2028. (I found no appropriate extant thread for this. The automated software(?) calls my attention to three similar topics, but none of the three has been posed to since the terms of Bush-43!) The Democratic Congress needs to push for - Ending the war on Iran - Ending the tariffs - Restoring Medicaid, SNAP and other welfare programs degraded by the Big Beautiful Republicans ALL three of these priorities will offer immediate relief to Americans suffering from increased costs. The cost of living was the key issue on which Americans voted, and the D agenda should focus on that. After January they can pass this legislation (Win-win whether Trump vetoes or not); but even now they should fight for these, inviting Rs to help and exposing R hypocrisy, should the Rs vote instead for continued suffering. A “continuing resolution” will be required in December to keep the government going. Democrats should refuse to accept any CR without a clause stopping the Iran War, something like > [@](#): > > None of the funds herein appropriated under this Act may be expended to support directly or indirectly combat activities in or over or off the shores of Iran, or Yemen (or occupied Palestine?) by United States forces, and after December 15, 2026, no other funds heretofore appropriated under any other act may be expended for such purpose. This is how the Vietnam War ended: cf. Case–Church Amendment, 1 July 1973. After these top priorities, the Ds can pass Medicare-For-All; subsidize schools; restore USAID; restore EPA; etc. _Programs that clearly help America and Americans._ These pocketbook issues need to be the top priority. Sure, it would be sweet to impeach or imprison some of the Trumpist menagerie of criminals. But focusing on this would excite only the left-wing. If Ds focus on this, “Centrists” will label the D’s as “Same-same” and a Red wave in 2028 will reverse these electoral gains. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394/85 "2026-11-07T18:58:40Z")
> [@Gordon\_G](#): > > - Ending the war on Iran > - Ending the tariffs > - Restoring Medicaid, SNAP and other welfare programs degraded by the Big Beautiful Republicans I honestly do not think there is anything they can do for those. Trump didn’t even do those with the previous congress approving (although they didn’t push back either). Trump will just forge ahead. Congress could try to sue to stop him but the supreme court has given the president such astounding blanket authority and immunity from being sued it is hard to see how that would work and, regardless, would likely take longer then two years anyway. I think the best congress can do is, besides passing feel-good bills that have no chance of becoming law (veto), drag the heads of various agencies before congress and have them explain why they are not following the laws as they were written. If congress passed a law saying everyone at Agency-X has to turn right at a stop light Trump cannot tell them to turn left. They still have to turn right. Congress could also play with the next two budgets. They hold the purse strings and write the budget. Trump will likely push back and expect government shut-downs. That’s a game of chicken though and one I fear Trump would win because he really does not give a shit at all. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394/86 "2026-11-07T19:02:15Z")
**Moderating:** There’s already quite a lot of discussion about the 2027 Congress here: > [@The New 2027 Congress](http://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394): > > Let’s get to it! Projections, priorities, questions, concerns…with a farewell wave to Susan Collins… waving_hand:t4 My first questions, who will be Speaker of the House? Senate majority leader? ~~@Gordon_G - we can combine the threads, close this one, or even leave it as is if you want to focus on just the remaining issues that Democrats can try to push before the newly elected are seated. If you choose the last, I’ll modify the title to reflect your choice.~~ ETA - Threads now merged. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Gordon\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_G)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394/87 "2026-11-07T20:43:48Z")
Merge the two threads is fine. I looked and looked and somehow missed the other pertinent thread. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394/88 "2026-11-07T23:55:27Z")
I’m not completely on the “dump Jefferies” train, but the man’s instincts are really questionable. After THIS midterm, his first priority is to assure voters that Democrats won’t try to “get even”. This is not just failing to read the room, this is failing to notice that the giant flaming finger of God has descended from Heaven and inscribed ”GET EVEN!” on the walls of the room. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394/89 "2026-11-08T00:38:45Z")
“GET EVEN!” and “FIX THIS!” are not the same phrase. Even if they may sometimes involve the same action. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394/90 "2026-11-08T00:55:21Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > I’m not completely on the “dump Jefferies” train, but the man’s instincts are really questionable. After THIS midterm, his first priority is to assure voters that Democrats won’t try to “get even”. > > This is not just failing to read the room, this is failing to notice that the giant flaming finger of God has descended from Heaven and inscribed ”GET EVEN!” on the walls of the room. I do not see that at all. The voters wanted Inflation down, and the damn war stopped. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > “GET EVEN!” and “FIX THIS!” are not the same phrase. Even if they may sometimes involve the same action. Right. Getting even will not bring cheaper fuel. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394/91 "2026-11-08T07:31:01Z")
It like to see some new voting rights legislation, and there might even be a way to get enough votes to get it past the filibuster, some of these R’s may be inspired by the ghost of Cindy Hyde Smith. It won’t get through the veto — but they need to pass it and make Trump veto it, even better if they can get a few R votes to make it bipartisan. Hopefully, the newly blue statehouses can unwind the gerrymandering before the 2028 election, then we can get something passed into law in 2029.. While I’ve been super frustrated with Schumer and Jeffries the past few years, I didn’t think they were doing enough…….it looks like their strategy (if you can call it that) of sitting back while the Republicans got out over their skis and crashed worked. I think Jeffries should get a chance. I’m pretty sure he will, it’s not like he has to wrangle every single D vote anymore. I wish Schumer would step back and let the next generation step in, though. I dont really want to see impeachments unless we have a shot at convictions ( it might be possible with Kennedy and Hegseth ), I’d rather see robust investigations that uncover narratives and evidence that can be used for state prosecutions, or referred to a hopefully Democratic DOJ in 2029. And as much as I find Trump impeachment trials to be good entertainment, I don’t want to do it this time, There’s no good outcome - he probably won’t be convicted and we’ll give him a win. But even if we wrangled 67 votes, we get President Vance and we’ll be handing him the advantage of incumbency. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-2027-congress/1034394.md?page=4)