Democrats Begin Planning Bold Legislative Proposals after Gaining Control of the Senate

Democrats gained control of the U.S. Senate after Senators-elect Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) defeated incumbent Senators Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) in Georgia’s runoff elections held January 5. The wins cemented a 50-50 split between the two parties in the Senate, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote.

The narrow majority gives Democrats control of the House, Senate, and White House during the 117th Congress. Party leaders are already discussing legislative proposals to provide additional pandemic relief and address the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. Top Democrats are also considering invoking “reconciliation,” a legislative tool allowing legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority, rather than the 60 votes typically required for legislation to pass the chamber. 

NLIHC looks forward to working with the incoming administration and the new Congress to advance our policy priorities and ensure the lowest-income people have access to safe, stable, affordable, and accessible housing.