US policy on Ukraine was also in the balance as America voted in Tuesday’s midterms, with Republican leaders warning there would be no “blank check” for Kyiv if the GOP regained control of Congress.
While many in the Republican mainstream have joined US President Joe Biden and Democrats to approve billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, others have expressed reservations over the amount of money being sent overseas to combat the Russian invasion.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the US Congress has approved some $60 billion in assistance for Ukraine. When the Senate approved more than $40 billion in new military and humanitarian aid back in May, only Republican lawmakers voted against the proposal.
Republican Kevin McCarthy, who is likely to become the next speaker if his party wins a majority in the House of Representatives, warned in October that there would be no “blank check” for Ukraine, citing Americans struggling economically back home.
“I think people are gonna be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a blank check to Ukraine,” McCarthy told Punchbowl News. “They just won’t do it.”
Democrats were quick to criticise McCarthy for his comments, and it quickly became clear that Republicans themselves are divided on the issue. While some in the party argue for redirecting resources toward domestic problems, others critique such “America First” isolationism as a misbegotten relic from the Trump era and a gift to US adversaries.
Indeed, McCarthy’s remarks were quickly picked up and deseminated by Russian media outlets.
Some agreement on China
Other areas of disagreement on foreign policy include Iran, with Republicans adamantly opposed to Biden’s efforts to revive a 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement.
But on the issue of China, Republicans and Democrats have largely seen eye to eye, with both Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump identifying Beijing as the top foreign policy challenge for the United States.
Bilateral tensions soared in August after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, which is still claimed by Beijing. McCarthy not only supported her trip but complained that she did not include him on the visit – or any Republican for that matter.
“There is not a ton of daylight between Republicans and the Biden administration when it comes to China policy,” said Anna Ashton, a China expert at the Eurasia Group.
“I think that no matter what the Biden administration does to get tough on China, Republicans are likely to say that it should do more,” she added.
Investigations may complicate the home front
If the Republicans gain control of at least one chamber, as appears likely, their more immediate action could likely be hearings on Democratic politicians – which could rally the GOP base while bogging down the Biden foreign policy team.
“Republicans have not made a secret of what they intend to do,” Kurt Bardella, a former GOP operative and now a Democratic strategist, told ABC News. “They see congressional oversight as the tip of the spear for the 2024 presidential election.”
Hearings could range from assessing the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan to probing the origins of Covid-19 to Biden’s son Hunter, a favourite target of Republicans and conspiracy theorists alike.
In the end, however, the GOP is unlikely to have the votes to completely derail the Biden agenda.
“They’re not going to have the votes to override a presidential veto. They’re not going to have the power to advance an affirmative agenda,” said Brian Finucane, a former senior State Department official now at the International Crisis Group.
“Where they can wield power is to block initiatives by the administration or to conduct oversight,” he said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
