Who will win control of the US Congress?
In the 100-seat Senate, only 35 seats are up for election this year, and there are only a handful of closely contested races. A net change of one seat toward the Republicans would give then control.
There's the chance of some co-operation - for instance, Republicans and Democrats did join together to pass gun control and technology investment this year and infrastructure spending last year. However, big-ticket liberal priorities on abortion, education and voting rights will be dead in the water.
If Republicans also take control of the US Senate, expect the process for confirming Mr Biden's nominees to come to a standstill. And if a Supreme Court vacancy opens up, there's a good chance it could remain unfilled until the next presidential election.With Democratic control of Congress, the US had a two-year reprieve from the game of chicken that have led to government shutdowns and near default on the national debt. That's about to end.
If Republicans and Democrats can't agree on a basic framework for government spending, another government shutdown by the end of next year seems highly probable.Republican control of Congress would be a bitter pill for Mr Biden to swallow. He campaigned as someone who could unite Americans after a turbulent four years with Mr Trump as president.
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