Democrats could get subpoenas, gavels and the purse if Congress flips

Democrats want the gavel back. With polls pointing to voter anger over the cost of living and the war with Iran, plus Trump's sagging approval numbers, the party is chasing majorities in both chambers on November 3. Winning either the House or the Senate would hand Democrats real weapons to jam up the president's agenda for the rest of his term, according to France 24.

Start with the House, which controls the money and the subpoenas. A Democratic majority would take every committee chairmanship, and chairs can unilaterally launch investigations and compel witnesses to testify under oath. Party members have already signalled they want to poke into companies that profited off the Trump administration, naming AI firms and the tech executives running them.

Impeachment is on the table too, though it comes with a catch. Trump was impeached twice in his first term and acquitted both times by the Senate. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has instead hinted at going after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is already facing articles of impeachment over how he handled the Iran war and the Pentagon.

Tax bills must start in the House, handing Democrats leverage over the budget — even if that means flirting with a government shutdown. The Speaker also decides which bills get a vote, meaning a Democratic Speaker could bury Republican legislation indefinitely.

Over in the Senate, the math is brutal but simple: every state gets two senators no matter its size, so California's 39 million residents and Wyoming's half-million get equal say. Control of the upper chamber gives Democrats a chokehold on confirmations, blocking Trump's picks for the Supreme Court, his Cabinet, and agencies like the FBI, CIA and ICE. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has said openly that stopping 'horrible justices, MAGA justices' is a reason to win the chamber.

A Democratic Senate majority would also grab the committee gavels and reshape foreign policy, since blocking a treaty only takes 34 seats. If Democrats sweep both chambers, they can deploy the 1996 Congressional Review Act to scrap recent federal regulations and stop similar ones from coming back, and they can block Republicans from using reconciliation to pass budget and tax bills with a simple 51-vote majority instead of the usual 60 needed to break a filibuster. Trump would be left leaning on executive orders — many destined for court — but he keeps the veto pen.