No president has maintained control of both congressional chambers through a midterm election since Jimmy Carter in 1978.
The frequency of turnover has also discouraged the minority party from cooperating with the majority party, especially in the House.
When Democrats held their unbroken 40-year House majority from 1955 to 1994, Republican leaders, such as Robert Michel of Illinois, routinely worked with the majority to influence their legislation.
When using reconciliation, the majority party doesn’t need to win any support from the minority party because it can be passed with a simple majority in both chambers.
Historic streaksThe shorter lifespan of governments with unified party control is a modern phenomenon.
Persons:
Donald Trump, Jimmy Carter, Trump, Susie Wiles, Axios, –, ”, Steve Israel, Wiles, David Price, Price, ” Price, “, …, Robert Michel of, ” Israel, you’d, Bush, “ That’s, ” Louisa Terrell, Obama, ‘, ’ ”, Tom Davis, Davis, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Franklin D, Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F, Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Sam Schulman, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Clinton, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Brendan Smialowski, George W, Vermont Sen, Jim Jeffords, Zachary Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, ” Davis
Organizations:
CNN, Republican Congress, Republicans, White, Congressional, White House, Democratic, Democratic Congressional, Trump, Republican, Robert Michel of Illinois, Former Republican Virginia Rep, National Republican Congressional, Congress, Senate, Democrats, Getty, Capitol, GOP, Republican Party, Whig, Voters, House, Obama, “ Voters, GOP House
Locations:
Washington, New York, North Carolina, Israel, Washington , DC, AFP, Vermont