Biden blow as Republicans win 218th seat to claim slim majority in US House

Republicans won control of the US House on Wednesday, returning the party to power in Washington and giving conservatives leverage to blunt President Joe Biden's agenda and spur a flurry of investigations.

But a thread bare majority will pose immediate challenges for GOP leaders.

More than a week after election day, Republicans secured the 218th seat needed to flip the House from Democratic control. The full scope of the party's majority may not be clear for several more days–or weeks – as votes in competitive races are still being counted.

But they are on track to cobble together what could be the party's narrowest majority of the 21st century, rivalling 2001, when Republicans had just a nine-seat majority, 221-212 with two independents.

That is far short of the sweeping victory Republicans predicted going into this year' s mid term elections, when the party hoped to reset the agenda on Capitol Hill by capitalising on economic challenges and Mr Biden's lagging popularity.

Instead, Democrats showed surprising resilience, holding on to moderate, suburban districts from Virginia to Minnesota and Kansas. The results could complicate House GOP leader Kevin Mccarthy's plans to become speaker as some conservative members have questioned whether to back him or have imposed conditions for their support.

Mr Mccarthy celebrated his party having "officially flipped" the House on Twitter on Wednesday night, writing: "Americans are ready for a new direction, and House Republicans are ready to deliver."

Mr Biden congratulated Mr Mccarthy, saying he is "ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for working families".

"Last week' s elections demonstrated the strength and resilience of American democracy. There was a strong rejection of election deniers, political violence, and intimidation," Mr Biden said.

The narrow margins have upended Republican politics and prompted finger-pointing about what went wrong. Some in the GOP have blamed Donald Trump for the worse-thanexpected outcome.

The former president, who announced a third white house bid on Tuesday, lifted candidates during this year's primaries who struggled to win during the general election.

Despite the GOP'S underwhelming showing, the party will still have notable power. Republicans will take control of key committees, giving them the ability to shape legislation and launch probes of mr bid en, his family and his administration.

There is particular interest in investigating the overseas business dealings of the president's son Hunter Biden.

Some of the most conservative lawmakers have raised the prospect of impeaching Mr Bid en, though that will be much harder for the party to accomplish with a tight majority.

Any legislation that emerges from the house could face steep odds in the senate, where democratswon the bar est of majorities on Saturday ..

With such a slim majority in the House, there is also a potential for legislative chaos. The dynamic gives an individual member enormous sway over shaping what happens in the chamber.