What happens after the ‘blue wave’? Our team answers your midterm election results question

Democrats have taken control of Congress in a sweeping blue wave. Our reporters answer your questions about the results of the midterm elections Live results from the US midterm elections Sid in California asked in a reader callout: How can Democrats help stop the Iran war and what are their options to do it? How much time would it take to for Democrats to stop the Iran war and would Trump veto any legislation they pass? Chris Stein, senior politics reporter: The first tool Democrats have to force an end to the war with Iran is a war powers resolution. If they don’t try to force one through Congress before this year ends, they may do so next year, when they will officially take control of the House and Senate. But such resolutions don’t have much of a track record of working, at least not under Trump — the president has ignored the one that Democrats passed earlier this year with a handful of Republican votes. And so it’s likely that Democrats will take more forceful action, such as holding up funding for the defense department to force Trump into ending the war. There are a few different avenues to do that, potentially even before the new Congress begins in January. We’ll see how it turns out. Lauren Gambino, senior political correspondent: I think it would very much depend on who was being impeached. There is a lot of anger at the defense Sec. Hegseth. And we could have an early test of who might be willing to side with Democrats on an impeachment if Congressman Massie, the Kentucky Republican who lost his primary to a Trump-backed rival, does move forward with impeachment articles against Hegseth, as he’s said he’ll do. Massie will leave office in January, so this would be brought in final days of the outgoing Congress. He’d just need 218 votes and then it’d get sent to the Senate. As for impeachment against Trump, that is a trickier question that Democrats are wrestling with, particularly in the House where impeachment articles are brought. Voters made clear on Tuesday they wanted to punish Trump and put a check on his agenda. And of course many Democrats, and a few Republicans, feel he’s committed high crimes and misdemeanors. The opposing view is that impeachment is all-consuming and would distract from their legislative efforts Continue reading...