With the Presidential Election coming to an end, the eyes of the political world have turned to Georgia, where a January 5th runoff will determine the final two Senate races and, more importantly, determine which party controls the Senate.
If Sen. Kelly Loeffler or Sen. David Perdue wins reelection, the Republican party will retain its majority. If not, the Senate will be split 50-50, resulting in a Democrat majority in all but name, with Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking vote as Vice President (assuming Joe Biden is inaugurated).
If both Sen. Loeffler and Sen. Perdue fail, the Republicans will lose their one remaining ability to scupper Democrats in their desire to implement radical policies in line with their self-prescribed “progressive mandate.”
Based on the swathe of promises made during the election, here’s what we could expect from Democrats if they enter 2021 with both the White House and the U.S. Senate.
Assault Weapons Ban
Throughout his campaign, former Vice President Biden has been open about his intention to pass restrictive gun laws if elected president. According to his official campaign platform, Biden would urge Congress to renew the 1984 federal ban on assault weapons.
In addition, Biden says he would propose a “buy back” program for assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Under this law, firearm owners would have the ability to sell their guns to the federal government or register them under the National Firearms Act.
Furthermore, a Biden administration and Democrat-controlled Senate would almost certainly pass further legislation banning the sale of firearms and ammunition online.
Free College Tuition
Joe Biden has openly endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (D-VT) plan for free college tuition. According to his campaign, Biden will present legislation to Congress which “makes public colleges and universities tuition-free for all students whose family incomes are below $125,000.”
According to expert estimates, the cost of this plan would total $1.2 trillion over the next ten years — double the Biden campaign’s initial estimate which they’ve since removed from their website.
Biden also pledges to enact legislation which would allow young Americans to offset their personal student loans in bankruptcy, a move that would also cost billions.
Citizenship For Illegal Immigrants
The Biden campaign has made it clear that they intend to offer citizenship to those currently living in the United States illegally. According to his website, Biden would work with Congress to “provide a roadmap to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants.” He also promises to send legislation to Congress which would reimplement DACA and ensure students living here illegally are entitled to federal aid.
Biden has also pledged to ensure Congress passes legislation which would dramatically increase the number of employment-based visas granted each year.
Climate Change
On the subject of climate change, the possibility of Vice President Kamala Harris presiding over the Senate would be key for Biden. Harris famously co-sponsored the original Green New Deal proposal in the Senate, and would almost certainly support similar legislation, especially if she holds the tie-breaking vote.
While Biden now claims to have never supported a ban on fracking (a statement even CNN deemed false), he stated during the Democratic Primary debates that he would “make sure it’s eliminated.”
In addition to reentering the Paris Climate Treaty, the Biden campaign has pledged to pass legislation which would “put the United States on an irreversible path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050.”
Rescind Trump Tax Cuts
One of the most noticeable ways a Democrat-controlled Senate and Biden Presidency would impact average Americans would be the reversal of the “Trump tax cuts.” Throughout his campaign, Biden has boasted of his desire to repeal the GOP-backed tax reform bill, a plan which resulted in the average American family paying around $1,400 a year less in taxes.
Biden would also call on Congress to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% — even though corporate tax revenue increased by $5 billion the year the rate was lowered to 21%.
Supreme Court Nominees
Perhaps the most important and impactful duty of the U.S. Senate is the confirmation of judges to the Supreme Court. While nominees traditionally needed 60 votes to be confirmed, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans amended the rules in 2017 to allow for confirmation with a simple majority of 51 votes. If the vote is tied 50-50, once again, Kamala Harris would be the deciding voice.
Democrat control of the Senate would almost certainly allow Democrats the opportunity to nominate and confirm whomever they see fit. In line with previous nominations, it is likely that any Biden Supreme Court picks would adhere to the Left’s view of the judicial branch as a tool for progressive legislation.
Committee Chairs
The replacement of Committee Chairs is an often overlooked byproduct of a Democrat-controlled Senate. Traditionally, the member of the majority party with the longest tenure on the committee is chosen as the Chair. That means Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) would likely be considered to serve as Chair on the Budget Committee.
Democrat control of the Senate would also likely put Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in charge of the powerful Judiciary Committee and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) in charge of the Foreign Relations Committee.
Cabot Phillips is Managing Editor of the Daily Wire’s Readers Pass. Follow him on Twitter at @cabot_phillips