Given the dire picture of the US House speaker race, there was a sense of relief when the results of last November’s election defied the polls’ predictions, inevitably heralding a double victory for Republicans in the US House and Senate. This feeling reflects both the polarization of American society that will eventually divide the country, leading to the civil war that some have seen, and the impact that division may have on the rest of the world. Planet. Yet again, Kevin McCarthy’s appointment casts a dark cloud over one agenda and another.

Internally, it is foreseeable that McCarthy’s extremely weak leadership will immediately translate into a permanent positive obstruction of the work that the Joe Biden administration intends to carry out through the end of 2024. If you think about it, it’s really not surprising to remember that the Republicans’ majority (222 seats to the Democrats’ 213) is their best weapon against Democrats in next year’s presidential election. Of course, what is worrisome is not the political competition between forces hungry for power to advance their own agenda, but that this competition is being hijacked by individuals willing to do whatever it takes to gain office—McCarthy—or try to revive politically— -trump card.

It is in this context that, in order to realize his dream, McCarthy seems to have had to sell his political soul to a handful of extremists – representatives of the Liberal Group, also known as the «Twenty Taliban», although such they should Dubbed «Putin’s Twenty» – capable of imposing their agenda on him. Donald Trump continues an agenda of undeniable influence, whether it’s continuing to try to make it harder for some minorities that Republicans see as unaffected by his proclamations to vote, banning abortion rights or reducing the state’s role in national life.

Faced with this dark panorama, it should be remembered that at this juncture in the legislature, Biden has successfully implemented an ambitious public spending program aimed at modernizing the state and aligning it with the energy transition agenda, totaling 1.7 trillion dollars. Dollar. Of course, that doesn’t mean the outlook for Biden and his followers is clear, as traditionally controversial decisions remain to be made, such as farm subsidies and, most importantly, the debt ceiling the U.S. Treasury can afford. Set, this could lead to a paralysis of the U.S. government (this has happened before, but it did not lead to a collapse of its functions) and lead to a suspension of payments, which could lead to a recession with unpredictable consequences. But neither can McCarthy and other Republican members of Congress be convinced they can cut social programs and the public budget at will.

On the outside front, one of the most prominent issues in the 15 rounds of negotiations McCarthy needed to become president was military and economic aid to Ukraine. Everything seems to indicate that McCarthy has pledged to do what he can to cut said aid; however, while this may worry Biden, and even more so Zelensky, it should be remembered that the U.S. defense budget (over $800 billion) And this year’s planned aid to Kyiv (at least $45 billion) has already been confirmed for congressional approval.

In short, with control of the Senate and his own executive power — including his veto power over regulations he rejects outright — Joe Biden continues to have considerable leeway to complete his reforms in the White House journey of. The gap makes it conceivable that in the next lockdown attempt led by McCarthy, he will know how to exploit internal divisions in a party in which Trump’s long shadow falls far short of what he has only recently achieved Unanimous. Conversely, the GOP’s actions further reinforce the fundamentalist image, which does nothing to redeem what Trump wasted, questioning the fundamental pillars of a country that, over time, has found it increasingly difficult to sustain it” The traditional image of a city shining on a hill».

Image: Kevin McCarthy speaks at the U.S. House of Representatives – 2020. Photo: Kevin McCarthy, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.