If the Dems were going to catch a break, the House is the smallest accomplishment possible.
Any time any party controls at least one part of Congress, they can prohibit any legislation. No law can be passed without both houses passing the exact same bill. But...
At this point there are obviously things that the GOP wants that will now not happen But.... nothing previously passed into law can be overturned either. Things like Pelosi’s promise to repeal the tax cut simply cannot happen. No new healthcare legislation can be passed with the GOP going along with it, etc.
Both the Senate and the House will be ineffective for the next two years however....
The Senate was really for all the marbles. That loss could have been devastating for Trump and the GOP. The Senate, unlike the House, has Constitution authority independently.
Had the GOP held the House and lost the Senate, it would have been really bad.
All presidential appointments (Supreme Court, cabinet, other federal judges, ambassadors, etc.) and all treaties with other countries have to be approved by the Senate and only the Senate. There is no need to get consent from Pelosi and the House can stop nothing.
So for the next two years Congress will be ineffective but Trump’s conservative lock on the Supreme Court (if Ginsberg or anyone else leaves for any reason in the next two years) will be for a generation to come and our tax break are locked in. So Mitch McConnell with control all appointments and Nancy Pelosi will control... gridlock.
Not a great night for the Republicans but far from the devastating results that it could have been. Holding the Senate was very much the most important issue and the Republicans looked to have actually gained seats.