Trump urges Senate to act before new Congress takes office

Trump called on the Senate to pass legislation during the weeks before a new Congress takes office, saying the chamber’s inaction was harming the country. He made the remarks on November 6 while answering reporters after speaking at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Asked what he wanted accomplished in the coming months, Trump said the Senate needed to act and argued that neither party was getting enough done. He blamed Democrats for voting together and said some Republicans were obstructing bills, even when his administration had prepared what he described as strong proposals.

Trump said he hoped Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, could get the chamber moving. He characterized the Senate as a barrier where legislation could be sent to fail.

The remarks came after the Senate had recessed ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Democrats won majorities in both the House and Senate, and the new Congress is expected to take office in the coming months. Trump urged the Senate to act when it returns for its lame-duck session next week, before the transition.

Trump blames Senate as Democrats prepare to take majorities

With Democrats set to hold majorities in the House and Senate, Trump used November 6 remarks in Florida to demand that the current Senate act before the new Congress takes office. He said the chamber was accomplishing too little and accused Democrats of voting together while also blaming some Republicans for obstruction.

That framing shifts responsibility for legislative gridlock onto both parties just as voters have handed Democrats control of Congress. Trump said he hopes Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune can move legislation, and described the Senate as a place where bills go to die.

The timing matters: the Senate had recessed ahead of the November 3 midterms and is due back for a lame-duck session next week. Trump’s demand is for the outgoing Senate to deliver before the transition. His criticism of Democratic voting and Republican holdouts presents a divided chamber as the obstacle, even as Democrats prepare to lead both chambers in the next Congress.

Trump demands Senate action as lawmakers return for lame duck

President Donald Trump is pressing the Senate to get legislation through before a new Congress takes office, arguing that the country cannot afford continued inaction. Speaking in Florida on November 6, he said Democrats vote as a bloc and some Republicans obstruct, leaving the chamber unable to deliver.

Trump said he hopes Senate Majority Leader John Thune can get members to act. He also argued that bills sent to the Senate can effectively be sent there to die, describing the chamber as a roadblock to his administration’s proposals.

The Senate is due to return next week for a lame-duck session after recessing ahead of the November 3 midterms. Democrats won majorities in both chambers, making the remaining session a final chance for the current Congress to act before the new one takes office. Trump’s message is clear: lawmakers should not let partisan divisions and internal resistance prevent action in the weeks ahead.