REPUBLICANS WIN 218 SEATS TO TAKE HOUSE AS MCCARTHY WINS INITIAL GOP SPEAKER VOTE

Republicans have secured the 218 seats needed for a majority in the lower chamber of Congress a week after the midterm elections.

While the party’s margin in the House of Representatives is razor-thin, it is enough to stall President Joe Biden’s agenda for the next two years.

But Democrats will keep control of the Senate when the new Congress convenes in January.

A handful of seats remain to be called.

The Republicans – who had hoped to win back control of both chambers – underperformed expectations in last week’s midterms.