US midterm elections confirm a country divided

Even if Democrats hold the Senate, a Republican-controlled House for the next two years could disrupt US President Joe Biden's legislative agenda and presage a new era of gridlock, according to a new analysis by The New York Times.

Internal affairs and diplomacy

In highly polarized times, it is exceedingly difficult to pass legislation unless one party controls the presidency, the House and the Senate, according to The New York Times.

If Republicans win either the House or the Senate, they can prevent much of what Biden and the Democrats would hope to accomplish before the 2024 presidential election, such as blocking Democratic efforts to codify abortion rights and take action toward climate change, it added.

"Republicans can use their majority power to block any bills passed by the Democratic Senate from even getting a vote on the House floor", wrote The Guardian in a new analysis.

In foreign affairs, it will also be up in the air whether the US will continue to send aid to Ukraine after the Republicans take control of the House of Representatives. Representative Kevin McCarthy, the top House Republican, said in October that if his party wins a majority, its members would resist giving a "blank check" to Ukraine, according to The New York Times.