[ti:Experts: Few Agreements Likely from Divided US Congress] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The 118th United States Congress will be closely divided [00:07.32]between the Republican and Democratic Parties. [00:12.52]The Republicans won control of the House of Representatives [00:17.68]in the November 8 elections. [00:20.64]Democrats added to their majority in the Senate. [00:25.92]Final results of several races remain in question. [00:30.56]But, those results will not change the political representation by much. [00:37.40]The majorities in both houses will be small. [00:42.92]Some political experts think a closely divided Congress [00:47.92]will not be able to agree on many issues. [00:52.24]The U.S. Congress has been closely divided for several years. [00:59.92]VOA spoke to David King, a politics [01:04.16]and public policy expert at Harvard University. [01:09.64]When asked what the American public should expect [01:14.16]from the new Congress, King answered: "More of the same." [01:20.40]King said most of the power in Congress [01:24.00]is controlled by a small number of people at the top. [01:30.36]"The power in Congress will be held in the hands of a few leaders. [01:36.00]Most of the members of Congress will stick very close to their party, [01:41.64]because neither one can afford to lose a couple of key votes," he said. [01:50.52]King says Congress is likely to pass only budget-related bills [01:56.64]that pay for the most basic government operations. [02:02.44]He added that members of Congress will already be acting [02:08.08]in consideration of possible results of the 2024 presidential election. [02:15.88]However, some experts are more hopeful. [02:20.88]G. William Hoagland is a vice president [02:24.04]at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington. [02:28.96]He told VOA that congressional leaders [02:33.20]might find issues on which they can work together. [02:38.28]He said, "I think it's possible that there could still [02:42.52]be some successful legislative achievement." [02:47.32]Hoagland noted immigration as one such issue. [02:52.44]Republicans want increased border security. [02:56.24]Democrats want a path to legal standing [03:00.80]for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. [03:06.88]It might be possible, Hoagland said, [03:10.40]for new legislation aimed at reaching both goals. [03:16.64]The newly-divided Congress might make it more difficult [03:20.96]for President Biden to get his policies made into law. [03:27.68]Biden may narrow his aims as a result, Hoagland suggested. [03:34.00]He said the president could center his efforts [03:38.28]on supporting the operation of major acts already passed. [03:45.04]These include the Inflation Reduction Act, [03:48.48]with its huge investments in the fight against climate change, [03:53.72]and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. [03:59.24]Democrats had controlled both houses of Congress [04:02.92]before November's elections. [04:06.88]King, of Harvard University, said that Biden [04:11.48]might look more to international issues [04:14.84]if progress at home becomes difficult. [04:19.72]In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer [04:23.20]is expected to keep his position. [04:26.92]On Wednesday, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell [04:31.28]fought off a challenge by Senator Rick Scott [04:35.32]and was reelected to his position. [04:40.04]Leadership of the House is less certain. [04:43.80]Republican Kevin McCarthy won his party's nomination to be Speaker. [04:50.92]However, without support of more conservative Republicans, [04:56.16]he might not be able to win the position. [05:00.08]Current Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, [05:04.16]has announced that she will not seek any leadership position [05:08.96]when the new congress takes office in January. [05:13.68]All the experts VOA spoke with agreed [05:16.80]that new and strong investigations [05:21.12]into the Biden administration and into the president's family [05:26.52]will take place in the House. [05:30.20]Republicans have promised to look into [05:33.36]Biden administration actions at the southern border [05:37.76]and into the business dealings of the president's son, Hunter Biden. [05:45.04]I'm Caty Weaver. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM