Democrats will hold majorities in both the House and Senate next year, and East Bay residents are already asking what that changes locally. The Oaklandside noted that Democrats outnumber Republicans more than five to one in the East Bay. It reported that the region has lived under the threat of aggressive immigration enforcement, health and food program cuts, and federal grant freezes.
Pastor Todd Benson of Faith in Action East Bay told The Oaklandside he hopes for a significant cut in ICE and Homeland Security funding and comprehensive immigration reform. Andrea Cardenas of the Committee of Interns and Residents said Alameda Health System gets 80% of its funding from Medicaid and state reimbursements. She said workers are waiting to see how Congress handles cuts made under H.R. 1. Rep. Lateefah Simon told supporters she would fight for health care for all.
East Bay Rep. Mark DeSaulnier told CBS News Bay Area that the party must now show it can govern. "We have the power of the purse," he said, adding that reconciliation needs only a simple majority but "this is not to sound like it's going to be easy." CBS reported that DeSaulnier will soon chair the House Ethics Committee.
UC Berkeley law professor Bertrall Ross told CBS it is a major question whether the Justice Department would enforce congressional subpoenas against the administration. Arne Johnson of Rainbow Families Action told The Oaklandside the results were a repudiation of anti-trans rhetoric, but he expects new fights, including possible ballot measures on trans athletes in California.
Vote counts cited here are unofficial. Bay Area counties are still processing mail and provisional ballots, and results are not certified until later this month, so margins can change.