[Global Times Special Correspondent Yang Zheng Global Times Special Correspondent Wang Yi] On the 3rd local time, the new US Congress was sworn in.

Given that the Democratic Party and the Republican Party control the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively, many American media believe that the struggle and chaos in the U.S. Congress will be inevitable, and the U.S. government may also face the dilemma of shutting down again.

The "New York Daily News" commented that a chaotic drama in Congress is about to be staged.

At the same time, due to internal divisions in the Republican Party, McCarthy, the most popular candidate for the speaker of the House of Representatives, may not be able to gather votes on the 3rd.

The new Congress will face four major "battles"

  According to a report by CBS on the 2nd, at the beginning of the new year, the new Congress will hold a meeting on the 3rd, which marks the official operation of the 118th Congress.

Eighty-two new lawmakers, 45 Republicans and 37 Democrats, will be sworn in for the first time.

In the new Congress, Democrats will retain control of the Senate, while the House of Representatives will be controlled by a narrow Republican majority.

  "The new Congress will face four major battles." NBC reported on the 2nd that as the Republicans began to control the House of Representatives on the 3rd, the United States will enter another era of government division in the new year.

In an era of partisanship and political tension, split control of Congress can be disruptive, as recent decades have shown.

The first is the dystocia of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The highly vocal Republican Congressman McCarthy is facing opposition from a group of conservative Republican lawmakers who have vowed to refuse to let him serve as speaker when the House of Representatives holds its first vote on the 3rd.

Then there is the question of whether the government will shut down.

The Republican-led House of Representatives led to a temporary government shutdown during the last two Democratic presidencies.

It should be difficult for the Biden administration to be an exception.

Additionally, a new Congress faces an even tougher task of raising the U.S. debt ceiling in 2023 to ensure the government can pay its bills and prevent a catastrophic default.

Finally, newly empowered House Republicans are eyeing an investigation of Biden and his administration.

The investigation could lead to impeachment, if not by Biden, then by someone else in his administration.

  When the new Congress takes office, the riots on Capitol Hill in the United States will usher in the second anniversary on January 6, and the Capitol Police have prepared for possible riots.

According to a Reuters report on the 2nd, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Manger issued a statement on the 2nd saying, "The status quo of polarization in the United States will lead to another attempt to carry out an attack similar to that on January 6, 2021. If this happens, we will will be ready."

Political deadlock reappears?

  As part of the opening of the new Congress on the 3rd, the House of Representatives is scheduled to elect a new speaker, but the vote in the House of Representatives is obviously not that simple.

According to the "New York Times" report, as of the evening of the 2nd, it is still unclear whether McCarthy can become the speaker.

He is struggling to break through entrenched opposition from Republican conservative lawmakers.

Republicans hold 222 seats in the House of Representatives after the midterm elections.

To be elected speaker, at least 218 votes must be obtained.

That means no more than four Republicans can vote against it.

  "Tomorrow will be a good day." McCarthy said to reporters seemingly relaxed on the 2nd.

The reality, though, is that despite weeks of hard lobbying, McCarthy has yet to secure the near-unanimous support he needs.

So far, five Republican lawmakers have publicly voted against it, with many more secretly opposing or hesitating.

Reuters reported on the 3rd that most conservative Republican lawmakers believed that McCarthy was "too soft", especially for the Democratic Party.

  Even so, McCarthy still insisted that he would fight for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives until the last moment.

According to the New York Times, according to the rules of the US Congress, if McCarthy fails to obtain 218 votes on the 3rd, the House of Representatives will continue to vote until a candidate can reach a simple majority.

With no clear contenders for McCarthy in the Republican Party, the vote is likely to turn into a stalemate that will go down in history -- the last time this happened 100 years ago.

Russian media: No one will "miss" Pelosi

  While McCarthy is struggling to rise to power, the current speaker of the House of Representatives, Pelosi, is preparing to step down.

According to a report by the US "New Republic" on the 2nd, Pelosi announced that she would resign as speaker of the House of Representatives after the mid-term elections in November.

In stark contrast to the messy public battle between the Republicans, the Democrats completed a bloodless transition of power.

Russian Satellite News Agency said on the 3rd that Pelosi's resignation may mark the reshuffle of the Democratic Party members, and young members will become the focus of attention.

  The US "Market Observer" reported on the 3rd that most Americans have polarized views on Pelosi: either love her or despise her.

"Pelosi leaves office, and few people will miss her." Russia Today TV reported on the 2nd on this topic that the California Democrat (Pelosi) is a notorious selfish person.

In the United States, many hope that the 82-year-old speaker of the House of Representatives will retire from political life after his term ends.

  (Source: Global Times)