House Democrats aren’t waiting until after the November election to decide what they would do if they win control.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his caucus are already developing legislation, organizing policy working groups and preparing oversight plans for a Democratic-led House.
Democrats need to gain just three seats in the Nov. 3 midterms to take control, which is looking much more like a possibility, with Trump’s job approval in the 30s and the high cost of living — including gas prices — weighing heavily on voters.
Even those in Trump’s orbit appear to be considering the possibility of divided government. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and outside adviser, requested a private meeting with Jeffries in August. The Associated Press reported the unusual meeting was viewed in Washington as the administration hedging its bets in case Democrats win the House.
If Democrats win a majority, Jeffries would be positioned to become Speaker of the House — and the first Black person to hold the position.
But the change would be more than historic.
A Democratic majority would give Jeffries and his party control over which legislation reaches the House floor, who chairs House committees and how the chamber uses its investigative and subpoena powers.
And Democrats are already working on what they would do with that authority.
Affordability Would Come First
Jeffries has been clearest about his first priority: lowering the cost of living.
House Democrats have established five working groups focused on housing, health care, child care, groceries, and gas and utilities to develop proposals they could move if they take control in January.
That makes this more than a campaign talking point. Democrats are already working on the details of an affordability agenda for a possible majority.
Jeffries has repeatedly argued that Americans who work hard are finding it increasingly difficult to afford housing, groceries, energy and other necessities.
He has said Democrats would move aggressively on affordability, although the details of the first legislative package have not been finalized.
The goal, he says, would be to make lowering everyday costs one of the first major actions of a Democratic House.
Health Care Would Move Back to the Front
Health care would be another major part of the agenda.
Jeffries has said Democrats would seek to reverse Republican Medicaid reductions and restore the enhanced Affordable Care Act assistance that lowered health insurance premiums.
The issue became one of Washington’s biggest political battles during the 43-day government shutdown in 2025, when Democrats pushed unsuccessfully for an extension of the enhanced ACA subsidies. The assistance ultimately expired after Congress failed to reach an agreement.
With control of the House, Democrats could move legislation restoring that assistance through the chamber.
Getting it through the Senate could be considerably harder.
That’s a limitation that would apply to much of a Jeffries agenda: controlling the House would allow Democrats to pass their priorities there, but it would not guarantee those bills become law.
Trump’s Tariffs Would Be a Target
Jeffries has also identified Trump’s tariffs as part of the affordability problem.
He argues that tariffs on imported products ultimately increase costs for American consumers, and Democrats have said they would move to repeal Trump’s tariffs if they control the House.
That would represent a sharp break with the current House, where Republicans have largely supported Trump’s economic agenda.
For Democrats, the tariff fight would also fit into their larger argument that the first responsibility of a new majority should be reducing what families pay for everyday goods.
Democrats Would Control the Investigations
Some of the biggest changes could occur without passing a single bill.
A Democratic victory would transfer control of House committees from Republicans to Democrats.
That means Democrats would decide which hearings are held, which documents are demanded and where subpoenas are issued.
They aren’t waiting until January to think about that either.
Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary committees are already preparing potential investigations for a new majority. Jeffries has said Democrats would examine what they describe as corruption and conflicts of interest within the Trump administration and continue pursuing information surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files.
That could make Trump’s final two years look substantially different from his first two.
Instead of Republican committee chairs generally aligned with the administration, Trump could face committees controlled by the opposition and armed with subpoena power.
Voting Rights Would Return to the Floor
Jeffries has also made a specific commitment on voting rights.
He says a Democratic House would move the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which is designed to restore and update federal protections weakened by Supreme Court decisions.
The legislation would reestablish federal review of certain election changes in jurisdictions with repeated histories of voting discrimination.
Democrats passed versions of the legislation when they previously controlled the House, but the measures could not overcome opposition in the Senate.
Jeffries has said Democrats would put the measure back on the House agenda if they return to power.
Again, passage by the House would only be the first step.
Supreme Court Reform Is Part of the Conversation
Jeffries has also publicly called for “dramatic Supreme Court reform,” pointing to decisions involving voting rights, presidential authority and other issues.
This portion of the agenda is less defined.
Unlike voting rights, where Democrats already have legislation they can bring back, Jeffries has not yet laid out a detailed Supreme Court reform package.
So it is clear he wants the issue addressed, but exactly what a Democratic House would try to enact remains to be determined.
What About the Senate?
The Senate could determine just how much of a Jeffries agenda ever gets beyond the House.
Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats. Democrats have 45, plus two independents who caucus with them.
That means Democrats would need a net gain of four seats in November to reach 51 and take control.
The Senate battlefield has expanded considerably during the election cycle, with several Republican-held seats now among the closely watched races. Still, Democrats would have to defend their own competitive seats while producing a net gain of four.
Even Senate control, however, would not guarantee passage of the Democratic House agenda.
Most legislation can still be blocked by a Senate filibuster. Although only a simple majority is generally required for final passage, 60 senators are usually needed to end debate and move most legislation to that vote.
So even a 51-seat Democratic Senate could leave Jeffries searching for Republican votes on health care, voting rights and other major legislation unless senators changed the filibuster rules or used a procedure such as budget reconciliation for legislation that qualifies.
A Very Different House
Even without control of the Senate, winning the House would substantially alter Trump’s final two years in office.
Democrats could block Republican legislation, determine which House bills receive votes, take the lead in negotiations over spending and other must-pass measures, and investigate the administration using committee and subpoena powers.
If Democrats also capture the Senate, they would have considerably more room to advance their agenda — although the filibuster and Trump’s veto power would remain significant obstacles.
So the stakes in November extend beyond whether Hakeem Jeffries becomes the country’s first Black Speaker.
House Democrats are already preparing for what they would do if voters put them in charge — and a Jeffries-led House would operate very differently from the Republican House Donald Trump has worked with during the first two years of his second term.
