Democrats perform better than expected and Georgia Senate race heads to runoff
Biden was asked about comments from Republican leader Kevin McCarthy that Republicans will take control of the House.
Biden said that Democrats still have a possibility of keeping control of the House, mentioning that the result will be “close”.
Biden also mentioned that he will be speaking with McCarthy “later today”.
"I think I'll be talking to him later today," says @POTUS when asked about @GOPLeader.
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) November 9, 2022
Biden was also asked about Russia’s announcement that they are withdrawing from Kherson.
Here’s part of Biden’s response:
Biden on Russia withdrawing from Kherson: "I find it interesting that they waited until after the election to make that judgment."
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) November 9, 2022
First question of the press conference comes from Zeke Miller at the Associated Press.
The question was about what Biden will do to appeal to those who think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
“Nothing,” said Biden, who defended his priorities and plans during his first term.
“I’m not going to change the direction,” said Biden. “I fully understand the legitimate concern that what I am saying is wrong,” Biden continued.
.@ZekeJMiller asks what Biden plans to change in order to appeal to people who think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) November 9, 2022
"Nothing," Biden says, defending his plans and saying voters will appreciate them.
"I'm not going to change anything in any fundamental way," Biden says.
— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) November 9, 2022
Biden again mentioned his commitment to fighting climate change, a worry that many Democrats had given concerns about which party would control Congress. Biden spoke on the importance of collaboration with regards to the issue.
“I’m prepared to work with my Republican colleagues and the American people made clear I think that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well,” said Biden.
Biden gave a shout-out to youth voters, who turned out in large numbers to boost Democrats and progressives in midterm elections across the country.
Biden gave a special nod to Maxwell Frost, a 25-year old in Florida who is the first member of Generation Z to make it to Congress.
Read the Guardian’s interview with Frost here.
At the beginning of his remarks, Biden took a cautious victory lap following Tuesday’s midterm election results, celebrating gains Democrats made after a predicted Republican victory.
“While the press and the pundits were predicting a giant red wave – it didn’t happen,” said Biden, adding that many results in key races are still being tallied.
Biden has just started speaking on Tuesday’s election results.
Stay tuned for his remarks!
Democratic US representative Susan Wild of Pennsylvania has won her reelection bid, reported AP.
The incumbent congresswoman will be returning to Congress for a third term following a win over Republican Lisa Scheller, who runs a manufacturing business.
Joe Biden will soon begin speaking about the results of yesterday’s midterm elections, where Democratic candidates showed unexpected strength in a number of key races.
Several of the president’s allies in the House and Senate managed to win reelection, while the Democrats also picked up a Senate seat in Pennsylvania. However, several crucial races still have not been determined, and Republicans could yet win a majority in one or both chambers of Congress.
The Guardian’s Gloria Oladipo will cover Biden’s speech on this blog as it happens. You can also watch it live at the video embedded above.
The Guardian’s Gabrielle Canon reports that environmental activists are pleased with the outcome of many races that were decided last night:
Election results are still rolling in, but on Wednesday morning environmental organizations gathered online for a press conference to celebrate what they characterized as a “big green wave” that swept across the country.
“The climate community stepped like they never have before,” said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, adding the turnout hit historic levels and the “vast majority of climate champions won”.
Building on the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act — the $369bn bill that passed in August securing key investments and provisions to combat the climate crisis — this election was seen as an important step toward ensuring the historic legislation was properly implemented and supported at the state level. The organizations — which included League of Conservation Voters, Climate Power, EDF Action, NextGen America, NRDC Action Fund, and Sierra Club — poured $135 million dollars into campaigns and coordinated to influence tight races in battleground areas across the country.
One of the key areas the environmental movement engaged during this election cycle was by encouraging young voters to participate. “Young people inherit the greatest benefits of action and the greatest consequences of inaction,” said Christina Tzintzún Ramirez, President of NextGen America.
The organization set up shop on 245 college campuses and connected with young people on social media, utilizing online influencers, millions of texts and phone calls — and even signed on to dating apps. “Young voters helped stop the red wave and the red tsunami,” Tzintzún Ramirez said, noting that their organizing efforts helped bring out 9.6 million young voters to the polls, including in key areas like Pennsylvania and Arizona.
The groups also funded more candidates of color and invested more in Spanish-language campaign materials than they ever had before. So far, they said, the efforts appear to be paying off. David Kieve, the President of EDF Action, the advocacy arm of the Environmental Defense Fund, added that there was still much to do. “We are proud of the progress our government has made,” he said, “and we have a new chapter and a new day.”