Democrats win Congress in 2026, plan oversight of Trump science cuts

In short: Democrats will control both chambers of Congress after the 2026 midterms, and they plan to use hearings and spending talks to challenge Trump administration changes to federal science.

What happened

Democrats won majorities in the House and the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. That gives them control of Congress when the new term begins on January 3, 2027. It also gives them more power to question and slow parts of the Trump administration’s approach to research and science.

Since taking office in January 2025, the administration has ended some research grants, reduced the federal science workforce, and pushed for more political control over grant decisions. Reporting also says some money already approved by Congress was delayed in reaching agencies.

With committee control, Democrats can set hearing agendas, open investigations, and use subpoenas. A subpoena is a legal order that forces people to provide documents or testify (like a formal demand letter with teeth). Lawmakers have said they want to restore research funding, support government scientists, and scrutinize officials tied to the changes.

A major dispute involves an Office of Management and Budget plan that would give political appointees more influence over which research grants get approved. Traditionally, grants are reviewed by scientific peers (more like teachers grading work in their subject, not political staff). Congress has temporarily blocked the plan in a short-term funding bill, and Democrats say they want to keep resisting it in future spending bills.

Why it matters

Federal research funding supports work that can affect health, energy, and safety, including the building blocks behind many AI tools. Still, Democrats cannot easily reverse everything, because the president can veto bills and they do not have enough votes to override a veto.

Source: NYTimes