Democrats Win Control of Congress. Here’s How That Could Affect U.S. Foreign Policy.

The second Trump administration has dissolved the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, withheld billions in appropriated foreign aid until the money expired, and moved Food for Peace to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These dizzying moves, among the most consequential foreign assistance decisions in a generation, share a throughline: the White House bypassed Congress. Although Democrats are set to control both chambers, no one should expect the Trump administration to reverse course. Still, the new Congress will juggle three priorities: investigating where the administration overstepped, using aggressive oversight to keep current officials in check, and laying the groundwork for a Democratic return to the White House in 2029 with rising aid budgets and a blueprint for rebuilding foreign assistance.