Into the Unknown Dems Take the Midterms, Leading to a Lame Duck Session

By: Kate MacDonald

Note: As of the writing of this blog, the midterm elections have occurred, but several races have yet to be called.

Every four years, Americans vote for a new presidential administration, after which a new president may take office and hold the reins for the next four years, if not longer. However, in between, the U.S. holds midterm elections, wherein other positions are decided, including congressional seats, gubernatorial offices, local positions such as school committee members, and so on. These offices are also very important and can greatly impact how towns, counties, states, and the nation are governed.

And yet, voter turnout for midterm elections is routinely lower than that of presidential elections. Since 1980, presidential elections have seen roughly 63 percent of voters hit the polls, while midterms drive only 48 percent of the voting population to their local booth. With that said, while the final figures are not yet in, early voting numbers show that 2026 could be a record year for midterm voting, with approximately 54 million Americans having hit the polls before Election Day. And on November 3, this resulted in a so-called “blue wave,” with Democrats taking back control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as flipping several gubernatorial seats previously held by Republicans.

But the question stands, how will these midterm results impact healthcare going into 2027?

Lame duck

A lame duck government consists of one party controlling the Legislative Branch, while another controls the Executive. This scenario will unfold when Democrats take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in January, while President Trump, a Republican, remains in the White House. Thus, the Senate could block proposed judicial nominees, including those for any Supreme Court vacancies that may open, although there are not currently any.

When there are lame duck governments, both Congress and the current president find it difficult to execute their respective agendas. Congress may struggle to pass legislation, as the president ultimately has veto power (and President Trump has indicated that he is open to exercising this capability), but executive power is not absolute and Congressional power and filibuster ability depend on how many seats the majority is able to attain. As of the writing of this blog, Democrats won 54 Senate seats, with two races still too close to call. That does not give either party a supermajority (60 or more seats), which would give that party the ability to pass legislation with little resistance and avoid the need to filibuster.

Past experiences can signal future actions

The United States has experienced lame duck sessions several times. When this has occurred (such as during the Obama Administration), input from both sides of the aisle (as well as strengthened checks and balances) has led to decreased legislative productivity and more moderate policies being passed. This could mean fewer chances of sweeping healthcare reform over the next two years, if any.

We can also look at the PBM Reform Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill that was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026. This legislation centered around improving pharmacy access, increasing transparency, and reforming PBM business practices, and has had a sweeping impact on the healthcare industry. While it was passed during an administration with a narrow Republican majority, representatives from both sides of the aisle worked together on this legislation, meaning that both Republicans and Democrats made concessions to produce a universally attractive piece of legislation.

But in the immediate future, several political pundits believe that the current administration may attempt to accomplish as much of its agenda as possible. The most recently elected members of Congress will be seated on January 3, 2027, however the Republican majority will remain in their seats until then. As such, political scientists have suggested that this administration will likely try to address subjects such as the looming debt ceiling and the potential government shutdown, while Republicans maintain the majority and can hold a consensus to pass favorable legislation. Similar strategies have been implemented in the past, including the confirmation of Supreme Court justices before the changing of governing parties.

In anticipating potential healthcare legislation over the next two years, plan administrators should consider paying attention to vaccination schedules, tariffs and supply costs (which may affect the price of prescription drugs and medical devices), and federal funding.

And while Election Day 2026 has passed, the takeaway is that it remains supremely important to vote, no matter who you support or whether it’s a presidential election, the midterms, or local elections at town meetings. On another level, this is also true when the U.S Preventive Care Task Force calls for public feedback on draft recommendations; it is important that everyone’s voices are heard.

So, we should all heed the call to vote, and pay attention to the results, as the outcome will impact all aspects of our daily lives.