Republicans take control as new Congress convenes. How will it affect California?
California began confronting a very different, unpredictable Washington Friday, as a Republican-controlled Congress officially began its 2025 session.
The state’s 52 member House delegation now has nine GOP members, its lowest number in years. California’s two senators are Democrats without the powerful seniority that recent state members have had.
And in 17 days, Donald Trump, a frequent California-basher, becomes president.
“California is abruptly going to see its considerable role diminished,” said Thomas Holyoke, professor of political science at California State University, Fresno.
That means it may not be able to summon the sort of legislative muscle it takes to stymie Republican attempts to toughen immigration standards or ease tough energy conservation rules. And it could mean controversial projects such as high speed rail could face difficult funding fights.
Still, it’s unlikely California will lose billions of federal dollars in federal funding for most programs such as education aid, job training, defense and other programs.
To assess how Republican governance could affect California, look at the bigger picture, urged Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Roseville, noting Republicans vow to continue the Trump-backed 2017 tax cuts and find other ways to make the nation’s economy stronger.
“We bring the perspective of the largest state in the country and one that is linked to the rest of our economy and the national welfare,” Kiley said.
Democrats tend to disagree strongly with Republican initiatives on most tax cuts–the GOP, Democrats say, want breaks too tilted to help the wealthy. But Democrats acknowledge that voters sent a clear message in November that they want to see progress for an economy that leads to more stable prices and more good jobs.
“We’re gonna have to figure that out, how to have a more compelling economic plan and communicate it and address these structural problems in our economy,” said Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
“We’re also gonna have to figure out how to develop a strong relationship with a lot of working people who don’t think we represent them anymore,” he said.
New Congress, new leaders
The Congress that convened at noon EST Friday lacks a major California lawmaker in a key majority party role for the first time in years.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, was Speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and 2019 to 2023. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, was speaker for nine months in 2023.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who died in September, 2023, was a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which writes the detailed legislation that allows spending.
There are some up and coming lawmakers. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-San Bernardino, is chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, the third-ranking party position. Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Los Angeles, is vice chair.
In the House last year, Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, headed the powerful appropriations defense subcommittee. The only California Republican on the tax-writing Ways & Means Committee, Rep. Michelle Steel of Seal Beach, lost her re-election bid.
Reps. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, and Darrell Issa, R-San Marcos., were senior judiciary committee members. McClintock headed a major subcommittee that considered immigration issues.
Lawmakers are reluctant to downplay California’s clout.
“When we’re able to stick together we get a lot done,” said Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena. He cited legislation originally co-authored with Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Chico, to provide tax help for wildfire victims..
The problem for California could come when it tries to get funding or authority to innovate.
Even before this Congress convened, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramasawamy, who Trump named to seek ways to cut government spending, singled out California’s high-speed rail project, currently planned to run from Merced to Bakersfield. They called it an example of wasteful spending.
Analysts expected more such criticism.
“With less clout it’s probably harder to fight a push from an administration that has been explicitly anti-regulation,’ said Charles Turner, professor of political science at California State University, Chico.
The House delegation has nine new members, all Democrats: Lateefah Simon of Oakland, Adam Gray of Merced, Sam Liccardo of San Jose, George Whitesides of Agua Dulce, Luz Rivas of Los Angeles, Laura Friedman of Glendale, Gil Cisneros of Covina, Derek Tran of Garden Grove and Dave Min of Irvine,
Can Trump hurt California?
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Trump have been battling for years, and Newsom last month sought special funding to fight anticipated Trump initiatives.
The governor’s office said the $25 million fund would allow the Department of Justice and other agencies to fight Trump policies potentially harmful to California .Trump in the past threatened not to spend federal money to help wildfire victims, though he did not withhold the funding.
Newsom would seem to be on firm political ground, since Trump got 38% of the California vote in November. In his two previous presidential runs, Trump got 31% in 2016 and 34% in 2020.
Republicans countered that Trump understands and even likes California.
“He loves California,” said Issa, recalling Trump’s October campaign visit to Coachella. “He needs us.”
No Republican has won any office statewide in California since 2006, and no Republican presidential candidate has won the state since 1988. Three incumbent Republican members of Congress lost in November.
Separate all those results from policy, Kiley urged.
“i think that he (Trump) is not friendly toward a lot of California’s policies which is also true of me and a number of members of our delegation,” said Kiley, who during his two years in Congress has been a vocal critic of Newsom and Democrats.
But, Kiley said, “I think that Californians themselves are fairly dissatisfied with a lot of California’s policies at this point too.”
He cited voter approval of the state’s Proposition 36, which imposed tough new penalties on retail theft and drug crimes.
“People who voted for Proposition 36 voted for a change,” Issa said.
Where California can most easily overcome Trump’s efforts to curb its influence is probably in the Senate. Sixty votes are usually needed to pass anything, and Republicans have 53 of the 100 seats.
Schiff may be a freshman senator, but he was a House member for about 24 years, and is a nationally recognized figure because of his leadership in the House’s impeachment of Trump. In the House, where Republicans have a slim majority, Pelosi has vast experience rallying colleagues.
“Pelosi and Schiff are the sort of national figures at this point. Even if they don’t have the official role in the chamber they’re still gonna be opinion leaders, putting this viewpoint out there. I think that matters,” said Turner.
This much will be new–they are unlikely to be able to work through the usual paths of power in Congress. They’re not committee chairs or officially titled leaders. Nor are others.
“That could be a problem for the state,” said Holyoke.
This story was originally published January 3, 2025 at 10:23 AM with the headline "Republicans take control as new Congress convenes. How will it affect California?."
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