House elections produced a stalemate. Can Republicans figure out how to work with a thin majority?

WASHINGTON — After one of the most chaotic and least productive sessions in modern history, voters made a surprising choice in elections for the U.S. House -- they overwhelmingly stuck with the status quo. Neither Donald Trump’s sweep of swing states nor a record of two years marked by infighting among GOP House members seemed to weigh much on House election results. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called it “bitterly disappointing” to see his party’s bid to retake the House fall short by just a few seats. But he also made sure to note, “Notwithstanding the adverse political environment that happened with a Trump wave sweeping every single battleground state in America, Democrats will actually have increased the number of seats in the new Congress.” Still, that hasn’t stopped Republican leaders from taking a victory lap and talking of a mandate to implement a conservative agenda. “On Election Day, Americans sent a clear message to reject the consequences of Democratic control,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, the chair of the GOP’s House campaign committee, adding, “That’s why voters delivered House Republicans a majority and sent Donald Trump to the White House in a landslide.” Trump is on track to win the popular vote for the first time, but it will likely be a narrow victory once all ballots are counted, reflecting how politically deadlocked the country has become.