With Congress won, Democrats prepare inquiries into Trump energy and public-land actions

A new political era opened in Washington on Wednesday, as Democrats vowed to use their sweeping majority to check and investigate President Trump, while prominent Republicans blamed their midterm wipeout on the president's agenda and party leadership.

Democrats were on track to secure at least a 50-seat majority in the House and solid control of the Senate, after picking off Republicans in conservative-leaning seats from Indiana to Missouri to Alabama.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader expected to become the next speaker, predicted Democrats would win at least 255 of the 435 House seats. He compared the scope of the win to an 'American tsunami' and promised that the days of the House functioning like a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump administration were over.

Vice President JD Vance said on social media that everyone knows why they lost, blaming Mr Trump's decision to start a war with Iran. Mr Trump said Mr Vance's assessment was 'largely true' and added that, if he had to do it again, he would do it again.

Republicans lost Senate seats in Maine, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina and even Texas, according to The Associated Press. Ballots were still being counted in Alaska, and in Mississippi fewer than 70 votes separated the two candidates.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters in Washington that the decisive control of the Senate is a 'generational remake'.

Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana told aides he would not seek to lead the House Republican conference in the minority. Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio and Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana both jumped into the contest to succeed him.

Mr Trump used his first public appearance on Wednesday to tour the site of the ballroom he is building on the White House grounds, defending it as a legacy-defining project. He told The New York Times he was 'absolutely willing to accept' the midterm results and was prepared to work with Democrats.

Democrats in Congress are poised to ramp up investigations into Trump administration efforts to limit renewable energy development, promote fossil fuels and mining, and open up public lands to commercial interests.

Before the elections, House Democrats had already announced probes into some of those actions, including a $1 billion payout to cancel offshore wind farms, cuts to renewable energy investments in Puerto Rico, and the shrinking of two national monuments in Utah. In other cases they have raised corruption allegations against officials overseeing public lands, fisheries and offshore energy development.

Representative Jared Huffman of California, who stands to chair the House Natural Resources Committee, said that in January Democrats will gain power to convene hearings, call witnesses to testify under oath, and go to court to compel cooperation by the executive branch.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island said in a statement that the Trump administration's efforts to purge any focus on climate change have contributed to rising property insurance premiums and energy costs. He said Democrats will work every angle to lower consumers' energy costs and will demand accountability.

The Environmental Protection Network, a nonpartisan group of hundreds of former Environmental Protection Agency officials, called for investigations into pollution-limit rollbacks and rule exemptions. The group said the administration has ignored scientific evidence and its own experts to put industry above public health.