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 While leaders of the Democratic-majority Senate mostly backed
President Barack Obama's international goals, Republicans plan to
pressure the White House to take a tougher line on Iran, Russia and
Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.
"I think the Congress can and will be heard from, particularly on
the funding side," John Thune, a member of the Senate's Republican
leadership, said in a telephone interview.
After Republicans, who already controlled the House of
Representatives, won a majority in the Senate on Tuesday, two of
Washington's most vocal foreign policy hawks, John McCain and
Lindsey Graham, came in line to chair two key Senate panels.
McCain, who has advocated a more robust response in both Ukraine and
Syria, will lead the Senate Armed Services Committee, which oversees
military policy. That includes a say in the budget, giving him a
strong lever on policy.
Graham is due to chair the Senate appropriations subcommittee that
controls the State Department's budget and can withhold or grant aid
to foreign governments.
Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, in line to be chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, is known as a consensus-builder. But he
has backed a sterner policy for Syria and lamented what he sees as a
lack of communication with lawmakers by the Democratic White House,
which could mean more hearings.
The Foreign Relations committee has the power to approve or reject
Obama's nominees for ambassadorships and top State Department
positions before they face a full Senate vote.
IRAN DEADLINE LOOMS
The Senate's power shift also could have a big influence on deals
the administration reaches with other countries.
An early opportunity for the Republicans to flex their new muscle
will come with the agreement that Obama is trying to negotiate with
Iran by Nov. 24 to curb its nuclear program.
To reach a deal, Obama must be able to convince Tehran that
Washington will lift sanctions. Republicans, who worry that Obama
will make too many concessions, are talking about turning the screw
on Tehran and imposing yet more sanctions.
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Democrats and Republicans are at odds about when to vote on a new
authorization Obama wants for his campaign against Islamic State.
Democrats want a vote before they hand over power in January, while
Republicans want to delay until then.
While Obama and other Democrats want a ban on U.S. ground troops in
the conflict, many leading Republicans insist that all options
should be open.
The new Congress is expected to take a tougher line against Russian
President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine, including pushing for more
sanctions. Some Republicans favor sending U.S. weapons to Kiev, a
move Obama as well as most NATO allies reject.
There are limits on how assertive the new Congress will be, as the
Republican Party also includes members who want less foreign
involvement, including a likely 2016 presidential contender Senator
Rand Paul.
"It's going to be interesting to see if the Republican tone differs
now that they have the responsibility to govern rather than just
criticize," said Democratic Senator Christopher Murphy, a Senate
Foreign Relations Committee member.
(Additional reporting by David Lawder; Editing by David Storey,
Jonathan Oatis and Lisa Shumaker)
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