{"id":9245,"date":"2026-11-11T23:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T05:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/?p=9245"},"modified":"2026-11-12T00:31:19","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T06:31:19","slug":"the-accountability-of-the-midterms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/the-accountability-of-the-midterms\/","title":{"rendered":"The Accountability of the Midterms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"congress_119_024_010325<\/a>
UNITED STATES – JANUARY 3: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., receives the gavel from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., left, after Johnson won the speakership for the 119th Congress, in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol on Friday, January 3, 2025. (Tom Williams\/CQ Roll Call)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 midterms<\/a> heralded a colossal shift in the balance of power toward Democrats, who won back control of both the House and the Senate, as well as a majority of governorships<\/a>. Governor Greg Abbott lost his re-election bid to Gina Hinojosa, in a broader trend that turned Texas blue<\/a> and secured victory for Senator-elect James Talarico<\/a>. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan\u2019s Senate race, becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate<\/a>. Vivek Ramaswamy<\/a> lost the Ohio gubernatorial race to Amy Acton, after making the reprehensible decision to attack a survivor of childhood sexual assault by featuring her estranged mother, who had failed to protect her from her abuser, in a campaign advertisement.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the biggest losers in the midterms were not even on the ballot: AIPAC and the pro-Israel political establishment, Al Jazeera<\/a> reported on November 7 that many AIPAC-backed candidates won, although most of the organisation’s spending went toward unsuccessful candidates. Trump<\/a>, and Elon Musk. Musk spent more than $400 million supporting<\/a> Republicans, largely to no avail. President Trump repeatedly made headlines for his provocative remarks in the months leading up to the election, including boasting about the enormous profits being generated by the U.S. oil and gas industry and high oil prices resulting from the Iran war and seizing Venezuela\u2019s reserves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About a week before the election, Trump callously dismissed one of the electorate\u2019s biggest concerns\u2013soaring gas prices\u2013and boasted about the country\u2019s oil profits: \u201cI don’t give a damn, I’m gonna say it: We’re making a frickin fortune.<\/a>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For context, the national average under President Obama remained below $4 per gallon, while prices briefly exceeded $5 under Biden. One year ago, the national average was $3.06 per gallon. Over the past twelve months, average gas prices have increased<\/a> by approximately $1.23 per gallon, or roughly 40%. In our transportation-dependent economy, rising fuel prices increase the cost of other necessities<\/a>, including toiletries and groceries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public outrage against the Iran war has also been building. Protests against the Iran war have spread across the country, with demonstrators condemning both rising gas prices and the war legal experts have challenged as unlawful.<\/a>. Protestors have also heckled Trump at his rallies, mocking his extravagant ballroom<\/a> and his ties to Epstein. Some protestors were physically assaulted, and even choked<\/a>, for exercising their right to protest.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As dramatic a shift as these elections represent, the question looming on the horizon remains whether Democrats will capitalize on this opportunity to hold Trump, his administration, and other elected officials accountable for their past (and ongoing) abuses of power. Voting out Republicans does not guarantee that we will see a shift in policy away from militarism. Foreign policy is inextricably linked to militarism because the US mostly exercises its military force abroad. While domestic militarization is on the rise, most notably through ICE and DHS against immigrant communities, US citizens are insulated from the ravages of war that our government wreaks on other regions, particularly Muslim majority regions and the Global South. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another major issue, alongside affordability and the Iran War, was Gaza<\/a>. People are tired. Tired of witnessing the barbaric carnage on social media. Tired of arming and funding a genocide. Tired of a status quo in which the United States provides billions in military assistance to Israel, a country with universal healthcare and education, while Americans go into debt for the privilege of receiving medical treatment and earning a living wage. The clear takeaway from the midterms was that Americans have had enough of bureaucratic gridlock and the status quo. Bernie Sanders\u2019 socialism-inspired approach to affordability has slowly paved the way<\/a> for the electoral revolution we witnessed at the ballot box. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Who Funds My Rep, 518 of the 539 current members of Congress included in its database have financial support from pro-Israel PACs recorded in Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. That leaves just 21, or less than 4%, with no such funding on record. The database attributes more than $200 million<\/a> in pro-Israel PAC contributions and supportive spending to members of the 119th Congress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the Senators with more than $1 million<\/a> in recorded pro-Israel PAC financial support are Maine Republican Susan Collins<\/a>, with nearly $5 million<\/a>, who lost her seat to Democrat Troy Jackson; Nevada Democrat Jacky Rosen, Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton, Texas Republican John Cornyn, whose seat will be filled by progressive Democrat James Talarico; Texas Republican Ted Cruz, Alaska Republican Dan Sullivan, whose race against Democratic challenger Mary Peltola remained closely contested after Election Day; and New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker. Peltola also has pro-Israel PAC support on record, although substantially less than Sullivan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the House, the ten largest recipients of pro-Israel PAC financial support are all Democrats<\/a>, each with more than $2 million attributed to their campaigns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ten largest individual mega-donors to the 2026 midterms spent more than $1 billion<\/a> combined, much of their spending toward Republican candidates and helping make this the most expensive election cycle on record. While campaign finance law generally limits individual contributions directly to candidates to $3,500 per election<\/a>, super political action committees (super PACs) can accept unlimited donations and make independent expenditures supporting or opposing candidates.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Musk was by far the largest donor, but other major contributors included Michael Bloomberg ($84.8 million<\/a>), prominent pro-Israel donor Miriam Adelson ($67.6 million<\/a>), and George and Alex Soros ($103.4 million<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If these people directed their wealth and influence toward addressing urgent social problems, they could make extraordinary contributions to reducing poverty, combating human trafficking, and advancing peace. Instead, they choose to spend staggering sums influencing electoral outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overwhelming financial support major donors directed toward Republicans did not produce the results they sought at the ballot box; however, this does not guarantee a corresponding shift in politics on Capitol Hill. One must follow the money in order to understand whose interests politicians may feel compelled to serve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representative Rashida Tlaib, who won reelection to the House in Michigan, received $3,208,964<\/a> in donations from individuals during the 2025-2026 election cycle, and only $43,550<\/a> in support from PACs. Her ally, Ilhan Omar, was also reelected to the House by Minnesota, despite a controversial ICE raid on her home in October that drew accusations of political retaliation. Omar received only 1.27%<\/a> of her total contributions from PACs, with the majority coming from individual donors of varying contribution sizes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Muslim women are pro-Palestinian advocates and members of the progressive Squad<\/a>, which began as an alliance of four women of color in the House: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Tlaib, Omar, and Ayanna Pressley. They are strong candidates for change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representative Pressley received just over 7% of her campaign contributions from PACs, while AOC, an early potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, received  less than 1 percent<\/a> of her total donations from PACs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Squad\u2019s members therefore rely largely on individual contributions rather than PAC funding.  While we cannot say that campaign financing alone establishes a politician\u2019s loyalties, we can ask whose interest will Congress prioritize?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to campaign financing, politicians\u2019 voting records also shed light on their potential to effect meaningful change. Congresswoman Omar, for example, votes for progressive foreign policies that relegate military action to an option of last resort<\/a>. She has sponsored legislation<\/a> on a broad range of peace building issues, including a bill against Flock surveillance and another against Wall Street greed. She consistently votes<\/a> in favor of legislation that protects immigrants, healthcare, climate, and civil liberties. She also votes<\/a> against diverting US resources to support the Israeli apartheid state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ayanna Pressley also votes in favor of reducing U.S. support for Israel<\/a> and its genocide, but has a weaker record<\/a> on healthcare and affordability, while still scoring relatively high in both areas. AOC<\/a> and Rashida Tlaib<\/a> have similar records. On yourreprecord.org<\/a>, all four members of the squad scored lowest on money in politics votes, with higher scores in other progressive issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Squad also paved the way for further progressive development among Democrats, most notably in the emergence of the Democratic Socialists of America<\/a> (DSA) coalition that pushes for economic populism. The eight members currently elected to Congress support universal healthcare, childcare, and abolishing ICE. In this midterm alone, six new members were elected: Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez in New York; Melat Kiros in Colorado<\/a>; Angela Gonzales-Torres in California; Donavan McKinney in Michigan; and Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, join AOC and Rashida Tlaib. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the potential promised by the watershed midterm will hinge on who leads the House and the Senate. Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer have not met the political moment<\/a> that they were chosen to usher in. They famously refused to endorse New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a> in his debut election last year. Mamdani<\/a> has set the bar much higher since his underdog victory, proving that if politicians wanted to, they would. Both Schumer and Jeffries are extremely pro-Israel, both are in donors pockets (including AIPAC), and both have chosen obsequious, Uriah Heep hand-wringing over standing up to Trump and Republicans on ICE, Gaza, and a myriad of other issues<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeffries has already walked back voters\u2019 resounding ballot box indictment of Republicans and Trump by urging cooperation<\/a>, but the newly elected<\/a> progressive wave has not rallied behind either Schumer or Jeffries. Senator Elizabeth Warren<\/a>, another progressive member of Congress who advocates for affordability, has not expressed interest in challenging Schumer as Majority Leader, but will likely Chair the Senate Banking Committee in her long haul battle against Wall Street corruption. While incoming<\/a> members of Congress have expressed some desire for a change in leadership, it seems very likely that Jeffries and Schumer will retain their leadership roles, due to strong support in their respective caucuses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new blood in Congress portends a firmer commitment to constituent interests. While Democrats still face an uphill battle against Trump\u2019s veto and the filibuster, the Mamdani effect<\/a> has raised the tenor of national politics and voters\u2019 expectations of government. Abdul El-Sayed raised a record $53 million<\/a> during his campaign, overwhelmingly from individual donors. Between El-Sayed\u2019s grassroots appeal and Mike Roger\u2019s AIPAC, Musk, and big donor backing, the 2026 Michigan Senate race shattered state records<\/a> for spending in a single election. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Talarico, another progressive senatorial candidate, won enough votes to secure victory over Ken Paxton before Election Day<\/a>. Troy Jackson<\/a> beat Susan Collins after subbing in at the eleventh hour to replace Graham Platner<\/a>, after Platner withdrew due to sexual misconduct allegations. Jackson opposes unchecked funding to Israel<\/a>, but also claimed that he had no billionaire backers<\/a>, which was later disproven as he was revealed to have at least four. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Militarism, like any policy choice, follows the money. Lobbying and donations from defense contractors have slowly built an influence over Capitol Hill tantamount to legalized corruption<\/a>. They primarily seek to deregulate<\/a> the defense contract acquisition process, a bad idea given contractors\u2019 history of inflating their budgets. Congressmen Mike Rogers and Adam Smith, both of whom have accepted money from defense contractors, sponsored the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery (SPEED) Act this term in service of defense contractors\u2019 deregulatory agenda. Brian Mast, another congressman who accepts money from defense contractors, introduced a bill<\/a> in May of this year that would allow the Secretary of State to issue loans to foreign governments specifically for the purchase of American weapons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capitol Hill has a reputation for letting money speak more loudly than votes or constituents. Hakeem Jeffries, who expects to be selected as Speaker of the House now that Democrats hold the majority, has accepted<\/a> money from Palantir, Anduril, cryptocurrency, and Wall Street. While support for Jeffries as Speaker is not unanimous, people are afraid<\/a> to burn a bridge they hope to cross later, in the event that he is selected despite their opposition. One new representative reports that he was threatened<\/a> by the caucus leadership over his opposition to Jeffries. Chuck Schumer, who faces similar opposition to his selection as Senate Majority Leader, accepted more money<\/a> from the defense sector during his most recent reelection campaign in 2022 than any other Senator. As of May 2026, the defense sector had donated over $5 million<\/a> through PACs and individual donations to members of Congress this year. Nor is this influence limited to Congress. According to a report published in 2024 by Think Tank Funding Tracker<\/a>, over the five previous years, the top 100 defense companies have contributed more than $34.7 million<\/a> to the top 50 think tanks. Under Trump, the Pentagon has taken direct equity stakes<\/a> in at least four private defense companies, representing billions of dollars and an ethically and legally questionable application of taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Wall Street responded well overall to the midterm sweep, defense stocks<\/a> sank, as did the chances<\/a> of Republicans pushing through their proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027. As of 2024, over 50 members<\/a> of Congress also hold stock in defense contractor corporations. Last term, Rashida Tlaib introduced a bill<\/a> to ban Members of Congress and their immediate family from trading defense stocks or maintaining financial interests in corporations who have dealings with the Department of Defense, which has not been passed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to truly turn around the militaristic trend in American government spending, voters need to maintain pressure on their representatives under threat of primary. The blue wave in the 2026 midterms provide a gauge of public opinion, but the fact remains that Democrats have a longstanding habit of running on empty promises and abusing the people\u2019s trust in them as the lesser of two evils in a broken bipartisan political system. The breath of fresh air heralded by so many new, progressive faces in Congress could turn that reputation around, but the bulk of the hard work remains to be done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As political activist Ravi Mangal observed<\/a>, Democrats did not win voters\u2019 loyalty this midterm. They won an audition for 2028, and they cannot afford to squander it. The good news, for now, is that the electorate has spoken unequivocally in favor of a brighter future on issues that contribute to building a peace economy: healthcare, affordability, ICE, Israel, and prejudice. Islamophobia<\/a> and racism<\/a> escalated in the first two years of the second Trump administration, especially leading up to the midterms, but the electorate rejected the Republican campaign of hate, not least because it has come home to hit their pockets. For the first time since 2024, or even 2016, for those with a longer view of history, the political moment feels like hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2026 midterms heralded a colossal shift in the balance of power toward Democrats, who won back control of both the House and the Senate, as well as a majority of governorships. Governor Greg Abbott lost his re-election bid to Gina Hinojosa, in a broader trend that turned Texas blue and secured victory for Senator-elect […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"nfd_image_url":"","nfd_onboarding_generated":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t