Parliament of Recommendations

[Sestak]

House of Representatives
280 seats. 141 needed for majority.

Democratic Party: 166 seats (59.29%)
Leader: Stuart98; Major figures: SevenEleven, Storr

Progressive Independent Coalition: 28 seats (10.00%)
Leader: KoopaDaQuick; Major figures: Cashew, Horus

Democratic Socialist Alliance: 23 seats (8.21%)
Leader: morgieb

Republicans for Social Democracy: 12 seats (4.29%)
Leader: kongress

VISION HCP: 8 seats (2.86%)
Leader: HCP

League of Grill: 8 seats (2.86%)
Leader: lfromnj

Green Party: 8 seats (2.86%)
Leader: Gallatine

Republican Party: 7 seats (2.50%)
Leader: Joseph Cao

Trotsky-Bidenist Disciples: 6 seats (2.14%)
Leader: MB

Society of Pretentious Contrarians: 6 seats (2.14%)
Leader: Smilo

Moderate Liberal Party: 5 seats (1.79%)
Leader: ProudModerate2

No Labels: 2 seats (0.71%)
Leader: Malarkey

The Conservatives: 1 seat (0.36%)
Leader: None (seat vacant since LouisvilleThunder's election to the Senate)


A much larger than expected majority for the Democrats allowed controversial party leader Stuart98 to be elected easily a Speaker despite the fervent objections of nearly every opposing party and a select few members of his own caucus.


Senate
119 seats. 60 needed for majority.

Democratic Party: 65 seats (54.62%)
Leader: TheGreatWar; Major figures: YE, Parrotguy

Democratic Socialist Alliance: 13 seats (10.92%)
Leader: Alfred F. Jones

Progressive Independent Coalition: 11 seats (9.24%)
Leader: Scott; Major figures: Sawxdem

Green Party: 4 seats (3.36%)
Leader: Talleyrand

League of Grill: 4 seats (3.36%)
Co-Leaders: DTC, peenie_weenie

Moderate Liberal Party: 4 seats (3.36%)
Leader: ugabug

Republican Party: 4 seats (3.36%)
Leader: Del Tachi

Trotsky-Bidenist Disciples: 3 seats (2.52%)
Leader: Skunk

Republicans for Social Democracy: 3 seats (2.52%)
Leader: Lief

Society of Pretentious Contrarians: 3 seats (2.52%)
Leader: Cathcon

VISION HCP: 2 seats (1.68%)
Leader: AGA

No Labels: 2 seats (1.68%)
Leader: Guy

The Conservatives: 1 seat (0.84%)
Leader: LouisvilleThunder


While the Democratic Party was also able to capture a strong majority in the Senate, they fell seven seats short of the 72 seats required to clear the 60% filibuster threshold. While this was not expected to be a problem due to the opposition being split between a multitude of ideologically diverse parties, the election of Stuart98 as Speaker of the House of Representatives concerned many Senators across the opposition. Worrying that full Democratic control of the Senate would give the Speaker, believed by many Senators to be a "spammer", complete control of the Congress, the opposition parties began to hold talks. Just days after the opening of Congress, the entire opposition began to filibuster every bill the Democrats put forward, forming what has become known as the Disgruntled Caucus.

While the Democrats have made several attempts to do away with the filibuster since this practice began, they have been unable to thanks to dissention within their own ranks, led by Presidential-allied Sens. YE and Parrotguy and Vice President Ontario Progressive. In addition, while the largest parties in the Disgruntled Caucus are the left-wing DSA and PIC, the initial talks held between the parties are thought to have been led primarily by the President's own TBD and allied SPC and RSD, leading many Democratic leaders and activists to accuse the President of trying to prevent any bills from reaching his desk. Indeed, with no domestic legislation to deal with, the President has opted to embark on a "Grand Diplomacy Tour", having travelled thus far to Cuba, the Bahamas, Seychelles, and Mauritius. When asked about polling showing his approvals deeply underwater and several TBD senators trailing badly for reelection, President Sestak told Politico, "JUNK IT!"

Senate TBD leader Skunk could not be reached for comment.

[Sestak]

snip

House of Representatives
618 seats. 310 needed for majority.

Democratic Party: 262 seats (+96)
Leader: Ishan

Democratic Socialist Alliance: 91 seats (+68)
Leader: YE

Green Party: 48 seats (+40)
Leader: khuzifenq

Progressive Independent Coalition: 48 seats (+20)
Leader: Horus

Sestak Monarchist Party: 43 seats (+31*)
Leader: MB

New Republican Party: 31 seats (+24)
Leader: AustralianSwingVoter

The Conservatives: 28 seats (+27)
Leader: LouisvilleThunder

Libertarian Party: 24 seats (+24)
Leader: lfromnj

Moderate Liberal Party: 24 seats (+19)
Leader: Abdullah

Republicans for Social Democracy: 24 seats (+12)
Leader: S019

League of Grill: 7 seats (-1)
Leader: peenie_weenie

VISION HCP: 3 seats (-5)
Leader: Collective leadership

No Labels: 1 seat (-1)
Leader: Vacant

*contested previous election as two separate parties, SPC and TBD.

Despite the size of the House more than doubling, the incoming majority Democrats were unable to come close to the same for their own delegation, as various conservative parties along with the Greens and newly merged SMP joined the DSA and PIC as strong forces opposed to the Democrats. At President Sestak's urging, the parties who supported him - his own SMP, along with the DSA, Greens, PIC, NRP, Conservatives, Libertarians, LG, and VHCP - to form a 323 seat majority Presidential Coalition, electing SMP leader MB as Speaker. DSA leader YE became majority leader while Democratic Leader Ishan became minority leader.

Senate
179 seats. 90 needed for majority.

Democratic Party: 85 seats (+20)
Leader: Tack

Democratic Socialist Alliance: 24 seats (+11)
Leader: morgieb

Sestak Monarchist Party: 15 seats (+9*)
Leader: Skunk

Green Party: 12 seats (+8)
Leader: Donerail

Progressive Independent Coalition: 12 seats (+1)
Leader: Scott

New Republican Party: 8 seats (+4)
Leader: Joseph Cao

Moderate Liberal Party: 6 seats (+2)
Leader: ProudModerate2

The Conservatives: 5 seats (+4)
Leader: Thunder98

Libertarian Party: 5 seats (+5)
Leader: Santander

Republicans for Social Democracy: 3 seats (-)
Leader: kongress

League of Grill: 2 seats (-2)
Leader: DTC

VISION HCP: 1 seat (-1)
Leader: HCP

No Labels: 1 seat (-1)
Leader: Skill and Chance

The Senate elections did not fare quite as badly for the Democrats, though they did still fall short of the majority. The crossbench factions, led by the MLP, would hold the balance of power. Initially, it seemed that the Democrats would remain in the plurality with 85 seats to the Presidential coalition's 84. However, Senate RSD leader - despite his party being outside of the Presidential coalition in the House - opted to coalition with it, giving it 87 seats to the Democrats' 85, with 7 seats on the crossbench. Thus DSA leader morgieb became Plurality Leader and incoming Democratic Leader Tack the Minority Leader. The Senate is thought to be the main roadblock against the passage of much of the President's agenda.