弗里蒙特，内布拉斯加州——如果民主党能够夺取众议院控制权，国会两院两党最高领导人之间的一种关系，可能将定义唐纳德·特朗普总统任期余下的时间。
FREMONT, Neb. — If Democrats are able to gain control of the House of Representatives, one relationship between the top two lawmakers on both sides of Congress could define the remainder of President Donald Trump's time in office.
如果选举之夜的结果如此，参议院多数党领袖约翰·桑恩（共和党-南达科他州）将不得不与众议院民主党领袖合作，预计该人将是众议院少数党领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯（民主党-纽约州），他自2023年以来一直领导下院民主党。
If that’s the outcome on Election Night, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., would have to work with the Democratic leader who rises in the House, and that is expected to be House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who has led Democrats in the lower chamber since 2023.
但在内布拉斯加州竞选之路上接受福克斯新闻数字版采访时，桑恩依然相信这种情况不会发生。
But Thune, in an interview with Fox News Digital on the campaign trail in Nebraska, remained confident that wouldn’t be the outcome.
“嗯，我的意思是，我认为这显然是一种完全不同的动态，”桑恩说。“你会面临分裂政府的局面，这在想要办成事情方面会创造不同的激励结构，但我绝不认为那会发生。”“我仍然认为，当形势紧迫、人们面对眼前的选择时，我们有很大机会保住众议院和参议院，”他继续说道。
"Well, I mean, I think obviously that's an entirely different dynamic," Thune said. "You've got a situation with divided government and that creates a different incentive structure in terms of if you want to be able to get things done, but I don't assume for a minute that's going to happen." "I still think that when push comes to shove and people look at the choices in front of them that we have a really good shot at hanging on both the House and the Senate," he continued.
选举预测者预计，参议院可能继续由共和党控制，尽管库克政治报告认为总共七场竞选是悬而未决的。然而，共和党保住众议院权力的前景更为模糊，因为数十个战场席位正在争夺之中，且这些席位的形势已转向有利于民主党。
Election forecasters predict that the Senate could stay in Republican control, though seven total races are considered toss-ups by the Cook Political Report. Republicans’ chances of holding onto power in the House, however, are murkier, given that dozens of battleground seats are in play that have shifted favorably toward Democrats.
自2022年在乔·拜登前总统任期内夺取众议院以来，共和党一直牢牢控制着下院。但深受不欢迎的特朗普，其支持率已降至历史低点，加上持续的经济压力，可能会导致民主党重新夺权。
The GOP has had a grip on the lower chamber since 2022, when it flipped the House during former President Joe Biden’s presidency. But a deeply unpopular Trump, whose approval ratings have dipped to historic lows, and continued economic pressures could contribute to Democrats regaining power.
杰弗里斯办公室没有回应福克斯新闻数字版的询问，该询问询问如果两人都赢得各自的领导职位，他是否能与桑恩合作。
Jeffries’ office did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital asking whether he could work with Thune if both won their respective leadership spots.
在本届国会任期内，这两位领袖之间关系紧张，在关键立法斗争中互相严厉抨击。
There has been no love lost between the two men during this congressional term so far, with each sharply criticizing the other during key legislative fights.
今年早些时候，随着国土安全部（DHS）拨款谈判开始破裂，图恩猛烈抨击杰弗里斯和参议院少数党领袖舒默（民主党-纽约州）。这位共和党最高领袖指责两人“怕自己的影子”，并受其左翼派系控制。
Thune blasted Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., earlier this year as talks began to break down over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The top Republican accused both of being "afraid of their shadows," and being controlled by their left flank.
这促使杰弗里斯向记者反驳称，在党派对峙中，是图恩“怕自己的影子”。在2025年政府停摆期间，杰弗里斯指责图恩“试图通过虚张声势迫使达成联邦开支协议”。
That prompted Jeffries to retort to reporters that it was Thune who was "scared of his own shadow" during the partisan standoff. During the 2025 government shutdown, Jeffries accused Thune of "trying to bluff his way into an agreement" on federal spending.
国会对分裂政府并不陌生。从2023年到2025年初，共和党控制众议院，民主党在参议院仅占微弱多数优势。
Congress is no stranger to a divided government, either. From 2023 to early 2025, Republicans controlled the House and Democrats held a razor-thin majority in the Senate.
据皮尤研究中心收集的数据，那届分裂国会通过了106部法律。本届国会迄今已通过121部法律，并完成了一些重大立法行动，如“大而美法案”和一项重大住房负担得起法案，这些法案是在历史性的长时间政府停摆之间通过的。
During that time, according to data collected by the Pew Research Center, the split Congress produced 106 laws. This version of Congress has so far produced 121 laws, with some major legislative action happening, like the "big, beautiful bill" and a major housing affordability package, passing between historically long government shutdowns.
图恩全力以赴确保共和党保持对参议院的控制权，参议院由民主党控制直到2024年，当时特朗普和共和党在华盛顿特区实现了“三权合一”（trifecta）。
Thune is laser-focused on keeping the GOP’s control of the Senate, which was under Democratic control until 2024, when Trump and Republicans clinched a trifecta in Washington, D.C.
在通往11月3日大选的最后冲刺阶段，他近几周奔波全国，为可能决定参议院权力平衡的竞争性选区候选人助选。
He’s crisscrossed the country for the last several weeks of the homestretch heading into the election on Nov. 3, boosting candidates in competitive races that could determine the balance of power in the Senate.
他主张，共和党控制参议院对于推进特朗普议程的关键部分至关重要，包括确认其司法和行政部门其他提名人选。
Republican control of the upper chamber, he contended, would be vital to continuing key chunks of Trump’s agenda, including confirming his judicial and other executive branch nominations.
“因此，如果你希望看到国家取得成功并向前发展，我们必须在联邦参议院拥有多数席位，以便与这位总统合作，”图恩说。“希望众议院也能获得多数席位，但我非常致力于在未来几周里，为我们的候选人奔走全国各地，竭尽所能确保我们在参议院获得多数席位。”
"So if you want to see the country succeed and move forward, we've got to have a majority in the U.S. Senate to work with this president," Thune said. "Hopefully with a majority in the House as well, but I am very committed to doing whatever I can in the next couple of weeks getting around the country on behalf of our candidates to ensure that we have that majority in the Senate."