华盛顿极少有人预料到民主党会如此全面地掌控国会两院。选举结果改变了谁来控制国会，但并没有改变选民的需求：更低的成本、更强劲的经济，以及一个聚焦于家庭所面临问题的政府。
Very few in Washington saw Democrats taking both chambers of Congress to this extent. The results changed who controls Congress, but they did not change what voters need: lower costs, a stronger economy, and a government focused on the problems families face.
共和党人应当认真对待这一结果，并明确阐述保守派政策如何能够满足这些需求。在闭会期间的国会会议上，国会仍必须为政府提供资金并通过年度国防法案。共和党人应当努力完成这些工作，向选民表明治理国家比争夺分数更重要。
Republicans should take the result seriously and make a clear case for how conservative policies can meet those needs. In the lame-duck session, Congress still has to fund the government and pass the annual defense bill. Republicans should work to finish that business and show voters that governing matters more than scoring points.
更大的考验从1月开始。民主党领袖已承诺对政府、政府官员以及公司展开调查。这一选择可能会耗费新国会的精力。这也可能会重蹈民主党人犯过的政治错误：将反对特朗普变成核心叙事，并让他有机会把自己塑造成党派运动打击的目标。
The bigger test begins in January. Democratic leaders have promised investigations into the administration, its officials, and companies. That choice could consume the new Congress. It could also repeat a political mistake Democrats have made before: turning their opposition to Trump into the central story, and giving him the chance to cast himself as the target of a partisan campaign.
这种论调在2024年帮助了特朗普。他将针对他的起诉和调查作为其吸引力的核心部分，选民也让他重返白宫。民主党人应当明白其中的风险。一个围绕调查特朗普而组建的国会，可能会再次让他成为全国辩论的核心人物，同时留给选民希望解决的议题的时间和注意力就会减少。
That argument helped Trump in 2024. He made the prosecutions and investigations against him a central part of his appeal, and voters returned him to the White House. Democrats should understand the risk. A Congress organized around investigating Trump could once again make him the central figure in the national debate, while leaving less time and attention for the issues voters want addressed.
利害关系不仅限于政府。民主党议员警告称，企业也应当预料到调查。当国会因为私营企业与政府的往来或与政治争端的联系而将其置于党派聚光灯下时，后果会波及员工、投资者和社区。这也可能让企业在与联邦政府合作时三思而后行，哪怕这种合作服务于公众。
The stakes extend beyond the administration. Democratic lawmakers have warned that companies, too, should expect investigations. When Congress puts private businesses under a partisan spotlight because of their dealings with the government or their connection to a political dispute, the consequences reach employees, investors, and communities. It can also make businesses think twice about working with the federal government, even when that partnership serves the public.
共和党人应当明确谴责这种越权行为。国会多数党不应利用传票和听证会来恐吓政治对手或与之相关的企业。如果民主党人在接下来两年里推行广泛的调查议程，共和党人应当敦促他们解释这会对降低成本、增强经济或改善美国人生活起到什么作用。
Republicans should call out that overreach clearly. A congressional majority should not use subpoenas and hearings to intimidate political opponents or companies associated with them. If Democrats spend the next two years pursuing a sweeping investigation agenda, Republicans should press them to explain what it will do to lower costs, strengthen the economy, or improve Americans’ lives.
但共和党人不能把战略建立在等待民主党人越权的基础上。他们需要提供一个可信的替代方案：一份关于负担能力和经济机遇的务实议程，对能源和国家安全的严肃关注，以及愿意为赢得跨党派支持的解决方案共同努力的态度。
But Republicans cannot build a strategy around waiting for Democrats to overreach. They need to offer a credible alternative: a practical agenda on affordability and economic opportunity, serious attention to energy and national security, and a willingness to work on solutions that can win support across party lines.
身处少数党地位，共和党人设置议程的手段将减少。他们仍然负有代表选民、阐述其理念以及追究民主党人决策责任的职责。这意味着要保持对结果的关注，并抵制用自己的党派伎俩去回应对方每一个党派伎俩的诱惑。
In the minority, Republicans will have fewer tools to set the agenda. They will still have a responsibility to represent our constituents, make the case for their ideas, and hold Democrats accountable for the choices they make. That means staying focused on results and resisting the temptation to answer every partisan maneuver with one of their own.
这场选举将国会的控制权交给了民主党。它并没有给民主党一张空白支票，让他们把未来两年变成一场充斥着传票、听证会和新闻头条的运动。如果这才是他们的首要任务，选民将会看出一个专注于治国理政的政党和一个专注于特朗普的政党之间的区别。共和党人应当准备好阐明这一观点，并向选民展示他们如果再次获得领导机会将会做些什么。
The election handed Democrats control of Congress. It did not give them a blank check to turn the next two years into a campaign of subpoenas, hearings, and headlines. If that is their priority, voters will see the difference between a party focused on governing and one focused on Trump. Republicans should be ready to make that case, and to show voters what they would do with the chance to lead again.