Republicans gain control of the U.S. House of Representatives

Republicans won control of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, returning the party to power in Washington and giving conservatives leverage to blunt President Joe Biden's agenda and spur a flurry of investigations.

But a threadbare majority will pose immediate challenges for Republican leaders and complicate the party's ability to govern.

More than a week after election day, Republicans secured the 218th seat needed to flip the House from Democratic control. The full scope of the party's majority may not be clear for several more days — or weeks — as votes in competitive races are still being counted.

But they are on track to cobble together what could be the party's narrowest majority of the 21st century, rivaling 2001, when Republicans had just a nine-seat majority, 221-212 with two independents. That's far short of the sweeping victory Republicans predicted going into this year's midterm elections, when the party hoped to reset the agenda on Capitol Hill by capitalizing on economic challenges and Biden's flagging popularity.

Instead, Democrats showed surprising resilience, holding on to moderate, suburban districts from Virginia to Minnesota and Kansas. The results could complicate House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy's plans to become speaker as some conservative members have either questioned whether to back him or have imposed conditions for their support.

McCarthy celebrated his party having "officially flipped" the House on Twitter on Wednesday night, writing, "Americans are ready for a new direction, and House Republicans are ready to deliver."

Biden congratulated McCarthy, saying in a statement he is "ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for working families."

"Last week's elections demonstrated the strength and resilience of American democracy. There was a strong rejection of election deniers, political violence, and intimidation," Biden said.

"There was an emphatic statement that, in America, the will of the people prevails."

He added, that "the future is too promising to be trapped in political warfare."

The narrow margins have upended Republican politics and prompted finger-pointing about what went wrong.

Some in the party have blamed Donald Trump for the worse-than-expected outcome. The former president, who announced Tuesday that he is campaigning to become the Republican 2024 presidential nominee, lifted candidates during this year's primaries who struggled to win during the general midterm election.

Despite the party's underwhelming showing, the Republicans will still have notable power.

They will take control of key committees, giving them the ability to shape legislation and launch probes of Biden, his family and his administration.