(Story updated at 12:18 p.m. ET)
In Tuesday's general election, Republicans maintained control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. That was expected in the final days of the race, although at times some Democrats hoped anger at Republican nominee Donald Trump would push enough seats their way.
The House, and in particular its strong conservative faction, has been a barrier for the Obama administration in trying to pass legislation and would certainly continue to play that role with Hillary Clinton in the White House. If Trump wins, which looked possible after midnight p.m. ET, a GOP House could hinder any attempts at compromise as Democrats seek to shore up the Affordable Care Act's insurance marketplaces.
Republicans also maintained control of the Senate.
Control of the House would be key to Trump's pledge to repeal the ACA. House Republicans have put forward a healthcare plan that relies on high-risk pools and expanded health savings accounts.
A Clinton victory, though, wouldn't necessarily keep House Republicans from continuing their efforts to derail the ACA, said Joseph Antos a fellow with the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
“They'll continue to talk tough because a certain part of their base loves to hear that," he said. But talk is cheap, and they won't be able to move on that.”
They could look to cut a deal with a Clinton administration on some issues like the tax on high-end health insurance plans, he said.
At midnight ET, the GOP had 48 seats in the Senate and were leading early results in four other seats. Democrats had one gain - in Illinois as Tammy Duckworth beat out incumbent Republican Mark Kirk.
There were 24 Republican-held seats and 10 Democratic seats up for election in the U.S. Senate. All 435 seats in the House were at stake, although a small number were considered tossups.
Harris Meyer contributed to this report
