The United States' return to a divided Congress will significantly limit its response to more politically-charged foreign policy issues, like immigration and climate change. But the impact on Washington's approach to critical issues — like containing China's influence and helping Ukraine fend off Russia's invasion — will be more modest. The Nov. 7 midterm elections have left the United States with a divided government and Congress, with the Democratic Party retaining control of the Senate and the Republican Party gaining control of the House of Representatives. While Republicans performed below expectations, the overall outcome was largely expected, as such a split result has become typical in recent years after midterm elections. Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto's victory (which was confirmed only on Nov. 12) has given Democrats at least a 50-50 split control of the Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris has the tiebreaking vote.