American voters will cast their ballots on Tuesday not only to elect a new president, but also to re-elect or oust congressional lawmakers, setting the stage for the next phase of US policy in the Middle East. 

Congress is currently divided. Democrats have the majority in the Senate, while Republicans narrowly control the House. That balance of power is liable to shift. Voters could potentially hand the incoming president a legislature controlled by one party that could either grease the wheels for their Middle East agenda or throw up significant roadblocks. 

If elected, Vice President Kamala Harris will need the support of Congress to pass spending bills with critical assistance for Palestinians and to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into surging aid into Gaza. At the least, she will need control of one chamber to block Republican efforts to eliminate funds for the war-torn enclave. 

Former President Donald Trump, if elected, is expected to redirect US foreign policy in the region to focus on energy and economic cooperation, an approach that congressional Republicans would reinforce. If Trump moves to ban immigrants from Muslim-majority countries as he did in his first term, his effort could be hastened by the support of a Republican-controlled Congress, should that come to pass, although even in the minority, Democrats could look to the courts to curb such a policy.