The US President has lost his majority in the Senate following the defection of Senator Jim Jeffords. Announcing his decision from his home state of Vermont, the 67-year-old veteran member of Congress said, "I will leave the Republican Party and become an independent. Control of the Senate will be changed by my decision."
His decision gives the Democrats a 50-49 seat advantage in the Senate. The party will now control the body's agenda, undermining the Republican president's ability to push through his programmes such as tax cuts, a new missile defence system and the nomination of conservatives to judicial positions.
The White House has said that it is disappointed, but that Mr Bush was elected to get results. Relations between Mr Jeffords and the Bush administration have been strained since he said that he would oppose huge tax cuts.
