WASHINGTON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said the Republican Party controlling both the White House and Congress is "the party of the future," saying that he was confident American voters would reelect the party to the majorities in both chambers of the parliament in November.

    Speaking at the Republican National Committee gala in Washington, Bush said candidates of the party would run against "the party of the past," apparently referring to the Democratic Party.

    The Democrats, he alluded, "offers no new ideas like the Republican Party...can only offer opposition."

    News reports said the gala helped the Republican party raise 17 million U.S. dollars, at a time when both the president and Republican lawmakers had sagging approval ratings for their job performances.

    Some 800 people, with some paying more than the 1,500 dollar ticket price, attended the gala, a major fund-raising event for the Republican Party.

    All the 435 House seats and one-third of the 100 Senate seats are to be reelected in the midterm elections in November.

    Currently, the Republicans, facing a uphill battle to keep control of Congress in November, have 231 seats in the House and 55 seats in the Senate, while the Democrats hold 201 seats in the House and 44 seats in the Senate.    Enditem