Two months after a sweeping victory in the midterm elections, the new majority party begins the business of governing — which they don't even really get down to until the end of the month — but they will take the opportunity this week to savor their triumph and make a statement with a good dose of Washington political theater.
There will be, as so many Tea Party voices called for over the past year, checks and balances, but those checks and balances can also mean gridlock, and political observers here say that the chances of Republicans and President Obama working together are slim.
But for those looking for a fight, don't expect to see the gloves come off this week.
The next few days will be all about electing John Boehner, R-Ohio, to serve as the next Speaker of the House.
On Wednesday, outgoing Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi handed the Speaker's gavel, which she controlled for four years, to Boehner who then swore in the largest GOP freshman class in more than a half-century.
As the 53rd Speaker of House of Representatives, Boehner promised to “give government back to the people” and make “tough decisions” to cut spending.
The influx of Republicans is not only one of the largest ever, but the new arrivals are unusually fired-up. And the new GOP majority in the House is raring for a fight with the Obama Administration.
Obama will continue to promote jobs, energy, and education programs in the months ahead, but he and aides will probably spend more time defending his health care, stimulus, and Wall Street regulation bills from the new Republican House.
Political observers here worry that with the economy still struggling, such a fight could easily lead to gridlock, at a time when the country can least afford it.
The real fight, and possible gridlock, is expected to start next week when Republicans take the health care reform package, the centerpiece of the Obama presidency so far and the legacy of congressional democracy, and vote to repeal it.
The impending House vote is purely symbolic: The first act of the new majority will be to confront the administration with the legislative equivalent of an obscene gesture.
The Republicans also intend to work on fulfilling another campaign promise to reduce spending by $100 billion this year. Republicans leaders have been short on specifics, but incoming Majority Leader Eric Cantor said this week that “everybody is going to have to do more with less.”
The following are five major issues to keep an eye on in the coming session.
Health Care Reform: After months of wrangling, and final passage with not one GOP vote in support in 2010, the effort to repeal health care legislation, or at least large portions of it, is likely to take center stage at some point over the next two years, even though success is doubtful.
Spending: A late-in-the-game effort by Senate Democrats to pass a spending bill after failing to adopt any appropriations measures failed in light of late Republican opposition, lead to approval of a continuing resolution that will carry government funding basically at 2011 levels until March 4. House Republicans are looking to cut $300 billion, according to reports. President Obama has said austerity measures are on the horizon, but only after the country emerges from the devastating effects of the economic downturn.
Immigration: Both Democrats and Republicans have discussed immigration reform, although the two parties tend to take a different approach. The lone widely supported immigration measure debated during the 111th Congress was the DREAM Act, which offered a path toward citizenship for those who entered the country illegally as youngsters as long as they served in the military or extended their education beyond high school. It failed in a Senate Republican filibuster.
Global Climate Change: The Obama Administration's effort to impose a cap-and-trade regimen on carbon producing industries, such as power plants, barely received due consideration in the 111th Congress before it was declared dead and buried.
Tax Reform: Obama has yet to issue a detailed proposal, but the president has in recent months called for major tax reform that would simplify the code, close many loopholes and reduce rates without increasing the deficit.
