The midterm elections were a big deal for the Republicans, as they took control of the Senate and House of Representatives.  It’s the first time in eight years that the Republicans will control Congress, and they did it in a timely manner. The new landscape of Congress and the House means that Republicans now have the power to challenge Obama’s agenda in the final two years of his term, launch investigations and hold hearings from both chambers; hold key appointments; and pass GOP-favored legislation, according to Fox News.  This new division of power has the option to yield agreements that range from immigration to energy.  One of the policies Republicans are rumored to possibly repeal is Obamacare.  Also, another issue in politics is the talk over the Keystone Pipeline and whether or not to continue building it.

Republicans now have eight more seats than the Democratic Party in Congress, with 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents.  The House of Representatives is now split up with 234 Republicans and 201 Democrats.  In a crucial set of victories over the Democrats, the Republicans held onto all three seats that were in contention this year.  If they were to lose those seats then they might not have won the majority and the Democrats would still have control in the Senate.

Thirty-four percent of the voters said they voted to show they opposed Obama’s polices, according to Fox News Exit Poll.  In contrast, twenty percent voted to show support for Obama, and the other Forty-five percent said it wasn’t a factor. The lame duck presidents initiatives include: reviving the economy, providing affordable, accessible health care to all, strengthen our public education and social security systems, define a clear path to energy independence and tackle climate change, end the war in Iraq responsibly and finish our mission in Afghanistan, and work with our allies to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The Keystone Pipeline is an issue on not only in the government but with the citizens and environment being affected by it.  The project lost the vote, thankfully due to the fact that it would create fewer than 2,000 temporary construction jobs`, according to latimes.com.  For the amount of spending and environmental risk we have to go through it isn’t worth all the jobs.  There is the chance for potential oil spills and pollution of groundwater to a major increase in carbon spewed into the atmosphere.  The smart thing to do would to stop the building of the pipeline and use our tax payer’s money for something more worthwhile that won’t hurt our nation.  Also, the crude oil that will be extracted from Alberta’s tar sands and pumped through the pipeline will bring a lot of money to Canada and multinational energy companies, but the oil itself will go to foreign countries, not to America.

Obamacare is another policy issue that Republicans are trying to deal with. It’s unconstitutional mandate drives up health care costs, increases insurance premiums, hurts the quality of health care, raises taxes, and blows up the deficit.  It adds over $500 billion to our nation’s debt and there is nearly $570 billion in tax hikes, according to gop.com.  With Obama’s health care policy in the place that means the rich and healthy are paying for the poor, which means the healthy citizens of the United States are being taxed far greater than everyone else.  This is unfair to people because those with a job have to pay their taxes to the jobless Americans.  I believe we shouldn’t let the big government control our health care and insurance and that the citizens of the US should have to get a job and work for what they want.  Republicans are now looking to repeal Obamacare and other policies that favor government control over a nation run by businesses and jobs.