The 115th Congress began its work last week, less than three weeks in advance of the inauguration of Donald Trump on Jan. 20. Republicans hold a 52-seat majority in the Senate, over the 46 Democrats and two independents who generally caucus with them. Republicans hold a larger majority in the House of Representatives, with 241 seats, to 194 Democrats. Thus, with the White House in GOP hands, the Republicans will stand in a strong position to be able to make changes and to put forward a coherent agenda for the future.

The only major leadership changes in Congress will be Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, succeeding Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada as Senate minority leader. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will continue as Senate majority leader but will find himself in an entirely different role from that which he played when Barack Obama was president — he had vowed to do everything he could to derail Obama's programs. Vice President Mike Pence will succeed Vice President Joe Biden as president of the Senate on Jan. 20.

Items high on the Republican agenda include repeal of Obama's signature Affordable Care Act, which they have sought for ages. Trump's indication that he wants to keep pieces of the program, including coverage of pre-existing conditions and retention of young people in their parents' coverage until age 26, will require replacement legislation for ACA, not simple repeal.

Other key items will include changes to Obama's climate change measures, consideration of Trump's nomination to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia last February, which left the court with an even number of justices, and confirmation hearings for Trump's many Cabinet nominations. In a politically surprising move, House Republicans started off Jan. 2 by voting in a secret session to strip the powers of the Office of Congressional Ethics. The legion of critics the next day included Trump, who ran for president pledging to "drain the swamp," and the Republicans quickly withdrew the measure.

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