Nearly two months after Election Day, the newest members of Congress were sworn in to officially become lawmakers. January 3, 2017 marked the official end of the 114th Congress and the beginning of the 115th Congress. The 115th Congress will run concurrently with the first two years of the Trump administration. This is the first time in a decade that both houses of Congress and the White House have been under Republican control. For that reason, the Republicans have an ambitious agenda they hope to accomplish. “With [a] unified Republican government, we can fix problems…There are so many things I’m excited about,” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said. House Republicans did not wait to get started on their agenda. On only the second day of the 115th Congress, the House of Representatives dealt a major blow to the United Nations. By a vote of 342-80, the House voted to condemn a U.N. Security Council resolution that condemned the nation of Israel for their settlement activities in the West Bank. Although not legally binding, the resolution was able to send a clear message to the U.N. as to where the House will stand on the issue in the future. In the Senate, steps have already been taken to repeal the Affordable Care Act. In addition to that, Congress is anticipated to debate a variety of issues, including infrastructure funding and border security. On top of this, the Trump Administration will officially take over the reigns January 20 at the inauguration in Washington, D.C. At least 800,000 people are expected to make the journey to the National Mall to watch the transition of power. Although most Xavier students will be in school, some are still expressing optimism about a Republican government. “I’m confident that the legislative branch will do a great job,” senior Max Johnson said. “The checks and balances will work out to help move America forward.”