In the great tradition of American democracy dating back to the election of the First Congress in 1778, voters cast their ballots last week, giving the Republican Party control of the upcoming 114th Congress.

In a more recent tradition, campaign yard signs are likely to remain up for months!

President Obama, who began his presidency with a Democratic majority in the Congress, will now round out his last two years in office with a Republican majority. This leaves the upcoming Lame Duck session as the last opportunity for the president and his Democratic colleagues in the Senate to set the legislative agenda.