Now for the unfinished business facing Republicans

Republicans’ dream came true on Tuesday, with control of the presidency and both houses of Congress.

The same is true for Iowa, where the GOP gained a Senate majority after years of failed attempts, giving Republicans dominance in both houses of the Legislature as well as the governorship.

In January, they will assume responsibility in Washington for the unfinished business that years of gridlock created. It’s a huge challenge, especially given the anti-establishment fervor that swept them into power.

How they navigate that challenge will reveal their ability to govern, especially in light of the virtual tie in the popular vote between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Whether their victory is a mandate will be up for debate.

Many issues are on the table.

It will no longer be possible to blame the other side for failure to pass bills. Republicans now own the agenda.

In that light, here are some of the challenges:

• The clock continues to tick on Medicare and Social Security, which will both run out of money (Medicare first) unless changes are made to both programs. How will Republicans shore them up without incurring the wrath of Americans?

• Republicans have blasted Democrats, and President Obama, for years about budget deficits. It’s been a GOP mantra. How will they bring the budget into better balance without raising taxes (which they have pledged not to do) or making deep cuts to important programs? Fixing waste, fraud and abuse alone will not get the job done.

• Trump promised to close tax loopholes that unfairly benefit the wealthy. Many Republicans in Congress will not want to offend their well-to-do supporters. How will the party pull that off? And can Trump really balance the budget without raising taxes on the middle class?

• Illegal immigration has been a prime GOP target on the campaign trail. Will Trump really try to build an impenetrable wall along the Mexican border, and will Congress agree to that?

• The Supreme Court, while voiding parts of the Voting Rights Act from the 1960s, said that unfair voting restrictions continue in place in a number of states, and that it is up to Congress to remove them. Democrats say they want to do that; Republicans, not so much. Will Congress allow the unfair practices to continue?

• Government computers in many cases are woefully unprotected from cyber attack. How will Republicans take on that challenge?

• Republicans have called for transparency in government. How hard will they work to improve that in terms of campaign finance laws?

• Repeal of Obamacare was at the top of Republican campaign promises. If that is achieved, what will Congress and President Trump do about the millions of previously uninsured Americans who now have health coverage through Obamacare?

• It can be assumed that the Senate will proceed to hold a hearing on President Trump’s nominee to fill the current vacancy on the Supreme Court. Are Republicans really prepared to seek a court that will make marriage equality and abortion choice illegal?

I recently heard a talk by a former longtime Republican leader in the Iowa House of Representatives. He said the two toughest sessions he had in his leadership responsibilities were the years when his party had control of both houses of the Legislature.

That was because some members of the Republican caucus had been denied their pet projects for many years, and when the party finally took total control, they all assumed their time had come. Their projects, however, were not always acceptable to the majority of their GOP caucus members, and party leaders had a tough time keeping peace in the ranks.

We’ll see if Trump and the Congress prove able to work smoothly toward common goals, and how comfortable the American people find themselves under one-party control.

All this would be equally true under a Democratic sweep.

Despite the impressive Republican victories, most Americans find themselves somewhere in the broad middle of the political spectrum on the issues. That’s the reason why gridlock has prevailed in Washington through most of the 21st century.

Republicans have reason to celebrate, and Democrats have reason to mourn.

By the time of the January presidential and congressional inaugurations, both parties will have had time to assess their paths forward, and how they can work together for all Americans.

Let’s hope they figure that out.

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