Election Update: “Whats Next?” “Continued Gridlock?”

             This election cycle did not disappoint, it was full of ups and down and the occasional surprise. I, like probably most of America, was up late last night frantically following the vote totals waiting to see who would be the next President. It was a close hard fought campaign and I feel that both men gave it their all, unfortunately there had to be a winner and a loser like always. President Obama will take the victory and highlighted his goals for the next 4 years in his speech last night.

Though the presidential race was the most televised and it was not the only race yesterday as you know. A big story was the battle over which party would control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as you know the Republicans held a majority in House while the Democrats had a slim majority in the Senate. Both parties waged massive and expensive campaigns in attempted to gain more seats in this election. Here in Illinois there were 6 highlighted congressional races that Democrats’ set their sights on picking up, in hopes of gaining a majority in the House. They fell short on Tuesday and were only able to swing 4 of the 6, yet there was no change in the balance of power in Washington D.C.

So, just over 4 billion dollars later nothing has changed in government except maybe the sentiment. The Democrats retain the Presidency and majority in the Senate while the Republicans keep control of the House. The questions I find myself asking now following the election is “What is going to happen now?” and “How will the next congress work together to fix the issues facing the nation?”

When I woke up today and turned on the news all I have been hearing about in the election aftermath and the looming “Fiscal Cliff”. The Fiscal Cliff is the compilation of Bush Era Tax Cuts that are set to expire at the same time as $100 billion Spending Cuts go into effect January 1st. Many economic experts fear that these both will cause the US to fall into another recession. Legislators are on record calling for the needed action to prevent the Fiscal Cliff as soon as possible, yet nothing has been done. Now it’s up to the lame-duck Congress to sort out that along with other crucial legislation such as the Farm Bill, Budget Reform as well as issues with the Debt Ceiling.

Although these issues have been sitting on the back burner for so long I am optimistic that they will be addressed soon. Yesterday, both the Majority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Harry Reid (D), and the Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner (R), made public statements on the election outcomes and the future path that this nation. Both addressed the major issues that are facing our country and talked about the importance of working together to break the gridlock. This is a step in the right direction, but, there are still more questions to be asked and more debates to be had as we work to fix the issues that have plagued us for so long.

Through all of this I am optimistic that a change for the better is on the horizon. I believe that today is a new day in Washington D.C. and truly hope that our elected officials begin to work with each other again to put our country back on the path to success and prosperity.