There are some good reasons to believe that a Republican Congress and a Democratic president in his last two years in office could actually make progress on key issues of national policy.

The first of those reasons is this: When the Republicans take the Senate they will control half the operational side of the government.

They will no longer be able to claim the status of “victims.” They will actually be in charge.

The election of a Republican Senate will not be a signal from the hinterlands that people want more of the same. It will be a directive to stop acting like peevish politicians and start governing for the good of the nation.

don’t count on it

If this instruction is ignored, it will almost certainly mean that the next time around — the 2016 elections — the Republican Congress will face stiff punishment from voters.

don’t count on that either

But there are other major policy issues available where agreement can be found, including tax reform, Medicare reform, student loan reform, education reform (generally, but especially in the area of use of the Internet), trade reform, disability reform and even Social Security reform. The opportunities are there.

“reform”

the inevitable word when republicans fantasize about destroying some part of the social contract

thehill.com