The 2024 election season ended with new leadership in the nation’s capital. In November’s election Republicans took control of the House, Senate and Oval Office.

For the Presidency, former President Donald Trump once again became President Trump with his November win. President Trump earned a resounding 312 electoral votes to former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 226 electoral votes. Trump also won the popular vote, making it the first time a Republican presidential candidate has taken the popular vote since George Bush in 2004.

Since Trump took office on Jan. 20, he has worked to make a plethora of changes to the US Government, which has been made easier by the fact that Republicans also have control of the House and Senate.

In the House, Republicans hold another very slim margin. The House GOP holds the lower body of Congress, 218-215, with two vacancies. This is almost identical to the margin they held in the previous Congress. This slim majority already caused some problems, as it took several rounds of voting to get Speaker Mike Johnson re-elected to the speaker position.

In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53-45 majority. There are also two vacancies that came with the resignation of Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Special elections will be held to fill the two empty seats, and both are likely to go to Republican candidates. The Senate, despite the large Republican majority, hit some roadblocks when approving President Trump’s cabinet secretaries.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s confirmation needed the Vice President’s vote in order to break a tie, and former Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell voted against several of Trump’s cabinet members.