Mic Wakeup: Here’s what both Democrats and Republicans will face in 2018

Impact

It’s Wednesday, Dec. 27. Here’s what you need to know.

Democrats are ready to race in 2018

America is still nearly a year away from the 2018 midterm elections, but Democrats are already gearing up for the race. In fact, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission, a historic number of Democrats are set to run in Congressional races across the nation.

As the filings show, there is one Democratic candidate already set to run in all but 20 House districts held by Republicans. And there may be more to come as many state deadlines to file run through spring, and a few even run as late as July.

Moreover, Democrats in hard to win districts for the party really could have a shot at the seat. In a new CNN poll voters were given a generic congressional ballot. There, voters favored a generic Democrat over a generic Republican by 18 percentage points.

Republicans may have set themselves up for a daunting 2018

Republicans may have taken home a big win for their party in 2017 by passing their tax overhaul, but it appears the party is set up for more than a few daunting tasks in the year to come. For starters, GOP leaders will have just days to pass a new spending package to avoid a government shutdown upon their return.

Part of that spending package, Mic previously explained, includes the Children’s Health Insurance Program. That program currently provides health coverage to low-income children.

Another controversial and immediate need will be the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which will extend the program that allows undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as minors to stay, study and work in the United States.

Both of these programs are set to expire in March. However, neither seems to be a massive priority for the party. As both House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Vice President Mike Pence expressed, the party, and the president, are more focused on welfare reform.

“You’re going to see this administration move on vigorously to an agenda which will include infrastructure and welfare reform,” Pence said during a surprise visit to Afghanistan. While Ryan, according to Bloomberg News, said, “People want able-bodied people who are on welfare to go to work, they want us to get people out of poverty, into the workforce. That’s good for them, that’s good for the economy, that’s good for the federal budget.”

In one hopeful area for 2018, both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump appear to want to work across party lines to get more done in the coming year.

“At some point, and for the good of the country, I predict we will start working with the Democrats in a bipartisan fashion,” Trump tweeted on Friday. “Infrastructure would be a perfect place to start. After having foolishly spent $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is time to start rebuilding our country!”