The 114 ^th session of Congress begins today. Tell your class to keep an eye on these key issues during the session and check out our guide to this Congress for background information, infographics and more. The Affordable Care Act The health care law has been a point of contention among the parties since before it passed. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly voiced his party's opposition to the law. Now, new congressional Republicans have said they plan to weaken the law with new policies. The White House will block any attempts to overturn the law entirely, but Republicans could propose ending a tax on medical devices or changing the definition of full-time work so that the law would cover fewer people. Keystone XL Pipeline The Keystone XL Pipeline would expand the existing Keystone Pipeline to carry oil from Canada to further south in the U.S. Environmental groups oppose the expansion, saying that it would harm the environment. Pipeline supporters say it would create jobs in the U.S. and decrease the country’s reliance on foreign oil. The expansion requires President Obama's approval. Republicans put forward a bill that would mandate a decision from Obama; the Senate rejected this legislation in a narrow vote in November. Republican leaders have said they plan to try again and President Obama said he would not sign it. No Child Left Behind The No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2002 under President George W. Bush and mandated annual testing for students in grades 3-8 and during high school. Many teacher groups have recently spoken out against the focus on standardized testing, saying it impedes the learning process by requiring teachers to teach to the test. Republican leaders have voiced interest in rewriting the law to minimize the federal government’s involvement in education. Trade Obama has tried to pass a deal that would increase trade between the U.S. and Pacific Rim countries. The deal does not include China, Asia’s biggest economy. Democrats blocked the deal last year, but some Republicans have said they would support it. 2016 elections The candidates for the next presidential election in 2016 will likely declare their intention to run this spring.