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Congress Now In Session, Not Without Tensions Over Trump

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MIAMI (CBSMiami)  -- The new Republican-majority Congress is in session and has already received a scolding from President-Elect Donald Trump who urged lawmakers to focus on what's important.  Each side of the aisle has differing ideas as to what that means.

The 115th Congress gaveled into session Tuesday afternoon but not before House Republicans made an about-face. They reversed their plan to gut the "Office of Congressional Ethics" - an independent body that oversees lawmakers.

That move followed a disapproving tweet from Trump, who urged them to, "Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance." "#DTS…Drain the Swamp."

Some lawmakers - like Congressman Steve King (R-IA) want to eliminate the office.

Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan received enough votes to retain his job as speaker of the house.

The Senate is already divided on how to approach a Trump presidency, with Republicans urging cooperation and Democrats rejecting any rubber-stamping.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer promised to hold Donald Trump accountable and criticized the president-elect's most frequent form of communication.

"With all due respect, America cannot afford a Twitter presidency. We have real challenges and we need to get real things done," said Schumer.

Republicans are focused on an immediate repeal of the Affordable Care Act also known as 'Obamacare.'

"If we can't do better than 'Obamacare,' we ought to look for another line of work," said Senator John Cornyn (R-TX).

With Congress in session, President Barack Obama is heading to Capitol Hill on Wednesday in an effort to save his signature achievement.

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