Republicans newly in charge of Congress are challenging President Barack Obama at both ends of the Capitol.

The House on Tuesday will vote to repeal the health care program he signed into law five years ago. The Senate is looking to roll back the immigration policies that Obama issued on his own.

There was a third challenge as well. Republican leaders announced the House would vote final approval next week on legislation clearing the way for construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. That would trigger Obama’s threatened veto, the first in a new era of divided government.

The skirmishes all seemed likely to end in eventual defeat for Republicans, but served as a potent rejoinder of their power after Obama challenged them bluntly in his State of the Union address.

(AP)