In 2008 Barack Obama and the Democratic Party swept the United States Federal Government taking control of the Executive branch and majority positions in both the House and Senate. The President with Democratic Party leaders pushed forward on their liberal leaning agenda culminating in the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act referred to by republicans as Obamacare. The expansion of government, poor economy and the lack of visible change during first year of the Obama administration ignited the Tea Party movement in 2009 on the platform to shrink government and deny Barack Obama a second term. By the March 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed putting into place, a center piece of the Obama administration. Later that year, the Tea Party movement would become a crucial component of the 2010 mid-year election in moving the House into Republican Party hands. The 2012 election was the culmination of the efforts of the Republican Party to regain control of the Senate and to remove President Obama from office. Almost two-thirds of the thirty three class one seats were held by democrats and almost one-third of the total seats for election were left vacant and up for grabs as a result of an incumbent not running for reelection. The Democratic Party only held a slight majority in the Senate. The expected results was a repeat of the 2010 mid-year election in which the Republican Party would make further gains in the United States Congress. The results did not go as expected for the Republican Party. The final results in November, showed Obama retaining his position as President and the Democratic Party not only holding onto the majority in the Senate but gaining seats in the process. The make up the Senate going into the 2012 election was fifty one seats held by democrats, 47 seats held by republicans, and 2 seats