David Perdue goes to Washington 'to make a difference'

Senator-elect David Perdue (R-Ga) visited on Wednesday with his fellow Republican freshmen senators and possible Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) at the U.S. Senate, where they spoke about unity and political agenda for the next Congress.

”Sen. McConnell said something today that some people want to make a point here," Perdue told Channel 2's Justin Gray. "Some people want to make a difference. I came up here to make a difference."

Perdue, along with the other seven new GOP senators, toured the upper chamber in anticipation of his first term starting in early January. The senators will have to get familiar with their new offices, hire staff, and find accommodations in Washington D.C.

Republicans will be the majority party in both the Senate and the House for the next two years, and their agenda will be closely watched ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Some hot button issues for the 114th Congress include the debt ceiling, set to expire on March 15th, building of the Keystone pipeline, the immigration reform, budget proposals, veteran affairs and active military issues, and the ongoing Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) debacle. Some brave and awfully optimistic souls are also considering tax reform.

The Republican leadership in Washington claims they're ready to move agenda forward in Congress. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said that his party plans on passing immigration bills next year while McConnell told the media today that Republicans are ready "to make the place function again."  

But no media appearance would be complete without assaulting the opposition, which inspires little faith that things will actually change next year.

"The problem is the president continues to send signals he has no intention of moving to the middle," McConnell said during a press conference with the new senators. "I was particularly distressed by the deal that apparently he has reached with the Chinese on his current trip, which, as I read the agreement, requires the Chinese to do nothing at all for 16 years while these carbon emission regulations are creating havoc in my state and other states around the country."

President Barack Obama has yet to use his veto pen in the six years of his presidency. These early statements from political leaders in Washington certainly imply that might change very soon.

But Perdue appears to be optimistic.

"I walk away from today very encouraged. We heard a lot of talk today about working together and getting stuff done," he said.