In the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as well as the growing concern over global warming , some of the party 's key issues in the early 21st century have included the methods of how to combat terrorism while preserving human rights , homeland security , expanding access to health care , labor rights , environmentalism and the preservation of liberal government programs . Following twelve years of Republican congressional rule , the Democrats regained majority control of both the House and the Senate in the 2006 elections . Barack Obama won the Democratic Party 's nomination and was elected as the first African American president in 2008 . The Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress in the wake of the 2007 economic recession . The Democratic Party under the Obama presidency moved forward reforms including an Economic Stimulus package , the Dodd-Frank financial reform act and the Affordable Care Act . In the 2010 elections , the Democratic Party lost control of the House and lost its majority in state legislatures and state governorships . In the 2012 elections , President Obama was re-elected , but the party kept its minority in the House of Representatives and in 2014 the party lost control of the Senate for the first time since 2006 . After the 2016 election of Donald Trump , the Democratic Party transitioned into the role of an opposition party and currently hold neither the presidency nor the Senate but has won back a majority in the House from the 2018 Midterm Election
terrorist attacks
September 11 attacks
Democratic Party (United States)