From the White House to Capitol Hill, the winners in this week's elections won't have much time to savor their victories. Even as federal policymakers sort out the political landscape, the remainder of 2012 and the early months of 2013 are likely to be dominated by divisive, unresolved issues with broad consequences for K-12 and higher education--some of which require immediate action. Chief among them: sequestration, a series of planned, across-the-board budget cuts that are set to hit almost every federal agency Jan. 2, including the U.S. Department of Education. And when lawmakers in the 113th Congress take office in early January, they also will confront a yawning shortfall in the Pell Grant program. On top of that, federal policymakers must cope with thorny implementation questions on major policy initiatives, including dozens of waivers that eased states' obligations under the No Child Left Behind Act.