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President Barack Obamas plan to normalize relations with Cuba has hit a familiar roadblock: Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Just hours after Obama announced that a prisoner swap with the Cuban government for two Americans was the start of a new relationship with the communist country, Republicans began informally kicking around ideas to stop any changes to the U.S.-Cuba relationship.

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On the list: deny Obama funds to reopen an embassy in Havana, stall the nomination of a potential ambassador, vote down a bill to open up travel more widely and ignore requests from the White House to lift a decades-old embargo.

(Also on POLITICO: Obama's December surprise)

When Republicans control the Senate next year, the party would be in a good position to get some of their plans done. But even if they cant fully stop Obama, who has some authority to act without Congress, the dispute will provide another opportunity for the presidents Hill rivals, including 2016 likely hopefuls Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, to continue to question his use of executive action a theme Republicans had already planned to take on next year around Obamas moves on immigration and Obamacare.

I will do all in my power to block the use of funds to open an embassy in Cuba. Normalizing relations with Cuba is bad idea at a bad time, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Twitter Wednesday.

In a White House address on Wednesday, Obama said he would direct Secretary of State John Kerry to reviews Cubas place on a list of state sponsors of terrorism, reestablish an embassy in Havana and ease travel restrictions. Obama also said the U.S. would increase remittance levels, expand commercial sales and exports.

(Also on POLITICO: GOP livid over Cuba)

We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests, Obama said. Neither the American nor the Cuban people are well-served by a rigid policy that is rooted in events that took place before most of us were born.

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How Republicans could stop Obama's Cuba play