Begins With Wishes of Comity but Battles Ahead
Today News : Farewell to the fractious 112 Congress, Washington opened the 113th Congress just after noon on Thursday with the wishes of more civility and cooperation. But the partisan battles already brewing on issues such as gay marriage, gun control, social security and Medicare.
With Vice President Joe Biden presiding, the Senate convened and swore in 13 new members, and seen the return of Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois, who had to leave for a year recovering from a stroke. Among those who joined the Senate was former Representative Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, who replaced Jim DeMint. He is the only black member of the Senate, whose ranks of female members increased.
In one of the first items of business in the House, Republicans, whose ranks declined slightly, to 233 from 241, in the new Congress, were to re-elect John A. Boehner of Ohio as speaker, despite the grumbling on the right that he was not sufficiently conservative or confrontation. Senate Democrats, most of the growth of two to 55 years away from the immediate threat of a ram through new rules limiting the power of the Republicans to delay a simple majority.
As a result, the first day of the 113th Congress is likely to be noted for what happened - a revolution in the home, an unprecedented power play in the Senate - something that I did.
But Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, promised to keep his options open, as it continues to negotiate with Republicans to find bipartisan agreement on new rules to tear sclerotic Senate. A house is expected to approve changes to the rules to shift the emphasis on reducing government.
Today News : Farewell to the fractious 112 Congress, Washington opened the 113th Congress just after noon on Thursday with the wishes of more civility and cooperation. But the partisan battles already brewing on issues such as gay marriage, gun control, social security and Medicare.
With Vice President Joe Biden presiding, the Senate convened and swore in 13 new members, and seen the return of Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois, who had to leave for a year recovering from a stroke. Among those who joined the Senate was former Representative Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, who replaced Jim DeMint. He is the only black member of the Senate, whose ranks of female members increased.
In one of the first items of business in the House, Republicans, whose ranks declined slightly, to 233 from 241, in the new Congress, were to re-elect John A. Boehner of Ohio as speaker, despite the grumbling on the right that he was not sufficiently conservative or confrontation. Senate Democrats, most of the growth of two to 55 years away from the immediate threat of a ram through new rules limiting the power of the Republicans to delay a simple majority.
As a result, the first day of the 113th Congress is likely to be noted for what happened - a revolution in the home, an unprecedented power play in the Senate - something that I did.
But Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, promised to keep his options open, as it continues to negotiate with Republicans to find bipartisan agreement on new rules to tear sclerotic Senate. A house is expected to approve changes to the rules to shift the emphasis on reducing government.
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