Search

Composite liberal and conservative scores of members of the US Congress based on their voting record are listed. The formation of a winning coalition in both houses of the US Congress is difficult due to the diversity of positions of the lawmakers.

Committee chairmen have enjoyed a resurgence of influence on national issues because of alliances with party leaders, and the skills and effectiveness of the chairmen themselves. Congressional leaders have learned to trust the expertise and experience of the chairmen to enact legislation. Other views on the resurgence of the committee chairmen's influence are presented.

U.S. Congress members that are expected to be President-elect Barack Obama's allies in passing key items to his agenda are presented. Key allies identified for Obama's economic agenda include Senator Richard Durbin. Expected key allies for Iraq and foreign policy, energy and environment, healthcare, judicial nominees, and in changing Washington, are also presented.

Presidential candidate John McCain's role in the White House meeting with bi-partisan congressional leadership on addressing the financial crisis is seen as instructive about how he would act if he is elected president. Views on Congress, as well as on how Senator John McCain might work with Congress if he gets elected as the U.S. president, are presented.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the U.S. President George W. Bush are not expected to work together comfortably as there is a confrontationist attitude between them. Although Pelosi is confidently holding Bush accountable on various issues, she would be well-advised not to challenge his prerogatives as she needs his cooperation for legislative accomplishments in Congress.

House Democrats are making hectic efforts to prepare the initial policy and procedural initiatives in fulfilling their legislative promises when they take charge in January 2007. They however have to face significant legislative and organizational challenges to overcome and guard against a lack of coordination and information among various committees, which may result in bad planning and unexpected problems in running the House.

House and Senate Democrats intend to be pragmatic in their approach as they gain control of Congress, learning from the mistakes of their previous term in power and also in avoiding the mistakes of the preceding Republican Congress. They aim to set a realistic, limited legislative agenda, keep the committee chairmen accountable, concentrate on issues fostering unity in the party, and seek bipartisanship in running Congress.

The contenders for the post of party leaders for the 110th Congress among the Republicans are John Boehner and Roy Blunt who are the front runners for the major positions and among Democrats, Nancy Pelosi seems assured of the top job while Steny Hoyer and John Murtha are vying for the second-in-command. The outcome of this leadership contest could go a long way in determining each party's path by 2008 and also have a potentially big impact on national policy.

The sex scandal involving the advances of former Republican Rep. Mark Foley toward underage congressional page boys has snowballed into a serious setback for the Republican Party in the November 2006 mid-term elections. The moral high ground projected by the party is backfiring, and as a consequence, the resignation of even the House Speaker Dennis Hastert is demanded for intentionally covering up the activities of Foley, even as the Democrats are observing the problems for the Republicans brought on by their own members.

Security is the main focus in the midterm election campaign for the Republicans in the final weeks of the 2006 campaign. Republican candidates have largely shifted from an 'all-politics-is-local' approach to the war-on-terrorism cry that worked for their party in 2002 and 2004.

Democrats are optimistic of gaining control of the House and the Senate after the November 2006 elections. They are promoting a six-point 'New Direction for America' agenda, known as 'Six for '06', outlining their top priorities of action on gaining some congressional control, with an aim to score legislative victories where possible, prevent GOP initiatives, and campaign vigorously against the perceived shortcomings of the administration of the US President George W. Bush and neglected national problems resulting in a dissatisfied electorate.

Influential Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the US are meeting behind the scenes in an effort to revive immigration reform legislation. Some Republicans might feel a heightened sense of urgency to pass immigration reform before Election Day, given their dicey electoral prospects and modest legislative accomplishments.

The Republicans contend that they have overcome their nagging political problems with the departure of former Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas and the February 2006 election of Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, as majority leader. Although House Republicans are struggling to regain their legislative equilibrium after the controversial ouster of DeLay, they are confident that they are a stronger team now, with a level of trust among one another, and a welcome change in leadership.

Some Republicans who normally are among the most conservative members find themselves keeping company with moderates in national Journal's Congressional vote ratings for 2003. The ratings offer one measure of what happens when rank-and-file Republican lawmakers seek to be more ideologically pure than their president or their leaders.

The way Pres George W. Bush and the Republican Party consolidate the power given them by the 2002 elections will be as important as the policies they develop. They are secure enough to compromise with Democrats in ways that could produce long-term benefits.

Many House Republicans feel they have successfully promoted Pres. George W. Bush's agenda. Gaining a majority in the 2002 election suggests they will probably not change that strategy.

Many issues could be significantly affected by which political party gets control of Congress after the 2002 elections. These include management of Amtrak, abortion, medical care, immigration, judicial appointments, labor relations, land use, patients' rights, pollution control, availability of prescription drugs, social security, taxation, and international trade.

The creation of the new Department of Homeland Security must overcome many obstacles. Fifteen challenges to the department's creation are examined. They include financing, uniting intelligence gathering, finding a strong leader and creating strong relations with local law enforcement.

Rep. Richard A. Gephardt has been a Democratic Party leader since 1989 but some analysts note indications he is considering leaving the House of Representatives after the Nov, 2002, elections. Gephardt may be planning a presidential campaign for 2004.

The manner in which Pres George W. Bush relates to Congress is examined, focusing on complaints by both Republicans and Democrats that Bush has not worked hard enough to establish working relationships. Topics include the views of chief White House lobbyist Nicholas Calio.

The results of the election to the Congress in 1994, which are expected to be in favor of the Republicans, will pose several problems to President Clinton as the Democrats will win only by a narrow margin in the Senate and the House. The election predictions show that the Clinton government may not be able to pass health care legislation as the Democrats will lose around 20 seats, retaining only 237 seats.

Congressional scholars believe that conditions are ripe for presidential candidate Barack Obama to have coattails even if double digit gains in House seats happened only four times in the last 12 presidential elections. Other views and information on U.S. presidential elections and on coattails are presented.

The close friendship of Reps. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla. and Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, chief organizers of the '30 Something Working Group', has made them an effective political team that benefits them and the Democratic Party.

House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., has launched a plan that gives his whip organization unprecedented influence in crafting policy. He is ensuring that seven distinct House Democratic groups are functioning with committee chairmen and party leaders to enable diverse views to be considered before committees prepare major legislation to send to the House, thus curtailing the authority of some autocratic chairmen.

Congressional district lines drawn to protect incumbents are a major impediment to making the House of Representatives more reflective of public opinion. Setting aside the fact that pragmatic redistricting has become an equal-opportunity exercise for both parties, election-focused polls are far from alone in blaming congressional geography for much of what ails America.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee are working to establish the 218 seats necessary for a policial majority in the House of Representatives after the 2002 elections. These committees allocate money to candidates, often a crucial campaign element.

Rather than risk losing two members of one party, New York legislators decided to forego facing off 2 Democratic incumbents against 2 Republican incumbents and decided that Democrats Louise M. Slaughter and John LaFalce will face off and so would Republicans Benjamin A. Gilman and Sue W. Kelly, guaranteeing 1 seat lost for each party.

In 104 districts across the United States, election forecasters consider the winner of contests for seats in the House of Representatives to be a foregone conclusion. In those races, incumbents or their hand-picked successors are expected to win easily.