House of Representatives

By John Terrett in Americas on February 9th, 2011
For many Republicans, the Patriot Act is too invasive and represents "big government" to which they are opposed [AFP photo]

The first leg of a process to renew the controversial US Patriot Act failed in the House of Representatives here in Washington DC on Tuesday night.
 
A required two-thirds majority was not achieved on the floor of the chamber.

The bill is likely to be reintroduced on another occasion but it is a blow to the new Republican leadership in the US House.

During the debate the arguments for and against were vigorous.

By Camille Elhassani in Americas on January 5th, 2011
Photo by Reuters

The 112th US Congress has opened. Republicans hold the majority in the House of Representatives, and Democrats remain in control of the Senate but with a smaller majority. The balance of power in Washington changed after last November’s Congressional Midterm Elections. The American public, angry at the state of the economy and high unemployment, voted for change.

On Wednesday, the new members of Congress were sworn-in.  Republican John Boehner has taken over the job of Speaker of the House from Democrat Nancy Pelosi.  In assuming the third highest position in the US government, Boehner said, “Hard work and tough decisions will be required of the 112th Congress. No longer can we fall short. No longer can we kick the can down the road.

By Camille Elhassani in Americas on November 15th, 2010

The US Congress is back to work in Washington for the lame-duck session meant to finish the last bits of legislative business before handing the gavel over to the new Congress in January. 

Lame-duck refers to legislators who lost in the midterm elections two weeks ago but come back for a few weeks to complete the session (and pack up their office). 

Democrats lost more than 60 seats in the House of Representatives two weeks ago and control of the lower chamber.

They also lost six seats in the Senate.

By Camille Elhassani in Americas on November 2nd, 2010
Photo from AFP

As the political sage of Al Jazeera’s US Midterm election coverage, the question I get asked most is: "When will we know who wins?" The answer I usually give is: "When we know it."

Tuesday is Election Day in the United States. All 435 members of the House of Representatives are being contested, so are 37 Senate seats, and a number of governor's offices. Lots of factors affect when we'll know the outcome – lines at the polls, counting time, how close the race is, weather delays ... after polls close in each state, it could be minutes, it could be hours. Or in the case of a recount, maybe even weeks.  

I passed by a local polling station on my way to work this morning. There were only a few people in line, a far cry from 2008 when the queue was around the block. That's typical for a midterm election.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Americas on November 2nd, 2010
Tea party supporters rally in Connecticut the day before the election. [AFP]

21:39 GMT: A witty (and vulgar) website - "What the f___ has Obama done so far?" - is going viral on Facebook, with more than 53,000 fans. It presents a long list of various achievements in Obama's two years in office, and seems aimed at refuting Republican arguments that Obama has failed to bring his promised "hope and change".

21:21 GMT: BBC World News interviewed Democratic political consultant Peter Fenn just now. Fenn said that he expects Obama will act pragmatically and extend an "olive branch" to Republicans after the election and noted that Obama's approval rating is higher now than Clinton's in 1994, when Republicans won a huge midterm victory. Clinton was re-elected in 1996. 

By Camille Elhassani in Americas on October 26th, 2010

With less than one week to go before voters line up at precincts across the nation to cast their ballots for congress, candidates and their surrogates are blasting the airwaves and rallies because in races this tight, every vote counts. But a new poll out by Gallup found the widest enthusiasm gap among voters since the 1994 wave swept 54 Democrats out of office in the House of Representatives.

Bill Clinton was president then, and is trying this year to prevent a repeat of 1994. He's barnstorming across the country for embattled Democrats. By November 2, Election Day Clinton will have made more than 100 campaign stops. Vice-President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama continue their efforts as well.

Republicans have Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain out on the stump in places like California and West Virginia. And Sarah Palin continues to put her muscle behind Tea Party candidates.

By Camille Elhassani in Americas on October 12th, 2010
Photo from EPA

Every two years, all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and around one-third of the senate seats are up for grabs.

In the Midterm elections, which happen in even years between US presidential elections, historically, the party in power loses seats.

By Camille Elhassani in Americas on August 16th, 2010

On a hot day in the small town of Wyoming, Delaware, politicians were trying to persuade potential voters at the annual Peach Festival.
  

In a state with only 875,000 people, an estimated 6,000 of them showed up for the annual affair. So naturally anyone seeking political office in the November election was there with a smile and handshake.

By John Terrett in Americas on March 23rd, 2010
Photo from AFP
Less than twenty four hours after their Healthcare victory in the House of Representatives, the Obama administration’s on the road again – this time touting the importance of financial reform.
 
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told the conservative leaning think-tank the American Enterprise Institute he will not accept a bill that doesn't provide strong protection for consumers and constraints on risk-taking large institutions. Mr Geithner said:
 

"At its core is this basic sense of deep injustice and that moral failing of the system - the political opposition to doing things that look like they're going to benefit banks even if they're necessary to save the system is what leads most governments to screw up most financial crises - I apologise for saying it that way."
 

By John Terrett in Americas on December 25th, 2009
Photo by AFP
After a month of debate the US senate has passed a historic healthcare reform bill.
 
All 60 members of the Democratic caucus voted in favour; 39 Republicans were opposed.
 
The vote was overseen by the senate's president, US Vice-President Joe Biden.
 
Among the notable attendees was 92-year-old Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who had to be wheeled into the chamber to cast his vote.