House of Representatives

US Congress: The new class

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.

When will we know?

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.

Final Push in the US midterms

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.

Where politics and peaches make a perfect pair

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.