Taking The House, GOP Primes For Fight With Obama
The Associated Press reports: “Taking control of the House at last, Republicans are rushing straight into a political fight with President Barack Obama over health care and changes in Washington they say voters demanded in the midterm elections. ‘It’s new energy,’ incoming House Speaker John Boehner told reporters on the eve of his swearing-in.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET. Obama will meet with senior advisers at 10:30 a.m. ET. He will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at 3:45 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend President Obama’s morning briefing at 10 a.m. ET. Then at 12 p.m. ET, he will swear in the new class of incoming and re-elected United States Senators at the Capitol, and preside over the opening session of the Senate.
From Heartland To House Speaker, Boehner Eyes Cuts
Reuters reports: “John Boehner, the product of a tough upbringing in America’s heartland, will bring a natural mistrust of big government when he takes over as speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The conservative Republican — a former small businessman who worked his way through college as a janitor — will be in a position to slam the brakes on President Barack Obama’s largely liberal agenda, push spending cuts and shake up Washington.”
Pelosi: ‘I Don’t Really Look Back’
The Hill reports: “Her office is smaller; her troops have shrunk; and she’ll no longer have the run of the House. Yet as Speaker Nancy Pelosi prepares for a diminished role as minority leader in the 112th Congress, the California Democrat is dismissing sentimental questions about what’s being discarded to focus instead on the fights ahead. ‘I don’t really look back,’ she told reporters Tuesday, ‘I look forward.'”
After Losing House, Democrats Will Try New Strategy: Bipartisanship
The Washington Post reports: “The Democratic wish list for the 112th Congress looks nothing like the bold liberal agenda the party pushed over the past two years. Democratic leaders say they could take up the cause of deficit reduction, urge a free-trade agreement with South Korea and advocate for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws. All of these issues have something in common: They will require support from lawmakers in both parties to have any hope of passing.”
