Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/its-that-time-again!/5020930/
January brings a new year, a new calendar, and a host of resolutions for the future. It’s our annual reset, a time to take stock of where we are and what’s ahead.Welcome, 113th Congress!
Every two years, our federal elections bring about a new Congress; this one is the 113th. The 113th Congress, like the 112th, remains split: a majority Democratic Senate and a majority Republican House. The Democrats’ edge in the Senate grew slightly, and the Republicans’ margin in the House slipped a bit. And the Senate has more women than ever before �" one in five Senators �" and slightly higher than in the House of Representatives. But all in Washington will face the continuing challenge of finding solutions that can pass both houses of Congress and win the President’s approval.
Hello, State Leaders!
In the states, elections largely brought change at the margin. Each of the incumbent governors who ran for re-election won, and the Republican Party retained its edge over the Democrats in this regard. All but six states had legislative elections, but only a handful of legislative chambers changed majority party. In fact, only four states now have divided legislatures �" where different parties enjoy majorities in each chamber ...