Restored to power, congressional Democrats pledged on Wednesday to press for a new course in Iraq and move promptly to raise the minimum wage.
"We will not disappoint" the American people, Representative Nancy Pelosi said.
At a news conference in the Capitol, Pelosi, who will become the speaker, or leader of the House of Representatives pledged that Democrats will make the next Congress "the most honest, ethical and open" one in history.
Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada both said they would work with President George W. Bush in a bipartisan manner, and they made the same commitment with respect to congressional Republicans.
"If Democrats go in and seek retribution, we lose," agreed Democratic senator-elect Sherrod Brown who defeated two-term Republican Senator Mike DeWine in Ohio.
Pelosi and Reid made their comments before the full extent of the Democrats' triumph was clear.
Several House races remained too close to call, and the size of the new Democratic majority seemed likely to grow by a few seats. And within hours, Democrats gained control of the Senate when Virginia Senator George Allen lost his seat to Democratic challenger Jim Webb.
While Democrats stressed their desire for bipartisanship, they also made clear they intend to use their power.
Several Democrats suggested during the day that Bush meet with leaders to conduct a high-level review of the war in Iraq, a conflict that is unpopular with the public and that polls said had contributed to the Republicans' defeats.
Democratic Representative John Dingell, in line to take back the chairmanship of one powerful committee, told reporters he wants the Federal Communications Commission to postpone its vote on AT&T's proposed acquisition of BellSouth Corp.
"I think it would be in their interest, I think it would be in the interest of the committee and I think it would be in the interest of the public," he said.
Representative Charles Rangel, a Democrat in line to head the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, declined to discuss possible tax increases or changes in Medicare in an interview with reporters.
He said his top priority was to close the tax gap -- referring to money that taxpayers owe the government but do not pay.
"My only fear is that Republicans might call this an increase in taxes," he said.
The minimum wage increase is one of a handful of measures Pelosi had promised to bring to the floor of the House in the first 100 hours it is in session under Democratic control next January.
Republican congressional leaders have maneuvered successfully to block passage of a minimum wage increase in recent years, but voters in six states approved ballot measures on Tuesday mandating raises.
"When Washington doesn't act, then America does," said Senator Edward Kennedy, who will be chairman of the committee with jurisdiction over the issue.
The federal minimum wage is US$5.15 an hour. Legislation backed by Democrats in the House and Senate would increase it to US$7.25 in three steps, although Pelosi has not yet said precisely what bill she intends to bring to a vote.
Pelosi, following up on a campaign promise, said Democrats would seek passage of several bills in the first days of the new session.
In addition to the minimum wage hike, Democrats will push to implement the recommendations of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and a reduction in the interest rate on student loans. Other items include legislation to promote energy independence, allow expanded stem cell research with federal funds and a call for lower drug prices under the Medicare prescription drug program.
If Democrats were dividing up the spoils of victory, Republicans were sorting out their own future. Representative Dennis Hastert said he would not run for party leader when the new Congress convenes under Democratic control.
That leaves Representative John Boehner, the majority leader, and Representative Mike Pence, a prominent conservative, as rivals for the post.
Representative Joe Barton is another potential contender.
‘UNUSUAL EVENT’: The Australian defense minister said that the Chinese navy task group was entitled to be where it was, but Australia would be watching it closely The Australian and New Zealand militaries were monitoring three Chinese warships moving unusually far south along Australia’s east coast on an unknown mission, officials said yesterday. The Australian government a week ago said that the warships had traveled through Southeast Asia and the Coral Sea, and were approaching northeast Australia. Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles yesterday said that the Chinese ships — the Hengyang naval frigate, the Zunyi cruiser and the Weishanhu replenishment vessel — were “off the east coast of Australia.” Defense officials did not respond to a request for comment on a Financial Times report that the task group from
Asian perspectives of the US have shifted from a country once perceived as a force of “moral legitimacy” to something akin to “a landlord seeking rent,” Singaporean Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen (黃永宏) said on the sidelines of an international security meeting. Ng said in a round-table discussion at the Munich Security Conference in Germany that assumptions undertaken in the years after the end of World War II have fundamentally changed. One example is that from the time of former US president John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address more than 60 years ago, the image of the US was of a country
BLIND COST CUTTING: A DOGE push to lay off 2,000 energy department workers resulted in hundreds of staff at a nuclear security agency being fired — then ‘unfired’ US President Donald Trump’s administration has halted the firings of hundreds of federal employees who were tasked with working on the nation’s nuclear weapons programs, in an about-face that has left workers confused and experts cautioning that the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE’s) blind cost cutting would put communities at risk. Three US officials who spoke to The Associated Press said up to 350 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) were abruptly laid off late on Thursday, with some losing access to e-mail before they’d learned they were fired, only to try to enter their offices on Friday morning
CONFIDENT ON DEAL: ‘Ukraine wants a seat at the table, but wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have a say? It’s been a long time since an election, the US president said US President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and added that he was more confident of a deal to end the war after US-Russia talks. Trump increased pressure on Zelenskiy to hold elections and chided him for complaining about being frozen out of talks in Saudi Arabia. The US president also suggested that he could meet Russian President Vladimir Putin before the end of the month as Washington overhauls its stance toward Russia. “I’m very disappointed, I hear that they’re upset about not having a seat,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida when asked about the Ukrainian
RSS