Regulations and Government
Congressional Observer: February 2007
The 110th Congress opened for business on January 4, with the Democrats in control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The 110th Congress opened for business on January 4, with the Democrats in control of the Senate and the House of Representatives. After the obligatory congratulatory oratory to honor newly elected legislators, Democrats began the process of showing that they can break the previous legislative deadlock by having both parties involved in solving the country’s problems.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the first woman to be Speaker of the House, proposed an ambitious 100-hour legislative program that included changing ethics rules, raising the minimum wage, restoring fiscal responsibility, allowing more stem cell research and reducing interest rates on student loans.