Regulations and Government
Congressional Observer
u Even before President Barack Obama took the oath of office on January 20 political analysts, media gurus (press, radio, TV talking heads) and a horde of

u Even before President Barack Obama took the oath of office on January 20 political analysts, media gurus (press, radio, TV talking heads) and a horde of amateur prognosticators came out of the woodwork to peer deeply into their crystal balls for any insight as to how Congress would react to Obama’s campaign promises and legislative goals.

Looking back to the last sessions of Congress when Democrats gained control of the Senate and the House of Representatives and promptly announced there would be
new directions to speed the lawmaking process, better control of earmark or pork amendments and more oversight of lawmakers’ ethics, ball gazers could see that partisan feuding transmitted only hazy pictures that reflected minimal Congressional output on must-do legislation. According to a Congressional Quarterly survey, the Senate last year voted the lowest number of times since 1951.