The 111th Congress convened formally for the first time Tuesday, with signs of partisan rumblings already being heard. As newly elected and reelected Senators were sworn in and representatives in the House took their biennial oath of office, Congress prepared to begin what could become a rancorous debate about how best to prop up the economy.
The first piece of business for the new Congress is an economic stimulus plan that Democratic lawmakers want to have ready for Barack Obama to sign shortly after he takes over the presidency on January 20th.
But while Democrats say they want to move forward with the package in a spirit of cooperation, Republicans are already raising objections over rule changes that will help dictate how debate will proceed and that GOP leaders claim roll back some of the reforms the party put in place during the 1990s.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was reelected as head of the chamber by the newly expanded Democratic majority, immediately pledging to work in a bipartisan, but swift manner to tackle the nation's problems.
"Together, with our new President, we as a Congress and as a country must fulfill the rest of America's promise. All of that promise will not be redeemed quickly or easily. But it must be pursued urgently--with spirited debate, and without partisan deadlock or delay," Pelosi said, speaking on the House floor. "We need action and we need action now."
She added, "Let us listen to each other. Let us respect every voice and view. And then together, let us act."
The House also adopted a new package of rules to govern debate that Democrats say will streamline the work of the body, but Republicans decried as an effort to shut them out of debates.
Among the rules changes that waive term limits for committee chairmen and limit motions to recommit - a procedure used by House Republicans frequently over the last two years to attach unpalatable amendments to some Democratic bills.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the removal of term limits was an effort to stem the influence of money in politics.
"With chairmanships up for grabs so frequently, fundraising ability became one of the most important job qualifications, and legislative skill was sacrificed to political considerations," he said.
Hoyer also said House Democrats would remain open to "good faith" efforts to modify Democratic legislation.
"In these hard times, we need the Republican Party to be a constructive partner in policy making," he said. "But we all understand which motions are not offered in good faith: Those are the motions that attempt to kill bills through parliamentary tricks and waste our constituents' time on 'gotcha' politics."
However some House Republicans looked to the new session with a sense of skepticism.
Republican Leader Rep. John Boehner, of Ohio, lashed out at Democrats for repealing elements of the "Contract with America" reforms established in the 1990s.
"At this time of economic anxiety, the American people deserve better. Open debate and transparency are two of the key ingredients needed to produce good legislation," Boehner said in a post on the conservative Web site RedState. "If Congressional Democrats proceed with these regrettable changes, the message it sends about their intended style of legislating in the 111th Congress will be an ominous one."
California Republican Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon also said Tuesday that it would only be a matter of time before Democrats enacted an agenda aimed at paying back their political allies, beginning with a bill to allow unions to organize without holding secret ballot elections
The Senate did not take up any official actions other than swearing in the new class of Senators Tuesday.
Many of the newly elected and reelected Senators, including Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, D-Del., also took part in a ceremonial reenactment of taking their oath of office presided over by Vice President Dick Cheney in the historic old Senate chamber.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.