Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/looking-back--the-110th-congress-how-did-we-fare/5018472/
In the November 2008 election, one-third of the Senate and every Member of the House of Representatives faced re-election. Every two years, this process recreates the Congress. In January 2009, the new 111th Congress will convene in Washington, DC, ready to work with a new President on the challenges facing our country. Now is a good time to look back on the 110th Congress and its record on programs for children, as we prepare to tell our new national leaders what needs to be done.The 110th Congress began in January 2007 with much fanfare. After 12 years of Republican control, Democrats won majorities in both the House and Senate in the November 2006 elections. However, the Democratic majority was slim, so accomplishing anything would require bi-partisan agreement. And,
of course, Congress had multiple,
compelling priorities, including military deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
National Summit on America’s Children
In May 2007, Speaker Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA), the first woman Speaker of the House, put children front and center by convening a National Summit on America’s Children. The Summit brought together Members of Congress with leaders and experts from across the country, including a provider of early care and education programs,1 to ...