Condor,
The Senate (before Senator Wellstone's death) was 50 D, 49 R, 1 Independent.
I don't remember the House numbers exactly, the Republicans had small majority of about 5 or 6, which they are keeping and expanding slightly.
So no great change in the House, huge change the in Senate. In the Senate there are two significant numbers. First and foremost, which party is in the majority? The committee chairs always belong to the majority party, and the committee chairs are hugely powerful; they control what legislation makes it to the floor.
The Senate also has the authority to confirm (or not) a number of executive and judicial nominations, and this process has also become highly politicized in recent years. There is a backlog of about 80 Repulican-appointed judges whose confirmation has been stalled in committee, but who will now be confirmed post-haste.
The other significant number is 60. Does the majority have a voting bloc of sixty or more (this can be comprised of obedient party members/and or like minded Senators from the opposing party)?. Sixty votes are required for cloture, which ends a filibuster. Without it, the minority party has a brake they can apply to any legislation they don't like, expensive to use, but effective. |
