LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
WHAT THE ELECTIONS MIGHT MEAN
Changes in a Divided and Uncertain Congress
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We may not know who the next president will be yet, but the November elections produced some noteworthy changes in Congress. When the new Congress convenes January 3 it will be the most evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats than it has in more than a century.
Those sharp divisions, the controversy and uncertainties surrounding the presidential contest, and the changing players will present challenges for Kids in the Know members. This Legislative Update provides a preview of the new dynamics in Congress and the impact of the election.
The Next Congress
Republicans maintained majorities in both Houses, but they were narrowed to razor-thin margins. Should Governor George Bush be become president, the Senate would be divided equally (50-50) among Democrats and Republicans for the first time in more than 100 years. Under this scenario, Republicans would maintain the majority via the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Richard Cheney, who would serve as President of the Senate.
If Vice President Gore is elected, Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) would resign his seat and the Republican Governor would appoint a Republican Senator, providing a 51-49 Republican majority.
No significant changes are expected in the leadership of the Senate committee with jurisdiction of education and children, where James Jeffords (R-VT) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) will retain their top positions, and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) will remain the senior Democrat on the panel’s Subcommittee on Children and Families.
In the 435-member House, Republicans maintained a majority, but it was cut to just nine votes. In addition, the six-year term limits that House Republicans imposed on their committee chairmen mean that 14 of the 20 committees will be under new leadership.
Among the committees that will have a new chairman is the Education and Workforce Committee, which will be the key battleground for student privacy proposals. Retiring Chairman Bill Goodling (R-PA) and his staff were sympathetic to the views of Kids in the Know and strong supporters of local control.
Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI) is in line to succeed Goodling, based on seniority. But Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) plans to go beyond seniority in selecting panel chairs. As a result, John Boehner (R-OH) and Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) have expressed interest in chairing the panel. And Rep. Marge Roukema (R-NJ) may seek the post if she loses her bid to chair the banking committee.
On the Democratic side, Rep. George Miller (D-CA) will replace the retiring William Clay (D-MO) as the ranking Democrat on the Committee. With this elevation, Rep. Miller will be positioned to continue his efforts to advance his student privacy initiative.
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