The men and women of the 110th Congress are settling back in after the holiday recess. Already, a number of Republicans have announced their intention not to seek re-election after the current session. A number of seats will consequently open up, and could be filled by women, pushing the percentage of female legislators beyond its current disproportionately low figure of 16%. The composition of the next Congress may be quite different, as the primaries have seen many more Democrats caucusing than Republicans. If this trend continues, the size of the majority taking their seats in January 2009 may be large enough to effect serious change.

The 110th Congress' First Session, which ended last December, received very mixed reviews. In spite of our high hopes a year ago, it was a rancorous, divisive, and dispiriting year on the Hill. The big winners were large health insurance companies and hedge-fund managers who blocked legislation that would have hit their pocketbooks. The biggest losers were uninsured children, whose numbers will increase as efforts to expand SCHIP failed. For the most part, Leader Pelosi's pledge of fiscal responsibility was kept. However, many initiatives were met with Presidential vetoes and insufficient majorities to override them.

Congress twice passed an expanded version of SCHIP that was fully paid for by increased tobacco taxes. The President refused to sign any bill calling for such a tax increase, and the ultimate bill does not make SCHIP available to more families, and further raises the income threshold in a number of states by which households can qualify.

The President similarly blocked FY 2008 appropriations bills that would have increased or maintained funding levels for a number of domestic programs. The popular Head Start program was cut, and will have sustained an 11% cut since 2002. The Child Care Development and Block Grant, through which states receive funds to operate child care programs, received none of its requested increase. A number of other programs for early care and education were scaled back. Rather than demonstrating any forward movement, policies we would wish to see continue and grow are instead constantly under threat by a hostile Administration.

The bill to increase the federal minimum wage was successful, and this is good for women. The Postpartum Research and Care Act was passed. Congress passed a bill authorizing $50 million per year to establish a small business child care grant program. The President vetoed it. The Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor has had its budget reduced again, and will receive $6,000 less than it did in FY 2007, and $172,000 less than requested.

The (apparently interminable) presidential campaign will dominate politics this year and distract attention from action on the Hill which would otherwise show up on your front page. Bills for paid sick days, enhanced unemployment benefits, workplace flexibility, and expanded paid family medical leave will probably languish in their respective committees, as their sponsors may wait, hoping for a more favorable climate after the next election cycle. However, it's ALWAYS a good time to contact your senators or representatives about issues that matter to YOU. They are there to work for all of us, and our taxes pay their salaries. Give them a call - operators are standing by...

'Til next time -

Your (Wo)Man in Washington