CapitolWire
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The Brussels Connection to Capitol Hill
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The 113th Congress: Who’s Who for Europe CapitolWire is a joint publication of the Bertelsmann Foundation offices in Washington, DC and Brussels. It connects the European Parliament to Congressional policy and politics, and contributes to a common trans-Atlantic political culture. CapitolWire is an occasional publication that highlights issues, legislation and policymakers relevant to the European Parliament’s legislative cycle. This publication also looks at the Congress from the point of view of European Parliament staffers and offers timely operational analysis.
KEY POINTS • The 113th Congress is the most diverse in history. For the first time, white men are the minority among Democrats in the House of Representatives. • The 435 members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years. The number of a state’s representatives—and the congressional districts they represent—is based on the population of that state. The 100 members of the Senate are elected every four years. Each state has two senators regardless of population. All representatives are directly elected. • Seventeen percent of the representatives in the House and 14 percent of the senators were newly elected or appointed to the 113th Congress. They are known as “freshman members”. The new 113th Congress is little changed from its predecessor. The Republicans remain the majority in the House, and the Democrats still control the Senate. The legislature, however, is more diverse than ever, boasting 101 women, 45 African-Americans, 38 Hispanic or Latinos, 13 Asian-Americans or Pacific Islanders and seven openly gay or bisexual members.
such as gun control and immigration. Passing trade-promotion authority is also on the agenda as the administration pursues trade agreements with the European Union and Asian-Pacific countries involved in the TransPacific Partnership. This edition of the CapitolWire highlights ten key members of the House and Senate who will drive policy toward Europe in the years ahead.
As they deal with the ongoing nomination process, the House and Senate are also endeavoring to tackle controversial issues
The Bertelsmann Foundation is a private, nonpartisan operating foundation, working to promote and strengthen trans-Atlantic cooperation. Serving as a platform for open dialogue among key stakeholders, the Foundation develops practical policy recommendations on issues central to successful development of both sides of the ocean. ©Copyright 2013, Bertelsmann Foundation. All rights reserved.
©Copyright 2010, Bertelsmann Foundation. All rights reserved.
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As the 113th Congress reaches its fifth month in power, many of the initiatives that failed in the 112th are encountering renewed resistance. Issues such as the Farm Bill, cybersecurity legislation and sequestration remain stuck due to partisanship.
The Senate confirmation process of presidential cabinet members has also been a victim of political gridlock. Republicans stalled many key nominations such as former Senator Hagel’s to be defense secretary. With the recent announcement of Michael Froman to serve as US trade representative and Penny Pritzker to be commerce secretary, the president has only one cabinet-level appointment left to name, that for the Small Business Administration.