111th CONGRESS, 1ST SESSION BEGINS ON JANUARY 6, 2009

President Abraham Lincoln addressed the Congress of the United States in December, 1862. He stated:

“The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled
high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion.”

“As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves,
and then we shall save our country.”

“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.”

President Lincoln described the nation’s context in 1862 in ways that will resonate with the First Session
of the 111th Congress, as U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators rise to be sworn into office on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 in the U.S. Capitol. Members of the House stand for election or re-election every two years. Elections for one-third of U.S. Senate seats are held every two years. A handful of November, 2008 Congressional election results remain undecided or unconfirmed as of the New Year.

On November 18 and 19, 2008 House and Senate Democrats elected their leaders for the 111th Congress,
First Session, and House And Senate Republicans did the same. Here are the leaders of the U.S. Senate and
U.S. House of Representatives for the upcoming year. This list does not include House or Senate Committee Chairs or Ranking Minority Members on Committees. Read More >>