# Are there any News Reports analyzing the makeup of the New Congress? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 2, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784 "2013-01-02T00:39:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/1 "2013-01-02T00:39:23Z")
It would be helpful knowing who is leaving and who replaces them. Their party and perceived stance (moderate, hard line tea party, very, to the left liberal etc.) I seemed to get the impression at least a few of the most stubborn, unyielding tea party types are gone? iirc a few of tea partiers just weren’t interested in governing? They got elected and then didn’t like the tedium of the job. I know we’ll still have a Rep House and Dem Senate. Any hope that this new group can actually negotiate with each other? There’s a lot of difficult budget work ahead. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/2 "2013-01-02T02:00:18Z")
I thought of Lieberman leaving. I see that as a significant loss to bipartisanship. He’s a Hawk on anything relating to Israel. Christopher S. Murphy the new guy? Giffords (D) replaced by handpicked Ron Barber. She tried to work the middle on many issues. Barber probably will be similar. Newsman are all over the place on CNN and NBCnews. They should have Covered the incoming Congress by now. No need to bash anyone. Just looking to see what changes are coming in terms of negotiations. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/3 "2013-01-02T03:01:19Z")
As far as I’ve seen, it looks like the Senate Democratic caucus as a whole becomes rather more liberal, with progressives like Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren coming in and centrists like Lieberman and Ben Nelson leaving. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/4 "2013-01-02T03:02:57Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > As far as I’ve seen, it looks like the Senate Democratic caucus as a whole becomes rather more liberal, with progressives like Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren coming in and centrists like Lieberman and Ben Nelson leaving. Also with Brown, Lugar, Hutchinson, and Snowe gone, the Republican caucus has become more conservative. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/5 "2013-01-02T04:07:24Z")
I’m guessing that the fifty-first vote, moving from the third most conservative Democrat to the fifth, in a caucus that has moved less means that more progressive legislation is somewhat possible. Since whatever filibuster reform they have planned isn’t going to eliminate it completely, it looks like the sixtieth vote is still going to matter. That would be the fifth most liberal Republican, rather than the seventh. I don’t know what direction that line has moved. The House, currently, is basically flat-out useless, and I’m guessing that’s not going to change much. With the Dems picking up a handful of seats, it’ll likely be a slight improvement, but elementary school students would also probably be an improvement from where things are right now. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/6 "2013-01-02T17:04:12Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Newsman are all over the place on CNN and NBCnews. They should have Covered the incoming Congress by now. They have. Here are a few examples: [one here](http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/11/26/fewer-moderates-make-deals-harder-for-incoming-congress/) [and another here](http://todaynews.today.com/_news/2012/12/28/15541068-incoming-freshmen-of-congress-more-women-minorities-vets?lite). You’ll find a lot of people agreeing with these theories: > [@waterj2](#): > > As far as I’ve seen, it looks like the Senate Democratic caucus as a whole becomes rather more liberal, with progressives like Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren coming in and centrists like Lieberman and Ben Nelson leaving. > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Also with Brown, Lugar, Hutchinson, and Snowe gone, the Republican caucus has become more conservative. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/7 "2013-01-02T17:23:59Z")
I think overall the new congress, both house and senate, will be even more divided with fewer moderates than the last session. I believe there are only 12 incoming blue-dog Democrats in the house. And I think there are 80 or so republicans that label themselves Tea Party caucus and are typically very conservative all around, even more so than “establishment” republicans. Basically, very little will get done for the next 2 and probably 4 years. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/8 "2013-01-04T07:45:44Z")
This sounds encouraging and is a step in the right direction. > **[A bisexual, a Buddhist, a Hindu, two female combat veterans and a record 20...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2256786/The-113th-Congress-A-bisexual-Buddhist-Hindu-2-female-combat-veterans-record-20-women-senators.html)** > > Not only will a record-breaking 20 female senators make up the Senate, but Congress will have a bisexual member, a Buddhist, a Hindu and two female combat veterans for the first time in history. > **[Meet the New Class: The Senate Swears in a Historic 20 Female Senators](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/meet-class-senate-swears-historic-20-female-senators/story?id=18113363#.UOaJMKyWQYt)** > > Today the Senate will make history, swearing in a record-breaking 20 female Senators – 4 Republicans and 16 Democrats – in office. As the 113th Congress is sworn in today on Capitol Hill, ABC "World News" anchor Diane Sawyer has an exclusive joint... > [@](#): > > When Congress is sworn in on Thursday, it will have a very different - and diverse - line up. > > Not only will a record-breaking 20 female senators make up the Senate, but Congress will have a bisexual member, a Buddhist, a Hindu and two female combat veterans for the first time in history. > > This modern face of Congress shows how it is finally taking a stride towards reflecting the country it is voted to represent - and it’s a move the female senators are thrilled about. > > ‘I can’t tell you the joy that I feel in my heart to look at these 20 gifted and talented women from two different parties, different zip codes to fill this room,’ Sen. Barbara Mikulksi, D-Md., told ABC. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/10 "2013-01-06T06:35:07Z")
When she is one of the 20, how does she “look” at 20? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/11 "2013-01-06T13:28:21Z")
Here is a short article about the religious composition of the 113th: [http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/340597](http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/340597) House: 247 Protestants, 136 Catholics, 22 Jews, 8 Mormons, 8 Unspecified, 5 Orthodox Christians, 2 Buddhists, 2 Muslims, 1 Unitarian Universalist, 1 Hindu, and 1 Unaffiliated Senate: 52 Protestants, 27 Catholics, 11 Jews, 7 Mormons, 2 Unspecified, and 1 Buddhist Also, a blog by Charles Mathesian from Politico discussing the same topic: [Non-believers on rise in Congress - POLITICO](http://www.politico.com/blogs/charlie-mahtesian/2013/01/nonbelievers-on-rise-in-congress-153418.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/12 "2013-01-06T13:30:55Z")
nt ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/13 "2013-01-07T19:10:29Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > When she is one of the 20, how does she “look” at 20? A mirror? It isn’t really strange to look upon a collective of which you are a part and make statements concerning it. Pretty much any congressman could say “When I look at this congress…” and not have it sound unreasonable. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-news-reports-analyzing-the-makeup-of-the-new-congress/645784/14 "2013-01-07T19:34:16Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > A mirror? > > It isn’t really strange to look upon a collective of which you are a part and make statements concerning it. Pretty much any congressman could say “When I look at this congress…” and not have it sound unreasonable. Really? It wouldn’t have sounded odd when Neil Armstrong came back from the moon to have said to the press, “When I look at these two men who walked on the moon, I feel a sense of…”?