Lawmakers get back to work

Republicans officially took control of the 108th Congress Tuesday, with a busy schedule ahead for lawmakers from both parties. In the Senate, Tennessee Senator Bill Frist began his first day as majority leader, stating that he hoped that this Congress "will be defined by achievement as well as a cooperative spirit." He added that "at this point in time, our nation faces truly historic challenges."

One of those challenges will be in Congress' ability to compromise. Republicans hold a slim 51-to-49 majority over Democrats in the Senate, which is not enough to guarantee that everything on their agenda will be pushed though easily. However, their majority there - however narrow - will help Republicans dole out committee assignments, decide which bills make it to the floor, and promote the president's agenda.

RESOURCES • CNN.com: New Congress begins with GOP at helm  • CNN/Money: Special Report: The Bush plan  • Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Role and Powers of Congress  • U.S. Senate  • U.S. House of Representatives

Republicans also control the House of Representatives, where a historic swearing-in took place on Tuesday. Democrat Nancy Pelosi became the first woman ever to head up a political party, taking her place as House minority leader. "With the extraordinary challenges ahead, we will not only need to work in diligent cooperation and collaboration, but we will need to test our own imaginations," Pelosi said.

First up on the lawmakers' agenda will be a contentious debate over how to boost the sagging U.S. economy. President Bush unveiled his plan on Chicago, where he called for about $670 billion over 10 years to stimulate the economy. He said that leaders would "not rest until every business has a chance to grow and every person who wants to find work can find a job."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, waves as she is introduced on the floor of the House.

But Democrats argue that Bush's plan will leave too big a hole in the federal deficit, which is the amount of money by which what the government spends exceeds what it collects in taxes. Senator John Edwards, a Democrat from North Carolina, said that the U.S. is already in deficit spending - when a government spends more money that it takes in. Edwards argues that the president has not presented a plan to get the government back to a balanced budget, or a situation in which the government is taking in more money than it is spending.

Adding excitement to lawmakers' first day back was a surprise announcement by Senator Tom Daschle. Though his aides expected him to announce his candidacy for president this weekend, Daschle instead said he would not seek the government's top spot in 2004 because his passion was in the Senate.