Credit: NBC News
On Thursday, members of the newly elected Congress gathered on Capitol Hill to ring in the new year, as the 113th Congress opened. Ten bills relating to gun violence were introduced, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid extended the "First Day" of Congress to allow for possible changes to Senate rules and filibuster reform, John Boehner was re-elected Speaker of the House, and Vice President Joe Biden swore in new and re-elected members of Congress.
We welcomed the new Congress by holding a political tweet chat on the importance of and barriers to compromise in Washington. The 113th Congress may be the most religiously diverse Congress in history, and it may include the most number of women, but the advantages inherent in electing a more representative government can only be discovered if our leaders can work together to pass meaningful legislation.
In our discussion about "Compromise and Nonpartisan Solutions" we touched upon issues like the fiscal cliff, gerrymandering, and political parties, while focusing on nonpartisan solutions like campaign finance reform, open primary elections, filibuster reform. We opened the chat by asking our participants on both Twitter and Facebook:
What New Year’s resolutions do you think leaders in Washington should make this year?
Aaron on TwitterKamil on TwitterShawn on TwitterTerri on TwitterKen on TwitterSimon on TwitterGlen on TwitterEmma on TwitterRyan on TwitterDave on TwitterBeatrice on Twitter