Using NewsHour Extra Feature Stories

Overview: NewsHour Extra feature stories can help students identify and interpret key issues in current events. This activity anticipates one class period, but the follow-up essay might be assigned as homework, or in another period.

Warm Up: Use initiating questions to introduce the topic and find out how much your students know.

Main Activity: Have students read NewsHour Extra's feature story and answer the questions on the reading comprehension handout.

Discussion: Use discussion questions to encourage students to think about how the issues outlined in the story affect their lives and express and debate different opinions.

Follow-up: Students can write an 500-word editorial on the topic expressing their views and send it to NewsHour Extra [extra@newshour.org] for possible publication.

Evaluation: Students are graded on their answers to reading comprehension questions and/or their editorial.

Story: New Congress is Challenge for President Bush, 11/08/06
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec06/congress_11-08.html

Initiating Questions:

1. What was the result of the Nov. 7 election?

2. Who won, who lost, what does this mean for President Bush?

3. How might this change U.S. policies?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. What has happened to the House of Representatives?

With their victory on election night, Democrats now control the House of Representatives for the first time in twelve years and may even control the Senate as well. Undoubtedly, the next two years in Congress will be very different.

2. Who will become the new Speaker of the House in January?

However, it is certain that when the new Congress convenes in January, Democrat Nancy Pelosi of California will be the Speaker of the House, the first woman to ever hold that position.

3. Why is the Speaker of the House position so important?

The Speaker of the House is one of the most powerful positions in Washington because it has the authority to almost single-handedly set the agenda for the House. She also becomes the third person in line to become president should something happen to the president and vice-president.

4. What do Republicans fear the new Speaker of the House will do?

Many Republicans believe that Pelosi is an extreme liberal who will raise taxes and prematurely pull the troops out of Iraq.

5. What are some of the new Speaker's views?

On her website, www.housedemocrats.gov, she tries to counter this claim by establishing six areas - including making higher education affordable and decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil - that the Democrats will try to work on.

Pelosi has been critical of the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq War, calling it a "bad idea" that has been "badly executed," but it is unclear whether she will be able to rally her fellow Democrats to end the war. After all, many new Democrats were elected from traditionally conservative areas like Indiana, where the Democrats picked up three seats.

6. How many seats do the Democrats need to take control of the Senate?

As of Wednesday, control of the Senate was still up in the air.

Democrats have 48 seats plus two independents who are likely to vote with them and the Republicans have 49 seats.

The Democrats won the crucial 48th seat in the Montana Senate race, which was so close a winner was not declared until late Wednesday morning.

The Virginia seat is still far too close to call and there are reports that there may be a recount and legal challenges to that decision. Democrats must win the Virginia seat to be able to claim majority status in the Senate because, in the case of a 50-50 tie, Vice President Dick Cheney would cast the tiebreaking vote for the Republicans.

7. Who are the possible new leaders of the Senate?

Either way, there will be a new Majority Leader in the Senate because Bill Frist of Tennessee, the current Majority Leader, is retiring.

If the Republicans retain the majority, their leader will most likely be Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. However, if the Democrats win the seats in both Montana and Virginia, their leader will almost definitely be Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada.

8. What are some questions that Democrats will have to consider over the next two years?

Will the Democrats be emboldened by their first real victory since 1994 and pursue a liberal agenda at the risk of alienating the newly elected conservative Democrats? Or will they try to forge a more centrist path at the risk of alienating their uncompromising liberal base?

9. What effect will the change of power have on President Bush in the remaining 2 years of his term?

Already, the election has had consequences. On Wednesday, President Bush announced the resignation of Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who had been the target of much criticism from Democrats, along with some Republicans, for the situation in Iraq.

It is highly unlikely that he will agree to any plan that would bring troops home from Iraq in the near future. However, it seems that he will have to make more compromises if he is to have any hope of realizing his agenda.

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. Are you happy with the election results? Why or why not?

2. How is the House different from the Senate? Consider responsibilities such as funding for key projects, appointing justices to the Supreme Court, ratifying treaties, etc. Why would the Democrats want control of the House? Why would they want control of the Senate?

3. How do you think the results of this election will influence the presidential election of 2008?

4. If you were in Nancy Pelosi's position, how would you handle the transfer of power and balance liberal with more moderate Democrats?

Write a 300-500 word essay on either of these topics providing clear examples. Send your completed editorial to NewsHour Extra (extra@newshour.org). Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site.