As the lame duck congress comes back into session many changes are afoot in government committees and sub-committees.

Environmentalists cheered a surprise change in leadership of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which controls much of the laws dealing with global warming and alternative fuels.

Democrats in the House of Representatives voted Henry Waxman the new chairman, ousting fellow Democrat John Dingell of Michigan, who was seen as too close to the auto industry to effectively legislate regulations on emissions and other environmental standards.

Political analysts say that this shift in power is a matter of the growing influence of the speaker of the house, Nancy Pelosi of California. Speaker Pelosi's power will be even stronger with new Democrats coming into the new Congress.

"We are at a unique moment in history. We have an opportunity that maybe comes only once in a generation. And I think that the Democratic Caucus agreed with me that we must meet that challenge and move forward on those important policies." - Rep. Henry Waxman. D-CA

"John Dingell is trying to get sensitive to the changes going on in the country, but his life has been spent revolving around the automobile industry and protecting the industry from the vicissitudes of policies like automobile mileage standards and things that would crimp fossil fuels." - Norman Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute

1. What does Congress do?

2. What are committees in Congress? What do you think they do?

3. What happens in the period between the November election and when new lawmakers start work in January?

4. What are some issues that President-elect Barack Obama said he will
address when he becomes president in January?

1. The committee that Rep. Waxman is now in control of will deal with
important issues like the environment and health care. From what you
could learn from the report, how do you think he will help President Obama?

2. How important is Congress to the president's agenda? Can the
president do anything without Congress?

3. Did you know that certain members of Congress specialize in certain
areas? Look up your congressperson and which committees they
participate in.

4. What does Waxman mean when he says that we are in a unique moment
in history? How is this moment similar to others in history?