The opening day of the 111th Congress was dramatic as new members of Congress were sworn in and leaders turned away Roland Burris, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's appointment to fill Mr. Obama's Senate seat. Burris' appointment is controversial because Blagojevich is being investigated for allegations that he tried to sell the Senate seat. The first 5 minutes of this video summarizes the day's events and the challenges facing the new Congress. As the United States remains locked in an economic recession, one of the first orders of business will likely be a stimulus package aimed at helping give tax payers some relief and pouring money into projects that will jump start the economy. Quotes “There's a very strong sense among those of us on the Democratic side that we are in a position now to do more for the national interest than almost any of us here have ever been able to do.” -Rep. Barney Frank, D.-Mass. “It's very difficult for me as a policymaker to give someone a blank check and say that I'll support a piece of legislation sight unseen. So the issue here is, is the public view, the openness of the process, and that will determine where people end up voting.” -Rep. Patrick Mchenry, R.-N.C. Warm Up Questions 1. What does Congress do? What are the two houses of Congress? 2. When members of Congress are picked to join a president’s administration, who decides who fills that seat? Discussion Questions 1. Though Burris was turned away on Tuesday, opposition to him taking the seat is weakening. Should Blagojevich’s appointment stand? Why or why not? 2. The Democrats have a majority in the Senate, the House and there will soon be a Democratic president. What are the pros and cons of one party having so much power? 3. If you were a new member of Congress, what would your top three priorities be and why? Additional Resources Transcript of this report New Year Brings New Congress, Foreign Policy Challenges