Environmental Policy Outlook for the 112th Congress
by Cliff L. Rothenstein (D.C), Michael W. Evans (D.C), Cindy L. O'Malley (D.C)
The 112th Congress, which kicked off on January 5th, has a vastly different makeup and profile than the just completed 111th Congress. A new, more conservative Republican House majority, with a new Speaker, new committee chairmen anxious to make their mark, new Tea Party members, coupled with a more liberal House minority due to the defeat of 20 plus so-called Blue Dogs and longtime fixtures of the likes of Ike Skelton, John Spratt and Jim Oberstar, may make for a rather polarizing couple of years.
In the Senate, the leadership and committee chairmen and composition will look very similar to the last Congress. But with the Democrats holding only a razor thin majority, overcoming real or threatened filibusters will continue to be a challenge.
