The Reporter Blogs: The Reporter's Community Notebook: January 2013

LIVE: Vice President Biden talks gun control

Today, in a hangout hosted by Google and moderated by Hari Sreenivasan from PBS NewsHour, Vice President Biden will speak with a group of Google+ users about the White House policy recommendations and answer their questions.

Things to know about US military lifting the ban on female fighters

View the story "Pentagon chief lifts ban on women in combat: Some things to know" on Storify

The new Congress will be the most diverse in history

The 113th Congress will be the most diverse in U.S. history, though it still lags behind the changing demographics of the country.

View the story "The 113th Congress will be the most diverse ever" on Storify The 113th Congress will be the most diverse ever The 113th Congress will be the most diverse in U.S. history, though it still lags behind the changing demographics of the country. Storified by Digital First Media· Thu, Jan 03 2013 07:12:57 The 113th Congress will be the most diverse in U.S. history, though it still lags behind the changing demographics of the country. Below, a look at some of the firsts among the new senators and representatives.

First Buddhist senator

Twimg Photo courtesy of Mazie Hirono. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii, will succeed retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka. Raised in the Jodo Shinshu school of Pure Land Buddhism, she considers herself a non-practicing Buddhist. Two other Buddhists serve in Congress: Reps. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., and Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii.

First openly gay senator

Asset-cache U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin celebrates her victory in November. (Darren Hauck/Getty Images) A seven-term member of the House, Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin will be the first openly gay senator and one of seven lesbian, gay and bisexual members of Congress, making them the largest group to serve in Congress to date. In the last Congress, just four members were openly gay.

First Hindu in Congress

Asset-cache Tulsi Gabbard speaks at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) A former state legislator in Hawaii, Democrat Tulsi Gabbard was elected to the House in November and plans to be sworn in on a copy of the Bhagavad Gita. She is also the first American Samoan woman elected to Congress as a representative. (Del. Eni Faleomavaega serves as a non-voting delegate from American Samoa.)

First openly bisexual member of Congress

Fbcdn Kyrsten Sinema photo courtesy of kyrstensinema.com. A former state legislator in Arizona, Democrat Kyrsten Sinema was elected to the House in November. She will be the first openly bisexual member of Congress, although she prefers not to talk about it.

The most female senators

Asset-cache Sens. Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell, Claire McCaskill, Debbie Stabenow and Amy Klobuchar speak at a 2012 press conference (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) The incoming Senate will have 20 women (16 Democrats and four Republicans), the largest number in the history of the Senate. The previous Senate had 17 women.

Seventh African-American senator

Asset-cache Then-Rep. Tim Scott leaves a Senate Republican lunch with Sen. Jim DeMint in 2012. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, was appointed to the Senate to replace Jim DeMint, who left to become president of the Heritage Foundation. Scott is the seventh African-American senator and the first from the South since the Reconstruction era.

Five things we learned from the fiscal cliff debate

Congress averted the fiscal cliff's consequences, but the fight revealed some serious challenges in Washington.

View the story "Five things we learned from the fiscal cliff debate" on Storify Five things we learned from the fiscal cliff debate Congress averted the fiscal cliff's consequences, but the fight revealed some serious challenges in Washington. Storified by Digital First Media· Wed, Jan 02 2013 06:22:48 Congress has narrowly averted the consequences of the fiscal cliff on Tuesday night. But in the months-long ordeal that took place, it revealed some serious challenges in Washington. Here's a closer look at what we've learned.

Obama wants to deal

Denverpost What happened: As early as 2007, Barack Obama argued that the Bush-era tax cuts should be repealed for couples making above $250,000 a year. In 2010, he agreed to a two-year extension. The final deal approved Tuesday night repealed tax cuts for those making $450,000 a year. What it means: The president wants a deal. Obama could have held to the $250,000 threshold, letting Republicans vote against him and take the blame, but he traded it because he wanted a compromise.

Boehner is a weak speaker

Denverpost What happened: Speaker John Boehner walked away from negotiations with the White House, announced his Plan B to repeal tax cuts for those making more than $1 million a year, then canceled a vote when it became clear it couldn't pass either. A majority of Republicans, including Boehner's top lieutenants, voted against the final deal. What it means: Like Obama, Boehner wants a deal too. But without earmarks to sweeten the deal or the allegiance of his most conservative members, he can't get a compromise passed.

Topic A is spending

Denverpost What happened: The final deal to avoid the consequences of the fiscal cliff focused entirely on tax rates, with the spending cuts delayed by two months. It also does not address the debt ceiling, which must be raised again early this year. The fight over the debt ceiling was what led to the fiscal cliff in the first place. What it means: Gun control? Immigration? Foreign policy? Those are all sideshows. The big fight in the next Congress will continue to be how much the government should spend.

Public opinion does not matter

Denverpost What happened: Polls consistently showed more Americans thought that either some or all of the Bush tax cuts should expire. Congress' approval rating remains stuck at a dismal 18 percent. A recent poll found that 77 percent of Americans think Washington politics are causing serious harm to the country. What it means: Mandates don't matter. There was a lot of talk after the election about whether Obama or House Republicans had a mandate, but ultimately public opinion is not able to budge the gridlock.

It's going to be an interesting year

Denverpost What happened: President Obama wants a deal. The leader of the House Republicans is unable to pass one. Congress remains fixed on debating spending, the one issue where the two parties are the farthest apart. And public opinion is not enough to break the stalemate. Oh, and Boehner said something pretty raw to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. What it means: Get ready for a wild ride.

Blogs > The Reporter's Community Notebook

LIVE: Vice President Biden talks gun control

Things to know about US military lifting the ban on female fighters

The new Congress will be the most diverse in history

Five things we learned from the fiscal cliff debate

Contributors

Archives

Sections:

Marketplace

Services:

AllAroundPhilly Network: