WASHINGTON (CBC News) January 4, 2007 — Within hours, the Democrats will control the U.S. Congress for the first time in more than a decade as newly elected members are sworn in.

The party took control of the House and Senate during November's mid-term elections and has promised an aggressive agenda during the first 100 hours.

The Democrats are poised to push through new bills to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour, increase research into stem cells and cut interest rates on student loans.

The legislation won't be open for much debate or amendment by the Republicans, the kind of heavy-handed tactics Democrats used to complain about when they were in the minority.

"It appears the 'first 100 hours' of the Democrats' legislative agenda will come from a smoke-filled room," said Republican House Representative Jeb Hensarling.

Democrats defend the move, saying they are merely delivering on election promises.

California Democrat Nancy Pelosi will also make history Thursday, becoming the first female Speaker of the House. She will address the House after she's sworn in by Michigan Representative John Dingell, the longest serving member of the House.
 
She has promised immediate steps to ban gifts from lobbyists and to clamp down on travel funded by private interests.

Nevada Democrat Harry Reid will become Senate majority leader.

Iraq war a focus

The mid-term results were seen as an indictment on U.S. President George W. Bush's Iraq policy.

"If I was going to quantify it, I would say it was maybe 60 per cent Iraq,  35 per cent scandals and five per cent other things," said longtime political analyst Charlie Cook, who believes the Democrats might be missing the point about why they were swept back to power.

Democrats promised a new direction on Iraq throughout the mid-term election campaign, but two months after the vote, the party has yet to deliver any plans.

Bush on Wednesday urged both parties to set aside partisan politics and work together to "focus on the future." He also said he was working on a five-year plan to balance the budget by 2012.

Bush, who said he looked forward to working with the new Congress, challenged Democrats to avoid passing "bills that are simply political" statements.

His Rose Garden news conference echoed the same themes the president discussed in an op-ed in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal.

Other priorities Democrats have pledged to tackle during their first 1000 hours include:

• Require the government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for lower medicare drug prices.
• Create an intelligence oversight panel within the House Appropriations Committee and implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations.
• Promote renewable energy and conservation, and repeal a handful of oil industry tax breaks.
• Expand current bans on some privately financed trips, eliminate gifts from lobbyists, prohibit travel on corporate jets and require greater public disclosure of targeted special interest legislation.