U.S. House

U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Lakewood) announced Thursday that she is pregnant with her first child.

U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-Concord) played an important behind the scenes role in the ascension of U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Cali.) to become the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee.

Hodes served as a member of Waxman's whip team in a caucus vote that pitted Waxman against committee chairman U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.). House Democrats voted 137-122 to give the chairmanship to Waxman instead of to Dingell, who has been the leading Democrat on the committee since 1981.

U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes has not been selected to be the next secretary of Homeland Security. Politico reports that Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano has been selected to head the agency. Although Reyes was not considered a marquee contender, his name had emerged in some news reports. The El Paso Democrat heads the House Intelligence committee.

Reyes spokesman Vince Perez told PolitickerTX.com Reyes had not been approached by anyone connected to the incoming administration about the post.  He added Reyes may issue a statement about Napolitano's selection when she officially accepts the appointment offer.

WGME has this piece on incoming U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-North Haven) and her week of new member orientation on Capitol Hill.

She has received briefings on everything from terrorist training to hiring staff to what she can put in her office.

Pingree is also hearing about the auto industry bailout and the financial crisis. “It’s a little bit like sitting on the outside and knowing that we’ll be making these decisions in a couple weeks,” she said.

Click here for the story.

A slight bump in counted ballots boosted State Sen. Tom McClintock's showing in the 4th Congressional District race Wednesday, to a lead of 592 votes at 4:48 p.m. over Democrat Charlie Brown.

McClintock  (R-Thousand Oaks) had 170,125 votes to 169,533 for Brown, from Roseville. The percentages in the race remained unchanged, at 50.1 percent for McClintock to 49.9 percent for Brown.

U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Tucson) has been elected to become co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, along with Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.). The two defeated Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.).

"I believe it is time for our Caucus to move to the next level and continue to advance our progressive agenda in an effective and pragmatic manner,” Grijalva said in a statement following Wednesday's vote. “By being independent, inclusive, issue and solution based and unified in our policy decisions – we will be more effective.”

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Paterson, Bloomberg, Clinton, Kennedy and other generally recognizable people at the R.F.K., Jr. bridge dedication today.

David Paterson told a reporter he would not feel obligated to appoint a woman to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, should she leave it.

If Clinton becomes S.o.S. the people her campaign owes money will just have to wait.

Andrew Cuomo drew 500 people to a forum "to discuss how Cuomo's office can help citizens with a variety of issues."

The city cut funding to 21 day care centers around the city.

The City Council voted to rezone the Lower East Side, a move actively opposed by the Chinatown community.

The State Senate majority learns how to lead again.

Further opposition to the Brooklyn House of Detention.

Gary Ackerman criticized

After making two unsuccessful tries at knocking off incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Gold River), Democrat Bill Durston said he plans on making a third bid in 2010.

Noting how his support in the 3rd Congressional District race improved between 2006 and 2008 - from 37.9 percent to 43.8 - Durston said he believes Lungren could be vulnerable in two years.

A judge turned down the House Republican Organizational Committee’s lawsuit yesterday seeking a restraining order on the counting of ballots in the 6th Legislative District race, but that will not deter them from going forward with their lawsuit to revisit the original ballots that were made into duplicates.

House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt (R-Chehalis) said that, because less than one percent of the more than 7,000 duplicate ballots would need to be incorrect in order to overturn John Driscoll’s 63 vote lead over Rep. John Ahern, the possible discrepancies need to be explored.

"I've always been an advocate of open government," DeBolt told PolitickerWA.com. "The last thing we need to do is have people not trust our election system."

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus unanimously elected U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez as 1st vice chair of the caucus Wednesday. The election was a promotion for Gonzalez. The San Antonio Democrat had previously served as the caucus' 2nd vice chair.

"With our economy in peril, our healthcare system broken, and educational opportunities dwindling for America's youth, the need for us to come together to find common sense solutions to these challenges couldn't be greater, particularly for Latino families who often suffer greater consequences because of economic disparities," Gonzalez  said in a statement.