WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Washington Democrats say they want to redefine the congressional agenda by addressing the economic needs of middle- and working-class citizens.
They hope to score a few quick legislative victories in January and follow them with longer-term plans to shift the dialogue on Capitol Hill to workers' pay, college tuition, healthcare costs, retirees' income and other issues that touch ordinary families, the Washington Post reported Sunday.
Although Democrats will hold a tenuous 51-49 majority in the Senate, Republicans may be well-positioned to thwart their legislation and Democrats in the House already show signs of division, the Post noted.
Democrats will also face a conflict between the cost of some of their policies and their pledge to tighten federal spending rules.
Still, key Democrats say they will heed voters' messages from the midterm elections and lay groundwork for the 2008 presidential campaign, in which they predict the widening income gap in the United States will be a prominent theme.
