Obama Praises Post-Election Legislation

Not-so-lame ducks after all. In a speech to reporters Wednesday, President Obama praised the work the 111th Congress in the days before adjourning. After months of partisan rancor, Congress managed to come to a vote on several key pieces of legislation, including a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, new powers for the Food and Drug Administration, ratification of the U.S.-Russia arms-reduction treaty, and the 9/11 Health Bill. “We are not doomed to endless gridlock,” the president said, promising more compromise to move policy forward in the coming years, when Republicans will control the House of Representatives. Despite his many successes, the president expressed disappointment that the DREAM Act, which allows a path to legalization for children of illegal immigrants, did not pass. Shortly after the press conference, both the Senate and House adjourned until Jan. 5.