Democracy

Last year President Obama made a speech to the two Houses of the Canadian Parliament. It's worth watching and listening to. (Justin Trudeau's words are also worth listening to - so, if you have time, don't skip the first 9 minutes of this video). I would particularly draw your attention to the following words in the President's speech, very relevant now! -

"I think we can all agree that our democracies are far from perfect. They can be messy, and they can be slow, and they can leave all sides of a debate unsatisfied.  ... But more than any other system of government, democracy allows our most precious rights to find their fullest expression, enabling us, through the hard, painstaking work of citizenship, to continually make our countries better. To solve new challenges. To right past wrongs.

...

Democracy is not easy. It's hard. Living up to our ideals can be difficult even in the best of times. And it can be harder when the future seems uncertain, or when, in response to legitimate fears and frustrations, there are those who offer a politics of "us" versus "them," a politics that scapegoats others — the immigrant, the refugee, someone who seems different than us. We have to call this mentality what it is — a threat to the values that we profess, the values we seek to defend. "

Following the House of Commons (particularly Oral Questions)

The Commons Business App can be found in the AppStore as "Commons Order Papers" - you can download for each sitting day the business papers for the day ahead. The one for next Monday is available now (we are currently in a recess - normally the papers are only available after the previous day's business has finished.

Part I is 'Business Today' - click on ''Business Today: Chamber" - that has all the oral questions set down for that day. Not all will be asked, when time runs out, remaining questions get only a written answer.

Part II is 'Future Business'

The Parliamentary website is www.parliament.uk

Follow the following tabs -

- Parliamentary business

  - Publications & Records

    - House of Commons business papers

      - Question Book (from this page you can download the PDF of dates and deadlines - direct link http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-table-office/Oral-questions-rota.pdf)

        - Questions for oral answer on a future day

(This comes out every day and lists questions up to the third parliamentary day from the date of issue.

Hansard is also available on the parliamentary website

- Parliamentary business

  - Publications & records

    - View & search Commons & Lords Hansards - direct link https://hansard.parliament.uk

Election of the Speaker

First day back at the gym, and as there is wifi, I listened to C-SPAN on my iPhone. As luck would have it, my go on the treadmill (walking machine or whatever trendy title it has now) coincided with the rebroadcast of the speeches made by the defeated candidate, Nancy Pelosi - and the re-elected Speaker, Paul Ryan. These speeches are part of the proceedings on the first day of the Congress.

C-SPAN has an app that allows you to listen to the live feeds of C-SPAN Radio; and the three TV channels. I listen to it sometimes during the night. During the day I prefer to watch the TV via C-SPAN's website. There is also a searchable archive of all programmes broadcast ( which as a researcher into Congress (increasing specialising in its development from the 1970s - is an invaluable resource - and allowed me to watch yesterday's proceedings this morning - I was driving home from Bath).

There is also a Congressional Record app available - Also an invaluable tool for both researching & following Congress.

Nomination of Speaker

Yesterday was the first meeting of the new, 115th, Congress. One of the first matters dealt with in the House of Representatives was the election of the Speaker. The clip below shows the nominations of Republican, Paul Ryan and the Democrat, Nancy Pelosi.



Paul Ryan won by 239 to 189.

First Day of a new Congress

At noon, Washington DC time, (5pm GMT) a new Congress will start. I normally watch both the House and Senate - thanks to the miracle of the Internet - https://www.c-span.org/. I'm afraid that Congress isn't as precise with its timings as the UK Parliament.

Key events today in the House of Representatives will be The Election of the Speaker (How many will 'rebel' and fail to vote for the current leader of their own party?); the collective swearing in of members, and the debate on changes to the Rules of the House.

Well worth watching!

As this New Year develops, this blog will be commenting upon & explaining many of the events in Congress - keep watching this space....!