The new US Congress was convening Tuesday at the dawn of an era of dominance for Barack Obama's Democrats in Washington with lawmakers consumed by the worst economic crisis in generations.
Democrats are celebrating expanded majorities in both chambers as Obama gets ready to move into the White House in two weeks and are promising to get to work immediately to implement the president-elect's ambitious agenda.
Obama is already pressing lawmakers for urgent action on a 775 billion dollar economic stimulus package, and has big first-term plans for global warming legislation and to ignite healthcare reform.
The president-elect, a former senator, vows to drain the acrimony which has marred relations between Capitol Hill and the White House and seen Congress's public approval ratings plummet to near 20 percent.
"Whereas in the past, sometimes, we've thought about issues in terms of Republican, Democrat, we are in those periods in American history where we don't have Republican or Democratic problems -- we've got American problems," Obama told leaders of both parties on Monday.
For the first time since Republicans snatched the House of Representatives in 1994, Democrats control both chambers of Congress and the White House, prompting high hopes for huge political change among grass roots supporters.
But even before the first day of the two year congressional session, Obama's hopes of changing the tone in Washington were already called into question by two ugly spats left over from November's election.
Democrat Al Franken is the apparent winner of a Minnesota Senate seat but Republican incumbent Norm Coleman is mounting a legal challenge and his party bosses deny the race is over.
Democrats meanwhile are refusing to seat Roland Burris of Illinois who was chosen by scandal-tainted Governor Rod Blagojevich who is accused of trying to sell off Obama's former Senate berth.
Demoralized Republicans, seeking to frame an opposition strategy, are fanning the flames of the Illinois drama, hoping to taint Democrats with the aura of corruption which has hampered their own brand.
Democrats start the new Congress with a comfortable majority in the 435-seat House after gaining more than 20 seats in November's election.
In the 100-member Senate, with Franken's win included, Democrats are just one seat short of the magic 60-seat barrier which would allow them to thwart Republican filibuster obstruction tactics.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed to "hit the ground running" on Obama's agenda, as the new president seeks to make the most of his popularity to ram through the key pieces of his agenda.
"It's a very, very exciting time," said Pelosi.
"We pledged to work together in a bipartisan way, with great civility, with great fiscal discipline. And I know the debate will be spirited. We welcome it."
The top piece of business in the House will be the massive stimulus bill after top Democratic leaders downplayed expectations the package would be ready for Obama to sign after he is sworn in on January 20.
Now the target date appears to be early to mid-February, with Obama warning undue delay could hammer the already devastated US economy.
As the Senate waits for the House to pass the bill, key committees will hold confirmation hearings on Obama's cabinet nominees, including Hillary Clinton, who is resigning her Senate seat to become secretary of state.
A tough confirmation fight is looming for former White House operative Leon Panetta, who was surprisingly named to the head the CIA by Obama's transition team on Monday.
Democratic leaders and Obama aides are already working on an ambitious legislative program, which will include another bid to hugely expand health insurance for all Americans.
Democrats are also drafting legislation to implement promises for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and the introduction of a cap-and-trade system.
