QUESTIONS: 1. The U.S. House of Representatives was sworn in January 4. How many vacancies were there in the House that day? 2. Following her recent death, former Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D.-N.Y.) was hailed as a trailblazer for civil rights. In her race for Congress in 1968, Chisholm nonetheless defeated an established and far better-known civil rights leader. Can you name him? 3. Who is the only member of the House leadership of either party who is the parent of a present elected official? 4. Who is the only member of the House leadership of either party who had a parent who was an elected official? 5. There has been a movement to make the House Homeland Security Committee, chaired by Rep. Christopher Cox (R.-Calif.), a permanent committee of the House. Excluding Cox's panel, what four major committees of the House are chaired by California House members? ANSWERS: 1. One-the seat of Rep. Robert Matsui (D.-Calif.), who died on January 2 at age 63. 2. James Farmer, head of the Congress of Racial Equality, was the Republican-Liberal candidate against Democrat Chisholm. 3. House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R.-Mo.), whose son is Republican Gov. Matt Blunt of Missouri. 4. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.), whose father was Thomas D'Alessandro, Democratic U.S. representative from Maryland and mayor of Baltimore, Md. 5. Republican Representatives and Committee Chairmen David Dreier (Rules), William Thomas (Ways and Means), Duncan Hunter (Armed Services), and Richard Pombo (Natural Resources)
