Today's political and economic update from Washington sees some infighting among Republicans and many fresh faces.
Today was the first day of the new 113th Congress, with 14 new Senators and 84 new House Representatives beginning their terms.
That makes Congress as a whole slightly more Democratic, though it doesn't change any majorities in either chamber. The House welcomes 19 new female reps, while the Senate inducted five women.
The soldiers may be different but the battle lines are the same.
John Boehner is still the House Speaker, after a narrowly-won ballot with only six votes to spare.
In a last-ditch effort to appear not completely worthless, the 112th Congress delayed the fiscal cliff before disbanding, effectively ensuring that their successors had the same problems foisted upon them in the first few months of their terms.
Sequestration has been pushed off for two months, right around the time the debt ceiling debate comes to the fore.
And yet, Americans will start to feel the tax pinch right away, as the payroll tax holiday expired and neither party had any inclination to extend it. Most Americans (those making under $110,000 per year) will see their payroll taxes climb 2 percent this year, to 6.2 percent.
Progressives are unhappy because income over that limit isn't subject to the increase in the rate, simply because it wasn't included in the original tax holiday.
But practically speaking, it means that only the middle class will need to start paying more.
Of course, as part of the fiscal cliff deal, incomes over $450,000 a year will see their income taxes rise, but that means that the only people unaffected by higher taxes are people making between $110,000 and $450,000 a year, hardly the poor or working class.
This after all the Republican fits over protecting the job creators and Democratic promises not to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class.
On top of that, Republicans from New York and New Jersey were nearly in tears over their party's initial refusal to approve or even discuss disaster relief for hurricane-stricken areas along the coasts of their states.
Some town are completely gone, and others suffered more damage than a century's worth of town budgets can cover. Federal assistance is absolutely necessary, and when New Jersey governor Chris Christie and New York rep Peter King nearly threatened a coup, they at least forced Boehner's hand.
Now it looks like hurricane relief will be debated on Friday, though it's doubtful Republicans will approve all the aid that has been requested.
In the meantime, more than two months after Hurricane Sandy, storm victims may need to wait a little longer for help.
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