WASHINGTON — It began with a pair of firsts, one hopeful and one grim: The most diverse Congress in the nation’s history was sworn in two years ago during the longest government shutdown. And on Sunday, the 116th Congress will end much as it began — filled with anticipation yet bitterly divided — having lurched through a cycle of once-in-a-generation moments packed into two years under President Trump. A Supreme Court confirmation rushed through in the final weeks of the election. “We have kind of gone from crisis to crisis, haven’t we?” Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, who is participating in a coronavirus vaccine trial in part to signal to his constituents that it would be safe to receive one. The one that could alter a broken immigration system, overhaul policing and address gun violence and expand health care access and make it affordable.

Source: New York Times January 02, 2021 19:07 UTC