THE NEXT CONGRESS

Capitol Hill may soon swell from speed bump to stumbling block for an embattled President Bush, depending on which levers the voters pull in the congressional midterm elections a week from tomorrow.

Handicappers say Democrats have at least an outside chance of seizing control of both chambers of Congress for the first time in Mr. Bush’s presidency, which would present him with stark new challenges in the final two years of his term.

In this series, The Washington Times will look at how such a transfer of power on Capitol Hill will affect U.S. policy and politics on a range of issues — from taxes and immigration to health care and homeland security.

• Part I: Democratic majority ready to go to war over Iraq (David R. Sands)
• Part II: Democrats wait in the wings with subpoenas (Audrey Hudson)
• Part III: Specter of tax man haunts Democrats (Donald Lambro)
• Part IV: Bush may find an ally on immigration (Stephen Dinan)
• Part V: Democrats write new prescription (Gregory Lopes)