And that would be Jan. 6, the second day that the bustling new Congress will be in session in the new year.
The Senate on Wednesday ratified a new arms control treaty with Russia in a major foreign policy win for President Obama.
John Brennan, the White House's chief counterterrorism adviser, said Wednesday that U.S. officials are increasing travel security for the holiday season - including the use of more imaging devices, and defended Director of National Intelligence James Clapper for not knowing about a foiled terrorist plot in London.
The Senate voted Tuesday to limit debate on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), paving the way for final ratification of the arms-control pact as key Republicans defied their party leadership and announced support for the accord.
Poised for lame-duck victories spanning foreign, economic and social policy, President Obama is seeing a renewed sense of accomplishment after his first two years in office, which were filled with a brutal health care fight and crises ranging from financial meltdowns to environmental disasters.
A handful of farm-state senators were once again able to funnel ethanol subsidies to their constituents - without a debate or vote - at a cost of close to $6 billion to taxpayers for a single year. They achieved this by hiding the funds in the massive agreement between President Obama and the Republican leadership that will increase the national debt by another $850 billion.
The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday approved sweeping new Internet regulations, defying Republican lawmakers and giving President Obama a victory on one of his key campaign promises.
The Senate on Tuesday cleared the last must-pass bill of the year, a stopgap spending measure that funds basic government operations through March 4 at the same rate as in 2010.
Federal regulators adopted new rules Tuesday to keep the companies that control the Internet's pipelines from restricting what their customers do online or blocking competing services, including online calling applications and Web video.
