ABSTRACT
The issue that drives the coverage of Congress is legislation. But the latest evolution in congressional coverage at the Associated Press is that we are doing much more on the interaction between Congress and the other branches of government. The coverage of Congress is also much more intense than it was before the Republicans took control. The Republican victory in the '94 elections clearly changed the way all news organizations had to look at Congress. There is a challenge to Clinton's foreign policy and, obviously, challenges to budgetary and economic policies. These aren't empty challenges. These are major changes between the legislative and the executive branches, and they are very big news. These are very different philosophies of what the federal government should be doing. This is Congress attempting to impose its will and the administration pushing for its concept of how the federal government should work. It's really a fascinating confrontation.
