New congress, old issues: power shifted on Capitol Hill when Democrats took control of both the House and Senate in November's midterm elections. But the issues facing Congress and the nation are just as tough as they were last year.

With Democratic majorities expected in both houses of Congress, the speeches and press conferences are likely to sound quite different from those before the November elections, even though many of the issues the new group of lawmakers will be wrestling with are the same.

What's unclear at this point is whether a Democratic Congress and a Republican President will be able to accomplish very much over the next two years--especially with so many House and Senate members of both parties thinking about running for President in 2008.

Here's a summary of the issues you're likely to be hearing about in the months ahead, and how the positions, as well as the rhetoric, may differ from last year's.

THE MINIMUM WAGE

A bill to raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour from $5.15 is expected to be one of the first items on the congressional agenda. Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts is the bill's chief sponsor. Supporters of a hike note that there has not been an increase in the federal rate since 1997, although a number of states have raised their minimum wages in recent years. Opponents of an increase say it would hurt small businesses and that employers would cut back on their hiring of Low-skilled workers as a result. The proposed raise of $2.10 per hour would take place in three stages, reaching $7.25 in spring 2009. President Bush indicated last month that he would support an increase to $7.25.

IRAQ

The Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel appointed by Congress, released a report in November that criticized President Bush's strategy in Iraq and outlined 79 proposals for a new approach. The recommendations include a pullback of U.S. troops over the next 15 months [although there has also been talk of a temporary increase in forces], and opening discussions with Syria and Iran, which the administration has opposed in the past. Bush called the report "an opportunity to come together and work together," but it's unclear how large a role it will have in shaping U.S. policy. Democrats say they will use Congress's "power of the purse" to gain more influence over Iraq policy and the billions of dollars the war costs each month.

TAXES

Democrats say they will propose legislation to reduce college tuition costs through tax credits or lower interest rates on student loans. They have also been critical of the tax cuts enacted in 2001, which they say disproportionately benefit the wealthiest households and businesses.

IMMIGRATION 

One of the most contentious issues in the Last Congress, immigration is again likely to be hotly debated; the question is whether anything will actually happen. Supporters of offering a path to citizenship to illegal immigrants say the Democratic takeover of Congress could advance their cause. But some newly elected Democrats campaigned on an even tougher approach to immigration. Representative Heath Shuler of North Carolina has said that he would never "give amnesty" to illegal immigrants. The Republican-controlled Congress failed to pass a broad immigration bill in the last session, although a measure calling for 700 miles of fence along the Southwest border was approved, with the backing of several Democrats, and signed by President Bush.

THE ECONOMY

According to the numbers, the American economy is doing quite well. Unemployment and inflation remain low, and the stock market has recently hit new highs. But many people are still uneasy about job security, wage stagnation, health care, and high gas prices. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California has said the Democrats will "provide real tax relief to middle-class families, spur economic growth that will produce good-paying American jobs, and we will do so in a fiscally responsible way." During the campaign, many Democrats sounded populist notes on issues like the "outsourcing" of jobs, both blue- and white-collar, to China, Mexico, and other countries where costs are lower than in the United States. Congress is likely to be more skeptical about globalization with the Democrats in control: They have said that they will closely scrutinize trade agreements with other countries negotiated by the Bush administration, and insist on provisions to keep jobs from moving overseas.

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT

Democrats are expected to stall two major Republican proposals: opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling and lifting a 20-year moratorium on drilling in new areas along the Outer Continental Shelf, the submerged area up to 200 nautical miles off the U.S. coast. The Democrats have said that their focus will be on the development of alternative fuel sources. Senator Barbara Boxer of California, who favors mandatory cuts in carbon fuel emissions, will chair the Environmental and Public Works Committee. She says her first priority will be to hold hearings on global warming.

Reported by Daniel Altman, Randal C. Archibold, Felicity Barringer, Daniel Gross, Carl Hulse, Stephen Labaton, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Rachel L. Swarns, Louis Uchitelle, and Steven R. Weisman of The New York Times.