USA Today writes them up. They include gun control proposals, an effort to eliminate restrictions on the ability of non-profit organizations to endore or oppose political candidates, a repeal of the authorization to use force to respond to the 9/11 attacks, a request to return to the gold standard, and Michelle Bachmann's bill to repeal Obamacare (which has no co-sponsors despite a similar bill having over a hundred in the last Congress).
The opening days of a new Congress become the perfect time to announce positions because "there is not a whole lot of news to compete with" and the statement may actually get some attention, Kettl said. "It is a way to signal to people back home that 'I am working on things,' " and to highlight issues their representative is concerned about, even if the bills are destined to go nowhere, he said.
There is some symbolic value to be the first bill of the congressional session.But according to Congressional rules, the first 20 bill numbers (H.R. 1 - 20) are reserved for bill that are proposed by Congressional leaders.
The first 10 are reserved for majority leadership to attach to their priority bills; the next 10 are for minority leadership.
