Stage set for fiery post-poll session

Washington: Expect plenty of fireworks when the US Congress meets this week for a post-election session focused largely on the ailing US economy.

With Barack Obama preparing to become the 44th US President on January 20, lawmakers will take another crack at providing fiscal relief to Americans and the US auto industry and elect leaders for the new Congress that is set to convene on January 6, with Obama's Democrats in stronger control.

Lawmakers also will move to expel Republican Ted Stevens from the Senate if a protracted ballot count shows that Alaska voters returned the 84-year-old senator to Washington after his conviction for corruption last month.

In addition, Democrats will also decide what, if any, punishment to impose on Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, a Democrat turned independent, for actively campaigning for Republican John McCain for president ahead of the November 4 election.

Loan to auto giants

On the economic front, Democrats are working to direct $25 billion (Dh91.85 billion) in loans to Detroit automakers, who say the action is needed to survive their worst-ever fiscal downturn.

Support, however, is uncertain, especially from Senate Republicans reluctant to legislate yet more money for business rescues. They are also not convinced that General Motors Corp, Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co are viable, with overall industry sales plunging and consumers moving away from American-made gas guzzlers.