. >>> reporter carol han recently caught up with bay area lawmakers and found out why the transition won't be easy. >> reporter: these roles will be reversed next week when john bohener takes a gavel from nancy pelosi. all these weeks, democrats tell us that being in the minority. >> is going to be different. >> the next two years yes are going to be challenging. >> reporter: especially since they are being in charged of the house. >> our house historian looked at it and says it's been the most productive house in the last seven weeks. >> this is the most despised congress and i think correctly so. >> mohair subsidy. you know what mohair, high speed rail and lots of things we can get rid of. >> reporter: besides cuts we can expect hearings into programs like health care. democrats say they'll put up a fight but rather work bipartisan. >> as a minority, as a woman i know how hard we have to fight. we have to work together. >> reporter: carol han, ktvu news. >>> everyone says they are going green. but up next,what's really happening when it comes to the type of cars drivers are buying.

. >> i'm carol han in washington, where bay area lawmakers are upping the pressure of the u.s.senate to try cracking on the dream act. this story coming up. ♪ [ female announcer keurig has over 200 varieties of gourmet coffee and tea to choose from. ♪ keurig is the way to brew fresh, delicious coffee in under a minute. way to brew. [ female announcer so with keurig, every cup tastes like it's brewed just for you. ♪ because it is. choose. brew. enjoy. keurig. >>> the house today agreed to a new bill to make energy saving cars louder. the bill aims to protect the blind and others. >>> the measure would bring half a million undocumented students a way to get an education. >> we're going to keep pushing until the end. >> reporter: they've stormed the hall ways, even marched around the capital building seven times in seven days to call attention to the dream act. >> we're trying to make sure that the senate listens to us. >> reporter: listen in the same way the u.s. house did last week, passes the act that grants conditional citizenship to students that finish high school and enroll

carol han reports on the political impact of this changing population. >> reporter: here is a big revealthe size of the country's population. it could mean trouble for democrats because where our country grew the most the past decade is in the south in republican leaning states. >> gop heavy states will now be getting more seats in congress and more electoral votes. in fact, if you were to take the 2008 election results and run them against the new population breakdown, president obama would lose. >> not enough to lose the election but make it a little more difficult. >> reporter: difficulties for democrats are not confined to washington. state lawmakers will use the census data to redraw congressional districts. because more republicans controlled the state house, they are a stronger position to redraw those boundaries to benefit the gop. >> they will slug it out and try to angle for an advantage or disadvantage. >> reporter: do not count out the democrats. state data released next year could show big population growth in hispanic areas which tend to be democratic. >> there may be democ

carol han ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, carol. >>> fiona moss is pushing for legislation to stop waves. this week she introduced a bill that would ban parties at the cow palace and other p ublicly- owned land. two people suffered drug o verdoses last year. and two people it year fell ill because of suspected drug and alcohol use. >>> well, a dog that was beaten and shot with a pellet gun on the streets of oakland last week is going home. the dog escaped with another schnauzer from his home one week ago. they got out when a contractor apparently forgot to shut a door. now, the dog was found on the side of a road on friday by police. the other drug is still missing. >>> a party and fund-raiser to cover the dog's medical expenses is planned for december 30th. >>> chris nas is the -- in the park may not be back next year. it is helping to close the deficit. an estimated amount of people will be there this year but unless they receive donations the tradition could end. >> this the -- everyone is c utting and they are cutting really beyond the bone at this point? >> christmas in the pa

in washington carol han, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> more california high school students are graduatingven as though who are dropping out continue to rise. more than 78% of students graduated up from 68 a year earlier. drop out rates rose to 28.7% from just under 19%. african american and hispanic drop out rates rose to 3% each to 37% for blacks and 27% for hispanics. >>> it appears berkeley's new party patrol is paying off. it's the latest effort to crack down on wild parties around the cal campus. in august two patrol cars carryingthe uc berkeley police officer and a berkeley police officer, a city of berkeley police officer began patrolling the streets near campus. since that time, police say there has been a dramatic decrease in both violent street crime and animal house type parties. >>> coming up next at 6:00, a new website where you can see government earmarks here in the bay area. are they wasteful or much needed spending. we'll let you decide. our julie haener is in the news center to focus on some of the others we're working on. >> reporter: hundreds of patients were transferr

as carol han reports, that could give the dream act a new lease in life. >> we want higher education ♪ we want to serve our nation. >> reporter: christmas would be merrying for these students if the president would have signed a bill to send them on the path to college. earlier this month, it passed the house. >> it was a historic moment. it was the first time it ever passed any of the chambers. >> reporter: but the bill hit a wall in the senate where a few days ago, they did not have the votes needed. during his year end press conference, the president said. >> maybe my biggest disappoint was the dream act move. >> reporter: the question these students are now wondering, what's next? the president promised to go back at it in the new year. talking with republicans and addressing their concerns about the border. >> i am persistent, i am persistent. if i believe in something strongly i stay on it. and i believe strongly in this. >> reporter: in the meantime, california students who recently came to dc are warning lawmakers of their ability to mobilize the hispanic community. >> we're

carol han explains it seems like no one really likes it. >> the yes are 43. >> reporter: for a deeply it's as close as it gets. you didn't hear party leaders celebrating bipartisanship. >> no one is completely happy with it. >> i'm not wild about it. >> plenty of things i can point to that i don't like. >> reporter: democrats don't like the idea of tax cuts going to the very rich. >> do i feel passionate that the people who earn over a million dollars don't need a tax cut, you bet i do. >> i am passionate. >> reporter: while republicans are passionate about the estate tax saying it is unfair to tax the dead. >> i think the inheritance tax should be down away with completely. because it is not money that's never been taxed. it has been taxed in our system again and again. >> reporter: despite their displeasure, our lawmakers say it all boils down to the middle class. but a deal will be a tougher sale in the house where one bay area democrat wants to strip a part of the deal that allows some wealthy families to skip out on paying estate taxes. >> the republicans are trying to drive the

ktvu's carol han is in our washington d.c. newsroom with all the latest. good morning, carol. >> reporter: good morning, pam. although his party lost big in november, the president can still claim a number of victories. let's run down them right now. they include the arms treaty with russia. negotiated with republicans. yesterday the president signed a repeal of don't ask don't tell allowing gays to openly serve in the military. congress passed food safety legislation and also a bill providing health benefits to 9/11 first responders. >> as i said right after the midterm elections we took a shellacking. i take responsibility for that. i think what's happened over the last several week asks not a victory for me but the american people. >> reporter: the president said his greatest disappointment is the dream act failed to overcome a republican filibuster. it would have provided a path to citizenship to undocumented students. congress now adjourned and reconvene with republicans control of the u.s. house. live in washington, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> the chicag