In his State of the Union address Jan. 29, 2002, President Bush took the war against terrorism to a whole new level by vowing to prevent Iran, Iraq and North Korea from ever acquiring chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
Career Ender
Rep. Gary Condit, D-Calif., ended his 30-year political career after conceding defeat to state Assemblyman Dennis Cardoza, a former protege who ended up scorching him in a race dominated by fallout from the Chandra Levy scandal. In this picture Condit thanks his supporters for their help during the race, March 5, 2002.
Campaign Victory
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., right, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., congratulate one another during a rally on Capitol Hill March 20, 2002, following a cloture vote on campaign finance reform in which final passage was assured. The new law bans corporations, unions and individuals from making unregulated "soft money" donations to the national parties.
Pledging Support
In response to a federal appeals court ruling declaring the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional, almost every member of the Senate showed up for a morning prayer June 27, 2002, to affirm that the United States is "one nation under God." Moments later, a nearly full House gathered to recite the pledge. The judge put his ruling on hold the next day.
Leave Them Laughing?
Flamboyant Democratic Rep. James Traficant responds to a committee attorney's question at a House Ethics Committee hearing in Washington, July 16, 2002. Traficant was expelled from Congress July 24 and ran unsuccessfully for re-election from the Pennsylvania prison where he is serving an eight-year sentence.
Terror Clues
CIA Director George Tenet comes under attack by some members of Congress who demanded accountability for intelligence failures leading up to the Sept. 11 attacks, Oct. 17, 2002, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Tenet was testifying during the House and Senate Select Intelligence committees' final open hearing.
Legacy Honored
Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, greet Jesse Jackson before a public memorial service Oct. 29, 2002, in Minneapolis for U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, his wife, daughter and three staff members who died Oct. 25 in a plane crash. Former Vice President Walter Mondale replaced Wellstone on the ballot, but he lost the election to Republican Norm Coleman.
He's Not Heavy
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush waves to the crowd of supporters as he arrives on stage for his victory party after winning re-election for Florida governor, Nov. 5, 2002, in Miami. Gov. Bush benefited from frequent campaign visits by his brother, President George W. Bush, in Florida.
Girl Power
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., became the first woman to lead either party in either House of Congress when she was elected to replace U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt as House Democratic leader. Pelosi is pictured at a Nov. 8, 2002 news conference.
Tackling Domestic Terror
Members of Congress applaud as President Bush rises from signing legislation that creates a new Department of Homeland Security, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Nov. 25, 2002.
Exit Stage Left
Former Vice President Al Gore appears in a sketch on television's "Saturday Night Live," Dec. 14, 2002. The next day, he announced in a "60 Minutes" interview his decision against running for president in 2004. Gore said he was at peace with his decision not to run, but added that he does not know what the future holds.
Stepping Down
Senate GOP leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., resigned as Republican Senate leader following a controversy over remarks he made at Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party in which he praised Thurmond's run for the presidency as a segregationist. Here Lott, left, is interviewed by Ed Gordon on Black Entertainment Television, Dec. 16, 2002.