From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.President Obama heads back to Washington D.C. later this hour to embark ona new effort with a lame-duck session of Congress to avoid the fiscal cliff,spending cuts and tax breaks due to expire at the end of the year.The White House says the President has called congressional leaders to seehe is committed to putting partisan interest aside.Republicans say they are also committed to compromise.The Democrats effectively gain two additional seats in the Senate where they will have a 55:45 majority over Republicans.GOP still leads the House, includes a likely support of two independents in the Senate.And North Dakota Republican Rick Berg has conceded defeat to Democrat Heidi Heitkamp.She succeeds retiring Senator Kent Conrad.Montana U.S. Senator John Tester is reelected to another term after he edged out Republican rival Denny Rehberg.President Obama won reelection without Florida where the election is still too close to call.NPR's Debbie Elliott reports the state's prized 29 electoral votes, won't matter this year.Florida is one of the nation's most story battleground states when it comes to presidential politics.But as election officials are still tabulating votes,the eventual results here won't change the outcome of the presidential race.President Obama has a slight edge in Florida,less than a percentage point advantage over Republican Mitt Romney.
