<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> 1st: January 4, 2007--December 19, 2007 2nd: January 3, 2008--January 3, 2009 </Td> </Tr> <P> The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush . It was composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives . The apportionment of seats in the House was based on the 2000 U.S. Census . </P> <P> The Democratic Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995 . Although the Democrats held fewer than 50 Senate seats, they had an operational majority because the two independent senators caucused with the Democrats for organizational purposes . No Democratic - held seats had fallen to the Republican Party in the 2006 elections . Democrat Nancy Pelosi became the first woman Speaker of the House . The House also received the first Muslim (Keith Ellison) and Buddhist (Hank Johnson and Mazie Hirono) members of Congress . </P> <P> Members debated initiatives such as the Democrats' 100 - Hour Plan and the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 . </P>

Who was in control of congress in 2008