>>>
now to washington where
president obama
has put the start of his
christmas vacation
on hold to
keep an eye
on a flurry of activity on
capitol hill
.
savannah guthrie
has details on that.
>> reporter:
the president still has one big item left on his wish lift, getting that arms reduction treaty with russia ratified this week. if he can pull that off, people say he's gotten a lot more out of this lame duck congress that most expected. a one-two punch for the
white house
.
>>
the yays are 65, the nays 31.
>>
the yays are 277, the nays are 148, the motion is adopted.
>> reporter:
two back to back wins for
president obama
. getting billions of dollars in new stimulus out of the bipartisan deal extending the bush era tax rates and later this week he'll be signing the bill repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the military.
>>
this is a growth process and an evolution.
>> reporter:
a little more than a month after democrats took what the president called a shellacking, the
white house
is hoping to end the year with partisan victories on the board.
>>
people look better when they're getting things done, when they're accomplishing thing.
>> reporter:
but it's republicans poised to -- this new political reality may mean disappointing fellow democrats.
>>
candidly speaking, there are some elements of this legislation that i don't like. there's some elements that members of my party don't like. that's the nature of compromise.
>> reporter:
the president has one more major battle before him this week getting the new s.t.a.r.t.
arms control treaty
with russia ratified by year's end, 67 votes are needed meaning a handful of republicans must go along. on sunday republican leaders said the
white house
is trying to jam in the treaty at the end of the year.
>>
so all of a sudden we're once again trying to rush things right here before
christmas eve
. i think that was not the best way to get the support of people like me.
>> reporter:
but democrats say republicans have had months to examine the treaty and they believe they have the support to get it passed.
>>
we hope the votes are there including votes of many republicans.
>> reporter:
if the president can wrap up one more bipartisan victory, he may have some analysts talking about a turn around.
>>
getting things done, that's incredibly important for this president to do.
>> reporter:
the president was supposed to have started his two-week vacation to hawaii over the weekend. he is staying back as you mentioned to deal with congress. but mrs. obama and the girls have already left. back to you.
>>
savannah guthrie
at the
white house
this morning. savannah, thank
“ ”