FACTBOX: Congress wraps up work for the year

(Reuters) - The 110th U.S. Congress, the first in 12 years led entirely by Democrats, wrapped up its first year of work on Wednesday.

Here are some facts about the Congress, which resumes its business next month in a new year that will be shaped by the November 2008 congressional and presidential elections:

-- Democrats kept a number of 2006 campaign promises, including raising the federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade, implementing long-stalled recommendations by the 9/11 commission and passing a sweeping energy bill boosting the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks for the first time since 1975.

-- Despite the accomplishments, polls show fewer than one in five Americans approve of Congress, with many irate over Democrats' inability to end the Iraq war.

-- Lawmakers pressured Alberto Gonzales to resign as U.S. attorney general, following a Democratic-led probe into his firing of nine federal prosecutors and complaints that he had politicized the Justice Department.

-- Democrats postponed action on legislation to overhaul laws governing the electronic surveillance of suspected terrorists. Bush is insisting the measure include protections to prevent phone companies that participated in the program from being sued.

-- Bush vetoed a number of popular Democratic initiatives, including one that would have expanded a federal health insurance program for needy youngsters. Bush's fellow Republicans helped sustain his vetoes, agreeing with him that the proposed expansion was excessive and covered many children whose parents can afford health care coverage.

-- As one of its final acts, Congress approved a $556 billion bill to fund most of the federal government through September 2008, ending a year-long budget fight with Bush over spending levels and priorities.

(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro and editing by Sandra Maler)