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KWAME HOLMAN: Moments after high noon, the Senate and the House of
Representatives convened simultaneously to launch the 107th Congress.
In the Senate, Republicans and Democrats each will hold 50 seats. That's
the result of Democrats having scored Election Day victories in several
tight races, yielding them a gain of four seats.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: The majority leader, Senator Daschle, is recognized.
KWAME HOLMAN: But because the new Bush administration won't take office
until January 20, Senate Democrats will be in the majority for the next
17 days, making South Dakota Democrat Tom Daschle temporary majority
leader. Vice President Al Gore represents the tie-breaking vote for
the Democrats in the role of President of the Senate. He presided over
the ceremonial session today.
SEN. TOM DASCHLE: It is a high honor to have the privilege of officially
opening this Senate. When i first ran for Democratic leader six years
ago, I thought if i won, I would be majority leader. I must confess
that in six years as minority leader, I had a moment or two when i wondered
whether that day would ever arrive. But I assure you i intend to savor
every one of the next 17 days.
KWAME HOLMAN: Daschle's majority leader status is little more than symbolic.
He vowed Democrats will work with Republicans once the Bush administration
takes over and hands the Senate tie-breaking power to the Republicans.
SEN. TOM DASCHLE: The writer Thomas Wolfe said that America is a place
where miracles not only happen, they happen all the time. Today we experience
one of those miracles: The peaceful transition of power from one Congress
to the other. Some people say that it will take another miracle for
this Congress and administration to find a way to work together. As
we begin this historic Congress, let us resolve that we will work in
good faith with each other to do the people's business. That is our
pledge from this side of the aisle.
KWAME HOLMAN: Mississippi Republican Trent Lott will resume his duties
as majority leader shortly. As he took his turn to speak today, he acknowledged
the Vice President.
SEN. TRENT LOTT: I want to extend also the appreciation of the Senate
and the grateful nation to the presiding officer, the Vice President
of the United States, for the service that he has given to our country.
(Applause)
KWAME HOLMAN: Lott and Daschle remain locked in negotiations over how
the parties will share power in the evenly divided Senate. Lott acknowledged
the outcome is unlikely to please everyone.
SEN. TRENT LOTT: We are showing here today, and I hope we'll show during
the next 17 days and more importantly during the months beyond that,
that we will always find a way to work together. It is quite often not
easy to find consensus, as is forced upon us quite often in the Senate,
but we must strive for it and quite often Senator Daschle and I do our
very best to find a logical solution to a problem or an agreement, and
we have 98 other Senators that may not agree with what we can come up
with, but we will continue to work together to make this great republic
the best, the most outstanding the minds of men have ever created to
work as it should.
KWAME HOLMAN: Vice President Gore then undertook one of last official
acts of his dual role. As he has several times since taking office,
he swore in the newly elected members of the Senate. The freshmen and
incumbents filed up in alphabetical groups of four. The third group
included the only First Lady to be elected to public office: Hillary
Rodham Clinton, Senator from New York.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: Would you raise your right hand, please? Do
you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution
of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that
you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this
obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion;
and that you will faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which
you are about to enter, so help you God?
GROUP: I do.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: Congratulations. (Applause)
KWAME HOLMAN: Senator Clinton is one of 11 new Senators. Four of them
are women. That brings the number of women in the Senate to 13, the
most ever. Among the new women, all Democrats, are Maria Cantwell from
Washington State on the left, and Jean Carnahan from Missouri, who was
appointed to the seat won by her late husband, Governor Mel Carnahan.
Freshman Republicans include a former House member from Nevada, James
Ensign, who captured the seat vacated by retired Democrat Richard Bryan;
and former Virginia Governor George Allen, who defeated Democratic incumbent
Charles Robb. In a poignant moment, the Vice President swore in his
running mate from his presidential campaign, Connecticut's Joe Lieberman.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the Capitol Building, the atmosphere
was less formal. The rules in the House on this ceremonial first day
allow family and friends to wander around the floor, occasionally outnumbering
elected members. Republicans retained the majority control of the House
they won in 1994, marking the first time since the 1920s they've held
the House for four consecutive sessions. But the Republicans' margin
also has diminished every election since 1994. There now are 221 Republicans,
211 Democrats, two independents, and one vacancy. Illinois Republican
Dennis Hastert was reelected Speaker of the 107th Congress on the strength
of that slim majority. Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt greeted Hastert
at the Speaker's chair with both a pledge of cooperation and an acknowledgment
of a nearly evenly divided House and Senate.
REP. RICHARD GEPHARDT: I hope the closeness of the margin between our
parties in the Congress will be viewed as an opportunity, not a hindrance.
This is the people's House, and we're all proud to be part of it. It's
not a Republican House. It's not a Democratic House. As recognition
of that principle, it is our hope that in gestures both large and small
on the part of each of us as individuals and as leaders, we will make
that principle a daily reality.
KWAME HOLMAN: Speaker Hastert told his colleagues it was time to go
to work, and put aside any bad feelings resulting from the presidential
election.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT: Many have commented about the deep wounds caused
by this latest political competition, but it serves no purpose to dwell
on the past. After all, our country is at peace, our economy is still
fundamentally strong, our people are united with a strength of purpose
and by a desire to live the American dream. It's only in Washington
where many still have a lingering animosity of the political parties.
My friends, we need to get over it. Our new President was elected on
an agenda to promote prosperity, opportunity, and security for all Americans.
We have a duty to consider his agenda and to help him lead America this
next Congress.
KWAME HOLMAN: Hastert said he will submit, as the first bill of the
new House, President-elect George W. Bush's education bill. He also
said Social Security and Medicare reform, higher defense spending, and
tax relief will be priorities in the House. With their ceremonies out
of the way, both Houses will adjourn. Most of the 107th Congress will
return to Washington by January 20, inauguration day for George W. Bush.
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