Ensign sworn in as Congress convenes

Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2001 | 11:26 a.m.

SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

WASHINGTON -- Nevada's newest lawmaker in Congress, Republican Sen. John Ensign, was sworn in today along with the rest of his Senate and House colleagues.

In a day filled with history, celebratory receptions and pledges of bipartisan cooperation, the new Congress offered a Senate divided 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats for the first time ever. The House was dominated by the GOP -- but just barely.

Senators in groups of four approached Vice President Al Gore, who administered the oath of office. Ensign, escorted by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., following Senate tradition, took the Senate oath, agreeing "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic."

After the oath, Ensign shook hands with a number of senators, including Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C.

Ensign said that as he was taking the oath, he was thinking about the words of the Senate chaplain, who urged the senators to be humble in taking on such a huge obligation.

Nevada's new senator also said he was awestruck by his new colleagues. "I was sitting there thinking 'I know who I am -- do I really deserve to be here?' It's very overwhelming," Ensign said.

President Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea, watched from the visitor's gallery overlooking the Senate chamber, beaming as his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, officially became a lawmaker from New York.

After the first lady's Clinton's group was sworn in, she received kisses from Gore and Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., the Senate's 98-year-old senior member.

Just 17 days from now, the president will cede the White House to Republican George W. Bush, and Congress will begin focusing on Bush's agenda of cutting taxes, loosening federal strings on education and other issues.

But until that day, Democrats will be the Senate majority because Gore will still be vice president. Under the Constitution, the vice president can preside over the Senate -- which he did on today -- and vote to break ties in the chamber.

Relishing the moment, Gore recognized Senate Democratic leader Daschle as "the majority leader" and Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the top Republican, as "the minority leader" -- prompting loud applause from both sides.

In brief remarks, both lawmakers stressed cooperation -- something to which the Senate's tight numbers leave them little practical alternative.

"Let us resolve we will work with each other to do the people's business," Daschle said. "That is our pledge on this side of the aisle."

"I hope we will show today ... that we will always find ways to work together," Lott said.

But first, Senate GOP leaders must decide how to handle Democratic demands that Senate committee memberships be split evenly and that members of both parties be given equal opportunities to speak in the chamber. The two sides have still not agreed how to do that.

In a gesture of cooperation, aides from both parties said Republicans will let Democrats chair Senate committees for the first 17 days of the new Congress, when Democrats will be the majority because Gore will still be vice president. The move will be mostly symbolic because the committees are likely to do little work beyond considering some of Bush's nominees for top administration posts.

Eleven new senators and 41 new House members were among the 434 House members and 34 senators being sworn into office. The House has a vacancy from last month's death of Rep. Julian Dixon, D-Calif., and only new senators and returning ones who were re-elected were sworn in.

Republicans will continue to control the House with 221 members to 211 Democratic members. Nevada's two House members, Reps. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., were sworn in with their colleagues and attended Ensign's reception afterward.

Scores of parties were planned across Capitol Hill. Underlining the significance of raising money for lawmakers, at least one of them -- freshman Rep.-elect Mark Kirk, R-Ill. -- scheduled a fund-raising dinner tonight at a Washington restaurant.

The new Congress will continue GOP control of both chambers that began in 1995. It will be the first time Republicans will have had control of both Congress and the White House since January 1955, when Dwight Eisenhower was president.