Pe los i stays speaker as Congress starts a new
MitchMcConnellopensSenate butGOPcontrol is inquestionuntil Tuesday’s runoffelections for two Senateseats inGeorgia.
Congress WASHINGTON — convenedSundayforthestart of a newsession, swearing in lawmakersduring a tumultuousperiodasa growingnumber of Republicans work to overturn Joe Biden’s victory overPresidentDonaldTrump and the coronavirus surges.
NancyPelosiwas narrowly reelected as speaker, giving her the reins of Democrats’ slender Housemajority. The CaliforniaDemocrat, whohas led her party in the House since 2003, had been widely expected to retain her post.
Pelosi received216votes to 209forRep. KevinMcCarthy, R-Calif., whoagainwill be the chamber’s minority leader.
Opening the Senate could be among MitchMcConnell’s fifinal acts asmajority leader. Republicancontrol is inquestion until Tuesday’s runoffff elections fortwoSenate seats inGeorgia. The outcomewill determinewhichpartyholds the chamber.
The House and Senate opened at noon, as required bylaw, withstrictCOVIDprotocols. Elbowbumpsreplaced handshakes as senators took the oath ofoffiffice. Fewer familymembersthanusualjoined lawmakers at the Capitol.
“To say the newCongress convenes at a challenging timewouldbeanunderstatement,” McConnell saidas the chamber opened.
Still McConnell said with the start of a newyear there are reasons for optimism, “let’s make the American people proud.”
It’s often said that divided government canbe a timefor legislativecompromises, but lawmakers are charging into the 117th Congress with the nationmore torn than ever, disputing even basic facts including thatBidenwonthe presidential election.
Fraud did not spoil the 2020 presidential election, a fact confifirmed by election offifficials across the country. Before stepping down last month, Attorney General William Barr, a Republican appointed by Trump, said there was no evidence of fraud that affffffffffffected the election’soutcome. Arizona’sand Georgia’s Republican governors, whose states were crucial to Biden’s victory, have also statedthat their election results were accurate.
Nevertheless, a dozen Republicans bound for the newSenate, led by Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, and evenmore in theHouse have pledged to become a resistance force to Biden’sWhite House, starting with efffffffffffforts to subvert the will of American voters. These GOP lawmakers plan to object to the election results when Congress meets on Wednesday to tally his 306-232 Electoral College victory over Trump.
Vice PresidentMikePence, who as president of the Senate, presidesover the session and declares the winner, is facinggrowing pressure from Trump’s allies over that ceremonial role.
Pence’s chief of staffffffffffff, Marc Short, said ina statement Saturday that Pence“welcomes the efffffffffffforts ofmembers of the House and Senate to use the authority they have under the lawto raise objections.”
Democrats, meanwhile, are pushing ahead, eager to partner withBidenonshared priorities, starting with efffffffffffforts to stem the pandemic and economic crisis. They plan to revisit the failed effffffffffffort to boostpandemicaidto$2,000 for most people.
“This has been amoment of great challenge in the United States of America fifilled with trials and tribulations, but help is on the way,” Rep. HakeemJeffffffffffffries, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Democratic caucus, said in an interview.
“America is a resilient nation, fifilled with resilient people,” he said. “We will continue to rise to the occasion, emerge fromthis pandemicandcontinuetomarch toward our more perfect union.”