New Senate, House members sworn in

WASHINGTON — As the Senate opened for business Tuesday, there was Joe Biden -- who soon will resign his seat in the chamber to assume the vice presidency -- standing in one corner. Not far away sat John McCain, the Arizona lawmaker who lost the White House to Biden’s running mate, former Sen. Barack Obama.

On the other side of the room was Hillary Rodham Clinton, who lost the Democratic nomination to Obama but will probably leave the Senate soon to serve as secretary of State. Close by sat Joe Lieberman, the Democrat-turned-independent who nearly was tossed out of the Democratic caucus for supporting McCain.

If that cast weren’t enough, the opening session was presided over by outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney.

But the mini-drama inside the chamber was surpassed by events beyond its doors.

Roland Burris, who was named by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to fill Obama’s seat, attempted to gain admittance to the Senate but was turned away because of incomplete paperwork. Illinois’ secretary of state has refused to certify Burris’ appointment.

And though Minnesota’s canvassing board Monday certified the results of a recount that showed Al Franken defeating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman by 225 votes, Senate Democrats have decided not to seat the former “Saturday Night Live” comedian until legal challenges are resolved.

Though the new Senate is far from a settled place, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday called for Republicans and Democrats to come together, saying both parties had “learned an important lesson over the past two years.”

“When we allow ourselves to retreat into the tired, well-worn trenches of partisanship, when we fail to reach for common ground, when we are unable, in the words of President-elect Obama, to disagree without being disagreeable, we diminish our ability to accomplish real change,” Reid said.

Adding to the uncertainty is the likelihood that one New York Senate seat will open up, assuming Clinton resigns. Caroline Kennedy, the niece of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), is a leading contender. If she isn’t appointed by Gov. David Paterson, the job could fall to a member of another famous political family: Andrew Cuomo, the state’s attorney general.

The presence of Edward M. Kennedy, stooped and walking with a cane after treatment for brain cancer, on the Senate floor Tuesday was a vivid reminder that generational change has come to the body. Stalwarts such as West Virginia’s Robert C. Byrd and Hawaii’s Daniel K. Inouye remain, but longtime veterans such as New Mexico’s Pete V. Domenici, Virginia’s John W. Warner and Alaska’s Ted Stevens have departed.

Change also will be evident on several key committees. For example, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) becomes the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee. She already has expressed displeasure over not being consulted before Obama nominated Leon E. Panetta to be the next CIA director.

The most important women in the Senate, however, may be Republicans Susan Collins and Olympia J. Snowe of Maine. They’re part of a small bloc of GOP moderates who could help -- or hinder -- the Obama agenda. Even with Democrats in the yet-to-be-decided Illinois, Minnesota and New York Senate seats, the party would be shy of a 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority. That means Democratic leaders will have to work to prevent votes from running strictly along party lines.

Arguably the most powerful woman in Washington, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), was reelected Tuesday as House speaker. After the vote, she and House Republican leader John A. Boehner of Ohio offered conciliatory words in keeping with Obama’s promise to transcend partisan bickering.

“Obama has expressed a desire to govern from the center,” Boehner said. “When our president extends his hand across the aisle to do what’s right for the country, Republicans will extend ours in return.”

In contrast to the formality of the Senate’s opening day, the House lived up to its reputation as the more populist chamber. The House floor teemed with children and grandchildren, while lawmakers greeted one another with hugs and back-slapping camaraderie.

Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-El Monte), Obama’s choice for Labor secretary, sat on the aisle, receiving a steady stream of well-wishers. Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) took a front-row place of honor as the House’s longest-serving member, despite being humbled last month when Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) deposed him as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

--

[email protected]

Janet Hook of the Washington bureau contributed to this report.