New Congress Convenes

W A S H I N G T O N, Jan. 3, 2001 -- The historic and closely divided 107th Congress convened today, as new and old House and Senate members took the oath of office.

For the first time since 1881, Republicans and Democrats are split evenly in the Senate, and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first presidential spouse to be sworn-in as an elected official.

The two parties are sharply at odds over key issues such as tax relief, Social Security and Medicare, but today, the Congress was a model of bipartisanship, as leaders on both sides of the aisle called for cooperation.

“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,” said Democratic leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.

“We’re showing here today … thatwe will always find a way to work together,” added Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. who, between now and Inauguration Day, must relinquish his position as Senate majority leader to Daschle, because Vice President Al Gore, in his role as presiding officer of the Senate, casts the tie-breaking vote.

Once George W. Bush is sworn-in as president and Dick Cheney as vice president on Jan. 20, however, the chamber will revert back to Republican control.

“I assure you I intend to savor every one of the next 17 days,” joked Daschle.

First Lady in the Limelight

Daschle may be the highest-ranking Democrat on Capitol Hill, but Mrs. Clinton is certain to have the highest profile. President Clinton and daughter Chelsea watched on from the visitors’ gallery as the new junior senator from New York was administered the oath of office by Gore.

“I’m so proud of you,” Gore told Mrs. Clinton.

Senate Associate Historian Donald Ritchie called the moment extraordinary.

“There is the vice president, who is president of the Senate, who is also a defeated candidate for president, swearing in the wife of the president,” Ritchie observed.

In a gesture of bipartisanship, Lott thanked Gore for his service to the nation during his remarks, drawing a loud round of applause.

“Boisterous demonstrations are against the rules of the Senate,” Gore deadpanned.

Across the Capitol in the House chamber, Chaplain Daniel Coughlin echoed lawmakers’ calls for an end to partisan rancor in his opening prayer.

“May this Congress, Lord God, be a sign of unity and confidence to this nation,” Coughlin prayed.

Republicans maintain a 221-211 advantage over Democrats, with two independents and one vacancy. Rep. Dennis Hastert, D-Ill., was re-elected this afternoon to a second term as speaker on a 222-206 vote.

“I thought a few moments ago about asking for a recount, but I decided against it,” joked Democratic Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, referring to the protracted legal battle between Gore and Bush over disputed ballots in Florida.

Shortly before Congress convened, the defeated candidate delivered a plea for cooperation as he addressed the Congressional Black Caucus.

“We all must respect and,wherever possible, help President-elect Bush,” the vice president said.

Gore quickly, added, “[You] of course have to do your best to reach across party lines, but you also have to know when to draw the line.”

Before those lines are drawn, party leaders in the Senate must first resolve how to share power in light of the 50-50 makeup of the body. Democrats want committee chairmanships to be split evenly between the parties, but Republicans have so far opposed the idea.

“What we don’t know at this point is how the negotiations between the Republicans and the Democrats [to] share power or coexist for the next two years will go,” says Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute.

Republican Control

After Bush assumes office, the Republicans will have control of the White House, the Senate and the House for the first time since 1955, when Dwight Eisenhower was president. But Bush’s excruciatingly close presidential election victory over Gore — who won the popular vote by 500,000 but lost inthe Electoral College — created a sense that neither partyhas a popular mandate with which to govern. With the GOP maintaining control of both houses of Congress by the slimmest of margins, Bush and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill will have little choice but to reach across the aisle, if they hope to act on their legislative agendas.

Both chambers will meet in a joint session on Saturday when the electoral votes — 271 for Bush and 267 for Gore — are to be officially tallied.

After that, the House will not be at work until early February. Some Senate committees however, will plan to begin work immediately on nominations, preparing some of Bush’s picks for top administration jobs for Senate confirmation.

Lawmakers and Bush transition officials say education — the president-elect’s pet issue during the campaign — will be the first legislative issue considered by the 107th Congress.

ABCNEWS’ Jon Bascom and Joanne Levine, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.