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Democrats regain control of U.S. Congress

Suzanne Goldenberg

Nancy Pelosi sworn in first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives

— PHOTO: AP

MAKES HISTORY: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a gathering celebrating her election as the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington on Thursday.

Washington: A new era was proclaimed in Washington on Thursday as the Democratic Party recaptured control of both Houses of Congress after 12 years on the sidelines of power.

``The Democrats are back,'' exulted Nancy Pelosi, who went on to make history on Thursday when she was sworn in as the first woman to become Speaker of the House of Representatives.

``This is an historic moment — for the Congress, and for the women of this country. It is a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years,'' Ms Pelosi (66), told Congress. ``Today, we have broken the marble ceiling.''

Celebratory mood

In another first, Keith Ellison of Minnesota became the first Muslim to serve in Congress, taking his office on a Koran that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson.

Amid the celebratory mood among Democrats, the official message from Ms Pelosi as well as the new Democratic Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, was about cooperation with their Republican opponents.

But the limits of bipartisanship were made starkly apparent when Ms Pelosi signalled that President George W. Bush, who had a Republican House and Senate in his first six years in the White House, would face new and energised opposition.

``Nowhere were the American people more clear about the need for a new direction than in Iraq. The American people rejected an open-ended obligation to a war without end,'' Ms Pelosi said.

She put Mr Bush on notice that he could expect fierce opposition to his new strategy for Iraq. He is expected to announce next week his decision to increase America's military commitment there with the deployment of thousands more troops.

``It is the responsibility of the President to articulate a new plan for Iraq that makes it clear to the Iraqis that they must defend their own streets and their own security, a plan that promotes stability in the region and that allows us to responsibly redeploy American forces,'' Ms Pelosi said.

Pentagon officials said on Thursday there could be an increase of between 20,000 and 40,000 soldiers, achieved mainly by extending the stay of soldiers currently serving in Iraq while moving forward the deployment of Marine units.

The Democrats will get another chance to question Mr Bush's judgment on the war in confirmation hearings for John Negroponte, the new Deputy Secretary of State. Mr Negroponte, who was made National Intelligence Director less than two years ago, is expected to be replaced by retired Vice-Admiral Mike McConnell.

Legislative agenda

Mr Bush faces trials on the domestic front too as Ms Pelosi plans to exercise the Democrats' new majority with an ambitious legislative agenda, beginning almost immediately after the swearing-in with measures to untangle the murky relationships between lobbyists and politicians.

The move, banning such inducements as free seats at basketball games and trips on private jets, was the first step in a Democratic plan to move six new pieces of legislation through the House before Mr Bush makes his State of the Union address on January 23.

In the Senate, where the Democratic majority is wafer thin, Mr Reid said that the focus would remain on Iraq. Mr Reid has not ruled out support for a troop surge, but other Senators have said they intend to use their new powers to increase scrutiny of the administration, with hearings scheduled in at least two committees on the progress of the war. In addition to ethics reform, the Democrats have pledged to raise the Federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade.—

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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