CQ TODAY PRINT EDITION
– CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS
Jan. 14, 2009 – 7:33 p.m.
Illinois, Delaware Senators to Be Seated in First Round of Replacements
By Kathleen Hunter and Catharine Richert, CQ Staff
Senate Democrats are poised to add two new members to their ranks before week’s end to fill the seats vacated by the president-elect and the vice president-elect, bringing a close to a bumpy start for the bolstered majority.
Former Illinois Attorney General Roland W. Burris, appointed by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich , will be sworn in to fill President-elect Barack Obama ’s seat at 2 p.m. Thursday, though Senate leaders had initially refused Burris the seat just a week ago.
And Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware is scheduled to give his farewell address to the Senate at 10 a.m. Thursday, with his resignation effective at 5 p.m. Biden’s longtime aide Ted Kaufman will then be sworn in to replace him at 11 a.m. Friday.
Obama resigned from the Senate in November.
More Changes Ahead
The swearing-in ceremonies mark the first round of musical chairs caused by the incoming Obama administration. Still ahead, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton , D-N.Y. — Obama’s pick to head the State Department — and Ken Salazar , D-Colo. — tapped to be Interior secretary — both plan to resign their seats once they are confirmed, which could be as soon as next week, after Obama is inaugurated.
Clinton is scheduled to give a farewell speech on the Senate floor at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Replacements for Clinton and Salazar will both be appointed by Democratic governors. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. has selected Michael Bennet, the superintendent of Denver Public Schools, but New York Gov. David A. Paterson has yet to select Clinton’s successor.
And there still remains another Senate vacancy with election results still being challenged in Minnesota. After an exhaustive recount, the state Canvassing Board said that Democratic challenger Al Franken edged Republican incumbent Norm Coleman by 225 votes in the Nov. 4 election. But Coleman is contesting the election result in state court, and no winner can be certified until his legal challenge has been resolved.
Burris’ swearing-in will bring to a close, at least for now, what has been an uncomfortable first chapter of the 111th Congress for Senate Democratic leaders, who initially refused to seat anyone appointed by Blagojevich, a Democrat.
The governor faces federal corruption charges, including allegations that he attempted to sell the Illinois Senate seat for personal gain.
Reversal of Fortune
Burris, 71, won a hard-fought battle against Senate Democratic leaders over the validity of his credentials earlier this week.
Democratic aides predicted that Burris’ swearing-in would face no objections or motions to send his case to the Rules and Administration Committee, something that was a prospect just a few days ago.
Initially, Senate leaders said any appointment by Blagojevich would be tainted given the governor’s arrest last month.
But Democratic leaders did an about-face amid criticism from some black leaders and the potential for legal action by Burris. And outgoing Rules Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif., broke with leadership to argue that despite the allegations against Blagojevich, the appointment was legal and Burris should be seated.
In the meantime, the secretary of the Senate deemed Burris’ credentials acceptable when Jesse White, Illinois’ secretary of State, signed a document stating that Burris’ credentials were valid without his signature, which is required under Senate rules.
“This has been a Democratic-induced crisis,” said John Cornyn of Texas, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “It’s just been pretty baffling to me.”
Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander of Tennessee declined to say whether Democrats had botched the situation, but added, “This will probably be written up in several textbooks.”
But should Burris be seated? “Of course,” said Sen. Tom Coburn , R-Okla.
Although GOP members have generally kept a distance from the Burris matter, they seem ready to pounce in the 2010 elections, should the former attorney general decide to campaign for the slot.
A press release sent out just one day after the Senate leadership decided to seat Burris — and two days before he was slated to become a senator — criticized Burris for refusing to comment on Blagojevich’s future.
“Roland Burris may not be in the Senate yet, but his unwillingness to take a position on such a critical issue facing his state is troubling,” said NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh. “The people of Illinois deserve a voice in Washington who will represent their interests, and not repay favors to the Chicago political machine.”
Indeed, some Democrats question whether Burris could win in the 2010 regular election for the seat.
“I’m going to wait and let him decide whether he’s going to run for election to this post,” said Democratic Whip Richard J. Durbin , the senior senator from Illinois. “It’s a decision which we’ve never discussed in substantive terms other than to say that many people talk about it.”
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