Congress Now in Session—Without an Obama Replacement

Roland Burris makes a statement after being told he would not be filling President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat. (Source: Getty Images)

As returning and newly elected lawmakers in both chambers of Congress were formally sworn into office today, there was much celebration and controversy on Capitol Hill. Democrats now control both the House and the Senate, with bigger majorities than even Bill Clinton, the most recent Democratic president, enjoyed.  In less than two weeks, they’ll also take control of the White House.

Many challenges await them, including the worst economy in recent history, but Democrats say they look forward to working with President-elect Barack Obama to implement his ambitious agenda. Their first priority will be a huge stimulus package designed to improve the nation’s infrastructure, create jobs, and get the economy moving again. Obama has already met with leaders from both sides of the aisle to begin finding common ground before January 21. A bill may be complete by early February.

However, the day was without controversy. Most notably, there was a question over when, or even if, Roland Burris, embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s pick to fill the Senate seat vacated by Obama, would be allowed to take office. Blagojevich is currently being investigated over allegations that he tried to sell the seat to the highest bidder.

Burris, a former Illinois comptroller and attorney general, who has been calling himself the state’s “junior senator” was turned away this morning when he showed up at the Capitol to stake his claim. The secretary of the Senate rejected his credentials because his appointment letter doesn’t include the signature of Jesse White, Illinois secretary of state. White says the appointment is invalid because of the scandal surrounding the governor. In addition, Illinois Democrats are concerned that Burris, 71, may not have the gravitas and appeal needed to ensure the party will hold the seat when it’s up for re-election in 2010.

Illinois Rep. Danny Davis argues that allowing Burris to take office is the only logical and judicious thing to do. In naming him, Blagojevich “wanted to assert his position to say I am the legal governor, I have the right to make this appointment, and I’m going to do it,” says Davis. He adds that while there is support for Burris across the state, politics appear to hold more sway than the will of the people.

Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada has also been drawn into the controversy. Speaking on “Meet the Press” on Sunday, he suggested that Burris might be seated under certain circumstances, such as if the state’s lieutenant governor appointed him after Blagojevich is impeached or steps down. Until that happens, says NAACP Washington bureau director Hilary Shelton, Reid must defer to whatever happens in the state.

“Reid respects Burris very much and considers him to be an extremely talented politician. He said that because of the unfortunate scandal around the whole process of the replacement, [the appointment] speaks to the integrity of process and puts him in an unfortunate position as well,” says Shelton.

But Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush, who has been an ardent supporter of Burris since Blagojevich named him, has charged that this is about race. “It’s an embarrassment to the American people, the Senate and the House. Something is drastically wrong when you have the Senate trying to inculcate taint as a constitutional principle; there’s no precedent for this. I believe that if Burris was of any other race, he would be seated,” says Rush. “I base that on the fact that right now in the Senate there are three Hispanics and two Asians, but no African Americans. Someone should ask and someone should answer why at this moment in history the Senate is denying, based on some non-constitutional case, the opportunity for one African American to be seated in the U.S. Senate.”

During a news conference outside of the Capitol, Burris told a mob of reporters and photographers that he’s not looking for controversy and will work with his lawyers to determine his next step. If he is eventually seated, Burris is expected to join the Congressional Black Caucus.

The CBC will hold its first meeting of the new session on Wednesday and will likely issue a formal statement regarding Burris’s predicament. New York Rep. Gregory Meeks says that despite Blagojevich’s personal legal problems, Burris is not complicit in any of that and the governor has rightfully discharged his constitutional duty. “Burris was the first African American to win office statewide [in Illinois],” adds Meeks. “He’ll have two years to prove himself through his work in the Senate and if he does that, I see no reason why he shouldn’t be re-elected.”