Page 3 - aruba-today-20230104

A3
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 4 January 2023
McConnell celebrates milestone as Senate Dems retain power

By MARY CLARE JALONICK ers who rose to the job
Associated Press through lower-key, behind-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dem- the-scenes styles; who
ocrats are again claiming preferred to focus on serv-
the Senate majority, but ing their colleagues rather
much of the chamber’s than dominating them,”
focus is on the top Repub- McConnell said, and that
lican as Mitch McConnell “is how Senator Michael
becomes the longest serv- Joseph Mansfield of Mon-
ing Senate leader in history. tana became the longest-
McConnell, 80, surpassed serving Senate leader in
Montana Sen. Mike Man- American history until this
sfield’s record of 16 years morning.”
as party leader when the Like President Joe Biden,
Senate convened mid- both Schumer and McCo-
day Tuesday to begin the nnell are opening the year
new Congress. While the pledging to work across the
Kentucky Republican has aisle and all three will have
acknowledged he would to find ways to work with the
prefer his own party to be new GOP House majority to
taking charge “the major- keep government running.
ity is better,” he says fre- McConnell will make a rare
quently he’s celebrating appearance with Biden in
his own personal milestone his home state of Kentucky Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, of Ky., center, Senator John Thune, R-SD,, left, and
with a Senate floor speech this week to highlight near- Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, right, speak during a news conference with members of the Senate
Republican leadership, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
looking back at party lead- ly $1 trillion in infrastructure Associated Press
ers and their different styles spending that lawmakers
over the decades. approved on a bipartisan
And Senate Majority Lead- basis in 2021.Claiming his
er Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., party’s majority after sena-
cements a legacy of his tors were sworn in, Schumer
own after winning a sec- said that party differences
ond term as leader and “do not absolve either ei-
also being sworn in as the ther side of the need to
longest-serving senator work together when the
from New York. Democrats good of the country is on
will go into the new Con- the line.”
gress with a 51-49 majority, “If both sides are willing to
with newly Independent give it a good faith effort,
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema receiv- I’m optimistic we can be
ing her committee assign- successful, far more suc-
ments from Democrats. cessful than many might
The celebratory Sen- think,” Schumer said.
ate proceedings were in Also Tuesday, the Senate
marked contrast to the new swore in seven new mem-
Republican House majority bers, five Republicans and
across the Capitol, where two Democrats. Unlike the
Republican Leader Kevin House, where the swear-
McCarthy is fighting to be- ing in was overshadowed
come speaker amid con- by the antagonistic fight
tentious internal strife in his over the speaker’s chair,
own party. McConnell, his the mood was jovial in the
party’s leader since 2007, Senate. Family, friends and
easily dismissed a similar predecessors looked on as
challenge from within after those freshman, along with
the November midterms, their new colleagues who
and, like Schumer, begins won re-election, took an
the new year with strong oath of office administered
support from his caucus. by Vice President Kamala
Praising the tenure of Man- Harris. Senators clapped as
sfield, a Democrat who led Illinois Sen. Tammy Duck-
his party in the Senate after worth, a Democrat and
Democrat Lyndon John- Iraq War veteran who lost
son resigned to become both legs when her heli-
vice president in 1961 and copter was shot down in
served until 1977, the ever- 2004, walked down the
restrained McConnell hint- center aisle of the Senate
ed in his speech at his own to be sworn in instead of
long-term strategy a con- using her wheelchair, lean-
trast to the bombast and ing on her Illinois colleague,
chaos across the Capitol. Sen. Dick Durbin, for sup-
“There’ve been lead- port. q