Busy first day for 110th Congress

Returning to power after 12 years, House Democrats on Thursday elected Nancy Pelosi as the first female speaker and moved swiftly to adopt rules to rein in the influence of lobbyists.

Pelosi, also the first Californian to lead the House, and new Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) put President Bush on notice that they intend to press for a new policy on Iraq.

“The election of 2006 was a call to change -- not merely to change the control of Congress, but for a new direction for our country,” Pelosi said. “Nowhere were the American people more clear about the need for a new direction than in the war in Iraq.”

Leaders of both parties pledged to promote a spirit of bipartisanship. But a partisan fight broke out in the House within hours as Republicans complained about how the Democrats pushed through new ethics rules.

The rules for the first time will ban lobbyist-paid gifts and meals and prohibit House members from flying on corporate jets. The Senate is expected to take up its own new ethics rules next week.

Pelosi’s election as the first female speaker generated the most excitement on the opening day of the 110th Congress, with lawmakers bringing children and grandchildren to the chamber to witness history. Pelosi, who brought her six grandchildren, was elected on a party line vote of 233 to 202 in a roll call that featured some brief, flowery tributes from Democratic colleagues who took note of the milestone.

“It’s an historic moment for the Congress. It’s an historic moment for the women of America,” said Pelosi, who is second in the line of succession to the presidency, behind the vice president. “It is a moment for which we have waited over 200 years.”

The shift in party power was apparent in the faces of House members. Democrats were all smiles, while Republicans appeared glum. But Republicans joined Democrats in recognizing Pelosi’s feat.

“Whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat or an independent, today is a cause for celebration,” House GOP leader John A. Boehner of Ohio said before handing the gavel to Pelosi.

After swearing in the representatives, including 55 new members, House Democrats turned to ethics reform, an issue they chose to highlight after a spate of scandals in the GOP-controlled Congress contributed to their majorities in the House and Senate.

“Today, the new Democratic majority is fulfilling the pledge we made to the voters,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.). “We’re going to clean up Washington.”

Among those speaking in support of the measure was newly elected Rep. Zack Space, an Ohio Democrat who succeeded Republican Rep. Bob Ney. Ney resigned after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and making false statements in connection with the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal.

“I don’t think it’s too much to say my very presence before you constitutes a message to this body,” Space said.

Republicans objected that Democrats were muscling through the rules without giving the minority an opportunity to shape the legislation, a complaint that Democrats often made when Republicans were in power.

“The thing that troubles me most is the fact that this was done in a unilateral way,” said Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas).

In the end, however, Republicans joined Democrats in a 430-1 vote to support the new rules, with only Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) opposed.

Common Cause, an ethics watchdog, said it hoped Congress would create an independent ethics commission to enforce the rules. Democratic leaders have pledged to study the idea.

The House’s new Democratic majority is scheduled today to take another step toward fulfilling an election year pledge: voting on a new rule aimed at ending the secrecy around the controversial practice of allowing lawmakers to earmark funds for their pet projects.

Another new rule, expected to be adopted today, would prohibit votes from being kept open to give leaders time to round up votes -- a response to the 2003 vote on the Medicare prescription drug benefit when House Republican leaders extended the vote, which usually runs about 15 minutes, for three hours while party leaders twisted arms.

The rules changes are part of the agenda House Democrats have pledged to pass in the first 100 legislative hours.

Next week, they plan to pass bills to increase the minimum wage, implement the 9/11 commission’s recommendations, ease restrictions on federal funding for stem cell research and authorize negotiations for lower drug prices under Medicare.

The following week, the House is scheduled to vote on cutting interest rates for student loans and repealing some tax breaks for the oil industry.

In the Senate, where Democrats hold a tenuous 51-49 majority, they sought to promote bipartisan goodwill but also set an ambitious agenda, including immigration reform and expanded stem cell research, and issued a warning that they expected the administration to make significant changes in Iraq.

Unlike the House, however, the Senate did not start work on legislation. In a festive atmosphere reminiscent of first-day-of-school excitement, Vice President Dick Cheney swore in 33 senators, including 10 new ones.

Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota remained in the hospital recovering from brain surgery, underscoring the fragility of the Democrats’ majority.

Reid started the day with a rare closed-door meeting for all senators that he co-hosted with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), an effort to establish a cooperative tone.

In his opening remarks on the Senate floor, Reid said: “The voters are upset with Congress and the partisan gridlock. The voters want a government that focuses on their needs. The voters want change. Together, we must deliver that change.”

Yet Reid sounded a note of caution, saying that Bush has “pledged to work with Democrats, and while I’ve heard that pledge before, I hope he’s sincere.”

Reid also said the Iraq war would be a priority.

Bush is considering sending 20,000 to 30,000 more troops to Iraq, an increase that has drawn little support from lawmakers.

Reid’s comments came after a brisk swearing-in ceremony that was repeatedly interrupted by ovations from family members and friends who crowded the Senate gallery, including Bill and Chelsea Clinton.

Cheers greeted 89-year-old Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) as he shuffled up to take his oath supported by two canes, with Reid and McConnell at each elbow. Byrd shakily pumped a fist and let loose a yell: “Yay, God!”

richard.simon@latimes.com

nicole.gaouette@latimes.com

Times staff writer Noam N. Levey contributed to this report.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

House ethics overhaul

Democrats promised to tighten congressional ethics rules if they took control after the election. Senate Democrats are still drawing up their proposals and will debate them as early as next week. The House, in its first legislative business Thursday, approved changes aimed at curbing the influence of lobbyists and corporations.

Issue:

Bullying lobbyists

Old rule:

No previous rule

New rule:

Representatives are prohibited from threatening official retaliation against private firms that hire lobbyists who are not from the representative’s political party.

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Issue:

Gifts from lobbyists

Old rule:

Representatives and staffers were allowed to accept gifts worth less than $50 up to a total of $100 from a single lobbyist or corporation in a calendar year.

New rule:

Representatives and their staffs cannot accept any gifts from lobbyists, agents of a foreign principal, or the organizations that employ them.

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Issue:

Travel paid by lobbyists

Old rule:

Travel reimbursements from lobbyists and agents of foreign principals were banned, but not from the organizations that employ them.

New rule:

Representatives and their staffs cannot be reimbursed for travel by lobbyists, agents of foreign countries, or organizations that employ them.

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Issue:

Privately paid trips

Old rule:

Preapproval was not required; reports had to be filed within 30 days.

New rule:

Trips paid for by private entities must be approved in advance by the Ethics Committee, and all disclosure reports must be filed within 15 days of the trip.

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Issue:

Corporate jets

Old rule:

No previous rule

New rule:

Representatives cannot use official, personal or campaign funds to pay for the use of privately owned airplanes, but can charter commercial planes.

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Source: U.S. House of Representatives