■ The 117th Congress opened, with Democrats clinging to a slim House majority.
House GOP freshmen viewed as foil to ‘squad’
WASHINGTON — Congress convened Sunday for the start of a new session, swearing in lawmakers during a tumultuous period as a growing number of Republicans work to overturn Joe Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump and the coronavirus surges.
Democrat Nancy Pelosi was re-elected as House speaker by her party, which retains the majority in the House but with the slimmest margin in 20 years after a surprisingly strong GOP performance in the November election.
Opening the Senate could be among Mitch Mcconnell’s final acts as majority leader. Republican control is in question until Tuesday’s runoff elections in Georgia for two Senate seats. The outcome will determine which party holds the chamber.
The House and the Senate were required by law to convene Sunday, and they imposed strict COVID-19 protocols. Elbow bumps replaced handshakes as senators took the oath of office. Fewer family members than usual joined lawmakers at the Capitol. A special enclosed seating section was designed for lawmakers who are in COVID-19 quarantine but had tested negative for the virus.
But by day’s end, House lawmakers were hugging and congratulating one another after taking the oath of office in the crowded chamber.
“To say the new Congress convenes at a challenging time would be an understatement,” Mcconnell said as the chamber opened.
Still, Mcconnell said that with the start of a new year, there are reasons for optimism.
“Let’s make the American people proud,” he said.
Pelosi said the top priority is defeating the coronvirus. And “defeat it we will,” she said to applause.
Among the House Republican newcomers are Trump-aligned Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and gun rights advocate Lauren Boebert of Colorado.
The “Jan. 6 challenge is on,” Taylor Greene said in a tweet pinned to the top of her social media account. Boebert also tweeted support for those challenging Biden’s victory.
In the November election, House Republicans boosted their ranks more than ever, electing a handful of women and minorities. Some of the new GOP lawmakers are being called the “Freedom Force” and a counter to the “squad,” which consists of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-cortez of New York and other liberal Democratic women who swept to office in the last session.
In a statement, Rep. Kevin Mccarthy, R-calif., the minority leader, said the new Republican members “are a strong representation of who America is and where we come from.”
Progressive Democrats bolstered their ranks with newcomers aligned with more liberal priorities.
In an effort to prevent the spread of the virus, the Office of the Attending Physician has issued several lengthy memos warning lawmakers against meeting in groups or holding traditional receptions.