David Broder of the Washington Post had a report yesterday headlined "Senate Orientation Aims to Bridge Gap." Excerpt:
Prodded by two junior members, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate have invited newly elected members of that body to spend three days next week getting to know each other and discussing how to overcome the bitter partisanship that has blocked action on so many issues the past two years....
The orientation program deliberately does not include any policy debates, Alexander said, but rather is focused on "what it takes for the Senate to function as an institution and fulfill its constitutional role."
To emphasize that perspective, the opening session next Sunday afternoon, will be held in the Old Senate Chamber, a small ceremonial room steeped in tradition, and the first speaker will be Senate historian Richard A. Baker. After a tour of the current Senate chamber led by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the Senate president pro tempore, Frist and Daschle will be hosts of a dinner for the senators and their spouses in the Lyndon B. Johnson Room of the Capitol. Brian Lamb, the founder and head of C-SPAN, will speak at the dinner.
Recent Comments