Rebirth

The 76th Congress finally died last week.

Minutes later, the 77th Congress rose from its predecessor's ashes. The phoenix nest where this political rebirth occurred looked not unlike a bird cage, thanks to a network of steel girders, erected temporarily to hold up the aged and rickety Congressional roof.

The Senate made the transition from old to new with little more ceremony than the thump-thump of Vice President John Garner's ivory gavel. It had met in the morning to establish a record of 367 days in session, recessed for 15 minutes, then flowed augustly on. As Garner, stammering occasionally and looking lonely and uncomfortable in his striped trousers and cutaway coat, put the Senate through its routine opening paces, the atmosphere was staid and grave. Senators elected and re-elected in November filed up to the rostrum in groups of four to be sworn in, each escorted by his State colleague. Only Hiram Johnson preferred to walk alone.

When Colleague Sheridan Downey (who had supported Roosevelt) stepped up to escort him, Johnson (who had supported Willkie) growled and pushed him away.

The change in voting strength in the Senate was small. There were five more Republican Senators than there had been a year ago--28 in all. There were eleven brand-new Senators. Youngest: Nevada's handsome Berkeley Bunker, 34. Conspicuously missing was more than one doughty lawmaker: Ashurst, Burke, Minton, Holt.

Conspicuously temporary was John Garner, who would preside over the Senate only until Vice President-elect Wallace is inaugurated Jan. 20.

The House, as usual, was not so staid: it resembled a street scene more than a legislative body. In a constant babble-bedlam, members took the oath and went through the routine of organizing. On one side of the centre aisle sat 162 Republicans, two less than last year; on the other, 268 Democrats. Only time there was silence was when Texas' Sam Rayburn, elected Speaker by virtue of the Democratic majority, rose to speak. Rayburn declared:

"The centre aisle did not divide the patriotism of our citizens during the World War. ... It is going to take all of the patriotism, all of the fine common sense of every inhabitant of every democracy upon the face of this earth in the months that lie ahead of us to see that democracy survives and that tyranny does not take its place."

Organized, sworn in and prayed over, at week's end the 77th Congress recessed until this week, to meet then in joint session and hear the President's report on the State of the Union (see p. 9).

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