Families see Reid, Berkley sworn in with new Congress

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Shelley Berkley cast aside "elect" from her formal congressional title and replaced it with "freshman," and Sen. Harry Reid officially became the No. 2 Senate Democrat Wednesday as the 106th Congress opened for business.

The halls of Congress were flooded with friends and family from across the country Wednesday as people converged upon the Capitol to see lawmakers take the congressional oath of office.

Berkley, D-Nev., described Wednesday's festivities as a "very exciting, life enhancing experience."

"While you are sitting there you begin to realize the responsibility that your constituents have entrusted you with, and you realize what an awesome responsibility you have," Berkley said prior to taking the congressional oath.

Berkley's son Max, a high school junior, was beaming about his mother's election to Congress.

"I think it is incredible," he said. "I think she has worked very hard, and to see her accomplish this and be around it is extraordinary."

Berkley's youngest son, Sam, a middle school student, is happy about his mother's new job but not her new schedule. Berkley will split her time between Las Vegas and Washington.

"It is going to be really tough because we are going to be all the way across the country from her," Sam said. "But we are going to try and see each other every weekend."

Down the hall, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., was busily trying to collect his colleagues' autographs for his son Jimmy. Gibbons, who is entering his second term, will be the lone Nevada Republican in Congress this year. Gibbons said he is looking forward to working with Berkley, Reid, and Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev.

Across the Capitol, Reid hosted a small gathering that included many influential Nevada lawyers, businessmen and gaming commissioners.

"I couldn't be prouder for Harry. I couldn't be prouder to be a Nevadan," said Bill Curran, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. "Our little state has never had this kind of presence in the Capitol before, and it is a great day."

Well known Nevada attorney Harvey Whittemore described Reid's new role as Senate minority whip as an "incredible moment for the state of Nevada."

"With his new leadership role, he will be in a strong position to protect the gaming industry, as well as Southern Nevada from the nuclear waste repository," Whittemore said.

Despite celebrating his hard-fought November victory over Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., Reid was melancholy about President Clinton's Senate impeachment trial.

"As exciting as the day is, my re-election and assuming the duties as whip ... there is kind of a pall thrown over everything here because of this impeachment trial," Reid said. "It has taken a lot of the glow off the proceedings.

Reid said he supports a bipartisan proposal that would expedite the Senate trial and most likely lead to the president's censure.

"What he did was wrong, and he deserves some type of punishment. But I would hope that we can get rid of that as quickly as we can and get on to the problems that face this country."

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