By Craig Giammona
It was a jubilant day for the borough's Democratic congressmen and the party in general, which marked its recapture of the House and Senate with a slew of receptions and optimistic rhetoric about the change in power ushered in by voters in November.There are seven members of Congress who represent Queens and the group is exclusively Democratic, forming an integral part of the 31-seat majority Democrats won in their takeover of Congress.U.S. Reps Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) and Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) both were getting settled in their digs as they took their respective oaths of office last week, while U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman, who has had the same Rayburn Building office for about 10 years, entertained guests in a Middle East subcommittee hearing room. With the Democrats in power, Crowley has taken a spot on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, while Ackerman, a member of the International Relations Committee, has risen to chair the subcommittee on the Middle East.Following a party-line vote in the afternoon that saw Pelosi defeat Republican John Boehner of Ohio to take the speaker's chair, the new speaker promised to lead in a spirit of “partnership, not partisanship.”Her theme echoed remarks made earlier that morning by Ackerman when he addressed about 75 residents of Queens and Nassau County who traveled to Washington by bus to watch his swearing in.”They say we live in a Judeo-Christian society. Well, I don't know what they mean,” Ackerman said, referring to the swearing in of the first Muslim congressman, Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota). “We live in a society that is inclusive of everyone. Judeo sounds like a place for Jewish cowboys to rope cattle.”The Democrats spent most of the day emphasizing their “100 Hours” legislation, a package of bills that they hope to enact without amendments in the next month or so. The bills would raise the minimum wage, change ethics rules, promote stem cell research and cut interest rates on student loans, among other things. The bills will be passed in the first 100 hours that Congress is on the floor debating, congressional aides said.Still, the specter of Iraq is never far from the political surface these days. And the congressmen acknowledged in phone interviews in the days following the swearing in that Democrats must respond to the mandate provided by voters with strong leadership, particularly on the war.”We have to compel the president to do what the American people want,” Meeks said.Crowley, like Meeks, said he was unequivocally opposed to sending more troops to Iraq and said Bush needs to realize that Congress is a co-equal branch of government.”The shoes are on both feet here,” Crowley said. “Whether we're able to dance or not is up to both sides cooperating.”Reach reporter Craig Giammona by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 Ext. 146.
