Change in Congress More Than a Slogan

Age and seniority gave way in Congress on Thursday, a transformational shift for an institution where tremendous power has traditionally been built on sheer longevity, accumulated and savored with the passage of years. Past the choice of Henry Waxman over John Dingell to lead the House Commerce Committee, the 11th Congress will also see the departure or diminished role of Sens Ted Stevens and Robert Byrd. The abrupt change in status for the three lawmakers sent this fact swirling around Capitol Hill: their combined age of 258 exceeds the age of the United States itself. The careers of other very senior lawmakers were also coming to a close, including Senator John W. Warner, 81, the Virginia Republican elected 30 years ago; Senator Pete V. Domenici, 76, the New Mexico Republican who spent 36 years in the Senate, and Representative Ralph Regula, Republican of Ohio, 84, a 36-year veteran of the House. As they watched the procession, lawmakers said the generational transition had potential consequences for Congress, as the House and Senate were losing most of their World War II-era veterans and that unique perspective on history. But younger lawmakers say they are being inspired to assert themselves, spurred in some respects by the success of President-elect Barack Obama, a first-term senator who this year battered the seniority system on his way to the White House, leapfrogging more experienced senators of both parties along the way.