Thomas Daschle: “for those of us granted the rare privilege of representing our citizens as United States Senators, the convening of a…”

“for those of us granted the rare privilege of representing our citizens as United States Senators, the convening of a new Congress is a moment filled with hope and optimism. I know this is a sentiment shared by my colleagues who have served here together for many years; I am equally certain it is a feeling in the heart of every new member whom we welcome into the Chamber today. We all choose to enter public service in the belief that small differences made every day somehow contribute in large measure to the betterment of our national life. For me, this has always been a day that represented great promise and potential. And despite the difficult circumstances that confront us on the first day of the 106th Congress, I choose to face the grim task of the impeachment proceedings with a sense of hope and optimism, too. It is my sincere hope that we can continue to be guided in the Senate by a completely nonpartisan approach to our responsibilities--and I pledge the cooperation of the entire Democratic caucus in that effort. We remain optimistic that Republicans and Democrats in the Senate can come together on a sensible plan that adheres to the principles of fairness, expedition and due process. The promise of bipartisan consensus is within our grasp.”