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Long Senate absence likely
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| Contributor | The Sunset Provision |
| Last Edited | The Sunset Provision Jan 04, 2007 01:49pm |
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| Category | News |
| Media | Newspaper - Sioux Falls Argus-Leader |
| News Date | Thursday, January 4, 2007 07:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | The U.S. Senate opens its 2007 session today with Sen. Tim Johnson in George Washington University Hospital recovering from brain surgery after a Dec. 13 hemorrhage.
He will require at least several months of physical therapy before he can return to work, Johnson's spokeswoman Julianne Fisher said Wednesday.
His absence might not be directly felt before spring. But as legislation is developed without the depth of insight and understated influence on policy Johnson customarily brought to the task, his empty seat in the Senate might loom large indirectly as Congress acts on issues important to the region and the country.
Democrats keep power
In the near term, the fact that Johnson is simply still a member of the Senate allows Democrats to maintain a majority, reorganize committees under their leadership and establish the legislative agenda.
"The bottom line is his absence will have very little if any impact. It has nothing to do with the reorganization. In the end, you are still looking at 60 votes to pass anything of significance," said Jim Manley, spokesman for Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid. "We'll be able to deal with this, no problem."
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