Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made a statement Tuesday at the opening of the 111th Congress. In his statement, Reid paid welcome to the nine new senators elected during the November 2008 elections: Mark Udall (D-CO), Tom Udall (D-NM), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jim Risch (R-ID), Kay Hagan (D-NC), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Mark Begich (D-AK).
"To the profound challenges we face," Reid said, "these nine men and women bring vast judgment and experience at all levels of government and public service. I am confident that every one of them will serve their states and our nation with distinction."
"We are ready to answer the call of the American people by putting the past eight years behind us and delivering the change that our country desperately needs," Reid continued. "We are grateful to begin anew with a far more robust Democratic majority."
Reid said that both parties had "learned an important lesson over the past two years: When we allow ourselves to retreat into the tired, well-worn trenches of partisanship; when we fail to reach for common ground; when we are unable, in the words of President-Elect Obama, to disagree without being disagreeable, we diminish our ability to accomplish real change."
He called out for bi-partisanship with Republican members, arguing. "With American troops fighting two wars overseas, we are in this together. With the American people suffering a staggering economic crisis here at home, we are in this together. With the middle class struggling to make one paycheck last until the next one comes, we are in this together."
"Some may fear the depth of the challenges we face," Reid added. "But I remind them that adversity is no stranger to our country. Yet in America and in this Senate chamber, we have never failed to persevere and prosper."
Still, Reid did admit that the challenges facing the new Congress are "staggering," but he said he was "confident that if we renew our commitment to bipartisanship, the 111th Congress will be a tremendous success."
"In the coming days, my fellow Democrats and I will introduce our legislative priorities for this new Congress," Reid said. "As we continue to develop our legislative agenda, we look forward to developing a dialogue between both sides of the aisle."
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.