GOP TAKES THE REINS

"It's a different day," said Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, asNewt Gingrich, the new speaker of the House of Representatives, wielded a large, custom-made walnut gavel to begin the GOP campaign to fulfill the party's "Contract With America" today. In a 43-minute address to the House, Gingrich said he had two over-riding goals: to achieve a balanced budget by 2002 and "to truly replace the current welfare state with an opportunity society." He swore in the new members of the House and began debate on rule changes that would slash committee staffs, abolish three House committees and require a three-fifths vote to raise income tax rates. Republicans now have majorities in both chambers: 230-204 with one independent in the House, and 53-47 in the Senate. Congressional Democrats said they'd cooperate with the GOP majority; however, House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri warned that "agreement will not often be easy." In their first hours as a minority, House Democrats quickly faced their first defeat: A Democratic bid to put a prohibition on gifts from lobbyists failed, 235-195.