Burris Cleared to Take Senate Seat

January 12, 2009, 4:20 pm — Updated: 4:25 pm -->
Burris Cleared to Take Senate Seat
By Kate Phillips
Senate Democratic leaders today cleared the way for Roland Burris to be seated as a senator from Illinois, after more than a weeklong spectacle surrounding the state’s corruption scandal and the questioning of Mr. Burris’s credentials.
After Mr. Burris’s lawyers hand-carried an additional document bearing a state seal, a statement attesting to the appointment and a mass-produced signature of the secretary of State, Jesse White, along with the governor’s original papers, Senate leaders Harry Reid and Dick Durbin bestowed the senator-designate title on him in a joint release:
The Secretary of the Senate has determined that the new credentials presented today on behalf of Mr. Burris now satisfy Senate Rules and validate his appointment to the vacant Illinois Senate seat. In addition, as we requested, Mr. Burris has provided sworn testimony before the Illinois House Committee on Impeachment regarding the circumstances of his appointment.
“We have spoken to Mr. Burris to let him know that he is now the Senator-designate from Illinois and as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a Senator-elect.
“Accordingly, barring objections from Senate Republicans, we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in and formally seated later this week. We are working with him and the office of the Vice President to determine the date and time of the swearing-in.
“As we had outlined to Mr. Burris, a path needed to be followed that respects the rules of the Senate. We committed to Mr. Burris that once those requirements were satisfied, we would be able to proceed. We are pleased that everything is now in order, we congratulate Senator-designee Burris on his appointment and we look forward to working with him in the 111th Congress.”