Go back to Election '94 pageWASHINGTON -- Their political revolution now complete, Republican leaders are now mapping out a conservative and ambitious agenda as they prepared to take control of Congress for the first time in nearly half a century.
With the GOP making historic gains in both the Senate and the House and taking charge of a majority of the nation's governor's offices, Republicans have amassed more political clout than at any time since the party controlled both chambers in 1949.
In what is a clear blow to the Clinton administration, the sweep means a widespread makeover of committee leadership in both chambers and a radical shift in the Washington landscape. Analysts say it will sharply steer to the right debate on such critical issues as welfare and health care reform, defense spending and tax cuts. Giddy GOP leaders vowed to swiftly slash government spending and to dramatically reform the rules of Congress.
"These (newcomers) will be the most dynamic, reform-minded class in history,'' said Rep. Bill Paxon, R-New York, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "They will take this city by storm.''
On Wednesday President Clinton spoke with Republican leaders by telephone and pledged to work with the new majority. White House aides said the administration shares many of the Republicans' goals -- from welfare to political reform -- and that they expect to work with the Republicans.
But members of Clinton's inner circle were clearly stunned by the extent of the voter repudiation, which came after the president had campaigned extensively on behalf of numerous leading Democrats. Clinton will have to work with a Congress the likes of which has not been seen in 45 years, in which Republicans will control every committee, every subcommittee and thousands of patronage jobs.
Despite their euphoria, however, the GOP's newfound majority may not necessarily translate into successful legislation. As Democratic leaders have learned during their many decades in control of Congress, a partisan minority can block major reforms in both houses, and any Republican initiatives can still be wiped out by a presidential veto.
Nevertheless, the conservative swing will add a new intensity to partisan battles between both major parties.
The GOP sweeps will mean that right-wing Senate leaders such as Jesse Helms, Strom Thurmond and Orrin Hatch will take over high-profile committee posts.
The tide also brings to the forefront the ascendancy of conservative Newt Gingrich, the combative Georgian who is in line to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives and third in the line of succession to the presidency. Gingrich, who has made his mark in showing other GOP candidates how to translate voter cynicism into winning campaigns, now becomes the Republicans' leading strategist in opposing Clinton's policies during the next two years.
Powerful Bay Area Democrats such as Oakland's Ron Dellums, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, and George Miller of Martinez, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, will be forced to hand over their leadership posts to Republicans who are at odds with their liberal ideology.
In total, Republicans picked up 52 seats in the House, eight seats in the Senate, and 11 new governorships. The Republican lead in the Senate was increased when Alabama's Democratic Sen. Richard Shelby announced he would switch allegiances and join the Republican Party.
The GOP sweep seemed to touch every region of the country, as 32 House Democrats were thrown out of office, including Washington Rep. Tom Foley, who became the first Speaker of the House to lose a re-election bid since 1860.
The Republican tide took out powerful Chicago Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, who had won 18 consecutive house elections. In all, not a single incumbent Republican senator, representative or governor was defeated in races across the nation.
"This wasn't an anti-incumbent vote, this was a Clinton-Democrat loss,'' said Kansas Sen. Robert Dole, who is expected to become majority leader.
At the top of the Republican agenda is a balanced-budget amendment that would dramatically alter the nation's spending priorities, forcing annual cuts of about $200 billion. Republicans have also pledged not to raise taxes, while at the same time increasing defense spending.
Dramatic cuts in welfare and Medicaid payments are expected and could force Clinton to exercise a veto, something he has not done during his first two years in office.
More than 300 Republican candidates for the House signed a "contract with America'' in September in which they promised to cut congressional committee staff by one-third and institute strict term limits.
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