CONGRESSMAN: CHANGES WILL BE DRAMATIC

Like many Americans, Bill Emerson was glued to a television set Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning as election returns gave the Republican party control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years.

He himself easily won an eighth term with nearly 70 percent of the vote and celebrated with an election-night party at the Holiday Inn. Emerson was still there watching at 2:30 a.m. when results from close races and the West Coast put Republicans well above the 40-seat gain needed for control.

Adrenalin raging as the reality of an historic election day began to sink in, he went home about 3 a.m., continued watching television and slept only briefly before rising for a long day of post-election discussions Wednesday.

On Saturday, Emerson returned to Washington where he will take a few days to spend time with his family before getting back to work around Thanksgiving.

He predicted that Republicans will move swiftly on "monumental and dramatic" changes in the way Congress is organized, and begin tackling the Contract with America most GOP candidates ran on this year.

"I think it will be the most intense first 100 days perhaps of any Congress in history -- except the first in which they wrote the Bill of Rights," he said.

In past years, Congress has convened in early January but has not taken much action until around mid-March. In 1995, Emerson said that pattern will be shattered and replaced with 5-to-6-day work weeks as an effort is made to implement the "contract."

"This will be the most active three months anyone now living will be able to remember Congress engaging in," promised Emerson.

Ironically, the last time control of the U.S. House changed parties, Emerson was part of it, only in a much less influential way.

The elections of 1952 put Republicans in control of Congress, and in January 1953 Emerson came to Washington as a page for former U.S. Rep. Thomas Curtis of St. Louis.

In 1954, Democrats regained control and Emerson worked a few months for the 84th Congress.

At that time, the transition presented very little upheaval, especially when compared to what is about to take place.

"It was a very gentle transition," Emerson said. "Republicans did not have a huge majority in the 83rd Congress and Democrats didn't in the 84th. Margins were about the same, probably not exceeding 10 seats."

"This is such an upheaval, because Democrats have been in control the last 40 years," the congressman added. "There has been so much change in the course of 40 years that this is far greater upheaval, a monumental upheaval."

Emerson said it would be hard to compare the situation in 1955, when Republican Speaker Joe Martin handed the gavel to Democrat Speaker Sam Rayburn, to 1995, when Republican Newt Gingrich is expected to take the gavel.

Another factor in this transition is television, only in its infancy 40 years ago.

"Part of what you have to take into account on differences between this transition and the last one is how communications have evolved and the impact of the electronic media on politics," said Emerson.

"The way campaigns are conducted and how we do business have changed so dramatically."