Senate Dems Agree to Seat Burris

January 12, 2009 5:22 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris will be seated this week as a United States Senator, filling the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama and capping a bizarre, weeks-long saga that saw Senate leaders first reject Burris and turn him away from the Senate before finally accepting his appointment by Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

“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," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin in a joint statement released Monday announcing they would accept Burris.

A breakthrough was reached for Burris when Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, who had pledged not to sign the same piece of paper on which Blagojevich officially appointed Burris, signed a separate sheet, acknowledging Burris. While unconventional, Blagojevich's appointment and White's separate certification of that appointment satisfied the Senate Parliamentarian when Burris' attorney and Blagojevich's chief of staff presented the credentials on Monday.

When Blagojevich's acting chief of staff, Clayton Harris, presented just Blagojevich's appointment and no certification by White, the Senate Parliamentarian ruled that Burris was not in compliance with Senate Rule II, which requires both signatures.

The Illinois Supreme Court took a different view, ruling last Friday that White did not have to sign and disagreeing with the Senate view that his signature was even required.

"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," said Reid and Durbin in their statement.