CHANGES CLEAR AS CONGRESS OPENS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 6, 1993                   TAG: 9301060208
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A2   EDITION: STATE   
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short
CHANGES CLEAR AS CONGRESS OPENS
The 103rd Congress convened Tuesday with a flood of new faces, including record numbers of women and blacks, and a promise to move quickly on President-elect Clinton's agenda.
The newly elected lawmakers "represent a better and more reflective representation of this country . . . than any other Congress in our history," ared Rep. Thomas Foley, D-Wash., who was re-elected House speaker.
At the outset, there are 110 new House members - one-fourth of that body - and 13 new senators, numbers that will grow because Clinton has chosen three representatives and one senator for his Cabinet.
Both chambers have more women than ever, six in the Senate and 47 in the House.
The 38 blacks and 17 Hispanics elected to the House as part of its biggest freshman class since 1948 are records, too.
There was action on the House floor. Republicans fought the Democrats' plan to give representatives from the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and other territories the chance to vote.
The Democrats were forced to water down their plan, guaranteeing that when the five new votes were decisive, another tally - without them - would be taken.
Texas Gov. Ann Richards on Tuesday said she would appoint Bob Krueger, Texas railroad commissioner and former congressman, to replace Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, Clinton's nominee for treasury secretary.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB