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House of Representatives

NPR's David Welna reports on the first day of the 107th Congress. Republican Dennis Hastert has returned for a second term as Speaker of the House of Representatives. The vote, with 222 for Hastert and 206 for Democratic leader Richard Gephardt, was along party lines, except for two exceptions: Democrat James Traficant of Ohio, an outspoken and controversial maverick, fulfilled his promise and voted for Hastert. Gene Taylor, a conservative Democrat from Mississippi, voted not for Gephardt but for Representative John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat. Two other House members voted "present." Other than that, it was a day of excitement, as many members brought their children onto the House floor.

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