The swearing-in ceremony for brand spanking new senators is generally a perfunctory a part of the beginning of a brand new Congress, a ritual orchestrated to indicate courtesy and camaraderie as even political rivals smile collectively for household images.
That is how issues performed out six years in the past, when Sen. Deb Fischer, a low-key Republican from Nebraska, took the oath of workplace earlier than Vice President Mike Pence and her husband, Bruce, thanked him for its providers.
The identical factor had occurred six years beforehand, when it was a Democrat who administered the oath; the couple each warmly shook palms with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
However this 12 months, when it was Vice President Kamala Harris doing the work, issues had been colder.
On Friday, Mr. Fischer, who stood subsequent to his spouse holding the Bible on which she had taken the oath, appeared to snub Ms. Harris by refusing to shake her hand and even make eye contact together with her afterward.
Footage of the awkward interplay circulated extensively on-line, with Democrats accusing Mr. Fischer of being racist, sexist and disrespectful to Ms. Harris, and MAGA commentators defending him.
A spokeswoman for Ms. Fischer didn’t reply to a request for remark. A spokeswoman for Ms. Harris declined to remark.
However these reactions underscored as soon as once more how even essentially the most fundamental interpersonal interactions in Washington right this moment are scrutinized for indicators of passions and hostilities between members of opposing events that lurk barely beneath the floor . The awkward alternate between Ms. Harris and Mr. Fischer got here on a day that was, in its personal approach, attempting for the vp, who was serving after dropping the presidency and getting ready to depart workplace altogether, her personal future. unclear.
The entire thing was captured by C-SPAN cameras within the outdated Senate chamber.
After swearing in Ms. Fischer and shaking her hand, Ms. Harris turned to Mr. Fischer and stated, “Congratulations to you,” as she prolonged her hand.
“Thanks,” he says, trying down with out trying into her eyes as she stands together with her arm outstretched. She then stepped again, raised her eyebrows and grimaced barely earlier than turning round and flashing a rictus smile for the photograph.
The coldness started earlier than the vp learn the oath, when Ms. Fischer launched her husband and positioned him subsequent to Ms. Harris to carry the Bible for him. He appeared so reluctant to face close to the vp that she made a remark.
“It’s okay, I received’t chew.” I’m not going to chew, don’t fear,” Ms Harris stated.
Brian Tyler Cohen, a political commentator, posted video of the interplay on-line and stated it demonstrated “the extent of sophistication you’ll be able to anticipate from MAGA.”
Qondi Ntini, a content material creator, wrote on-line that “we’ll cease speaking about race when individuals cease doing issues like this.”
Republicans, nevertheless, got here to the Fischers’ protection. Not like 4 years in the past with Mr. Pence or eight years earlier with Mr. Biden, they famous, Bruce Fischer on Friday held a cane in his proper hand, along with the Bible he held in his left. They dismissed the complete controversy as an try by the left to smear a senator’s spouse. Some even criticized Ms. Harris for attempting to shake the hand of somebody holding a cane.
Regardless of the unusual second with the Fischers, Ms. Harris’s interactions with the senators and their relations on Friday had been principally cordial, with a number of poignant moments sprinkled all through.
“I’m sorry you didn’t win,” the son of Senator Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona, instructed him.
“You realize what, honey?” » she replied, giving him a hug. “Don’t fear, as a result of there’s nonetheless a variety of work to do.”
And if Mr. Fischer’s reception was the coldest reception she obtained from the Republican facet of the aisle, the one she obtained from the daughters of Senator David McCormick, Republican of Pennsylvania, maybe been the warmest.
Mr. McCormick arrived for his swearing-in with six daughters and daughters-in-law from his blended household. (Ms. Harris was wide-eyed once they instructed her that two of them had been named Ava.) The younger ladies appeared delighted to satisfy Ms. Harris, appearing like fan women as they whispered, laughed and s lingering to take their very own photograph together with her. , after asking their dad and mom to step out of the field.
