Heller delivers first Senate speech

WASHINGTON -- Once upon a time freshmen in the U.S. Senate were seen and not heard.

Depending on the era and the individual, some remained silent during debate for months or even years, believing their humility would impress their colleagues, according to the Senate historical office.

While some might argue the times have changed from when humility was a common trait in the Senate, some senators in modern times have held to custom for their maiden speeches. The latest to do so was Sen. Dean Heller, D-Nev.

Heller had not uttered a public word on the Senate floor in four months and 11 days, from when he was sworn in to office on May 9 until Tuesday, when he gave a 14-minute address on jobs and the economy.

Heller's message was one he has delivered regularly in other venues: Congress is paralyzed by partisanship and is failing to address pressing problems caused by "government spending and the national debt."

"The truth is, Washington has not done enough to get our nation back on track, and the American public knows it," he said. "From all corners of Nevada and our nation, the message is clear: The status quo is not working."

Explaining the wait, Heller said he wanted to hold with Senate tradition, in contrast with the U.S. House, where Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., was given the opportunity to address colleagues within minutes of being sworn in last Thursday.

"The Senate does things a little differently," said Heller, 51. "I respect the rules, and for that reason we waited a little bit longer and made sure we were prepared."

"The tradition of new members being seen and not heard has a long history in the Senate," said Katherine Scott, assistant Senate historian. "This began to change in the 1960s probably because, as one freshman explained in 1965, 'We don't feel there's time to waste on that old seen-and-not-heard business.' "

Since then it has become more common for members to offer maiden speeches within the first few months of their term, Scott said.

Some senators don't wait long at all. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., took to the floor on Jan. 14, 1987, 11 days after taking office. He spoke on taxpayer rights.

Former Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., gave his maiden speech, on education reform, on March 1, 2001, 58 days after taking office. The first remarks by former Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., came 22 days after taking office in 1989.

For Heller, an appointed senator who is running for election in 2012, completing the rite of first speech opens the gate for more appearances.

"This starts our ability to get down on the (Senate) floor now and start taking action necessary to turn this economy around," he said after the speech. "You are going to see a lot of stuff out there. We are going to talk about burdensome regulations and too-high taxes."

Nevada Democrats criticized Heller's speech. Party spokesman Zach Hudson said Heller "finally pretends to be concerned about job creation during his maiden speech in the U.S. Senate."

Reid, the majority leader, congratulated Heller on the speech: "It will be the first of many. The first one is always the hardest; after that it's a lot easier."

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 775-687-3901.