A letter to Carl Hulse.
Now that the 110th Congress has convened, did the Senate in fact adopt rules to automatically switch control to the Republicans if Tim Johnson is replaced by a Republican?
My understanding is that historically control is fixed for the life of the session, since any changes could easily be filibustered.
If so, the article "Democrats Take the Gavels in Congress" is in error when it states "He is a Republican, and would be under pressure to name a Republican to the Senate seat -- thus giving control of the chamber back to Republicans."