Democrats vow to work with GOP 'whenever possible'

Rep. Hoyer, right, was introduced as House Democratic whip Thursday by new Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Still smarting from this month's resounding defeat for his party at the polls, the Democrats' new House whip pledged Saturday to work with Republicans "whenever possible," but said the party would "never waver" from its principles.

After the September 11 attacks, the members of the outgoing 107th Congress "responded as one, with resolve, with courage and with justice and homeland security as our objective," said Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the second-ranking House Democrat.

But the newly elected whip then reeled off a list of priorities, and implied that, though the Republicans control both houses of Congress and the executive branch, they may not be able to count on help from the Democrats in carrying out their agenda.

"Our economy is stagnant; we need to create more jobs and promote economic growth," Hoyer said. "We need to expand access to health care, enact a patients' bill of rights, and adopt a real prescription drug benefit for our seniors."

Education, safeguarding the environment and ensuring that the armed forces are strong are also among the Democrats' priorities, he said.

"When the 108th Congress convenes, House Democrats will continue to work with our Republican colleagues, seeking bipartisan solutions whenever possible. However, where we differ on how to meet the needs of the American people, we will fight to ensure that our policies help all Americans."

The whip promised the Democrats "will never waver on the principles that animate this great party's soul: equality, opportunity, compassion, freedom and security."

Hoyer then cited President John F. Kennedy, in a quotation from more than 40 years ago:

"He said, 'Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.' "

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