Friday, January 04, 2013

Yesterday the 113th Congress was sworn in at the US Capitol. Many of the newly-elected members took to Twitter to share their pride, gratitude (and a dash of awe) to be officially taking office. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be sworn in to public office, these Tweets from some of the newest members offer a glimpse into the first day on the job at the Capitol.

Rep. Eric Swalwell started his morning with a run past the U.S. Capitol, where he would later be sworn in:

Senator Heidi Heitkamp arrived from frigid North Dakota to find a warm welcome awaiting in her new Capitol Hill office:

South Carolina’s Tim Scott, the only African American member of the Senate, showed what his first day of work entailed:

Incoming Virginia Senator Tim Kaine posted bilingual Tweets for the benefit of his Spanish-speaking constituents:

Many of the new Congress members didn’t arrive in Washington alone: they brought along their families, in person or in spirit, for the historical occasion:

In addition to welcoming to the new members, colleagues of Illinois Senator Mark Kirk shared in his emotional return to Capitol Hill following a stroke last year:
While other returning Senators noted the historic composition of the new class:

Also on the agenda for the first day of business was electing party leadership. The vote for Speaker of the House attracted notable attention; several representatives used Twitter to share updates and their thoughts:

As the 113th Congress gets underway, following your representatives gives you a closer perspective every day on the goings-on in D.C., your state and district.

Posted by Bridget Coyne (@bcoyne)
Government, News, & Social Innovation Team