Washington, DC – Today, as we mark the start of the 113th Congress, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) was sworn in to his second term as Rhode Island’s junior senator. The Oath of Office was administered by Vice President Joe Biden during a ceremony on the Senate Floor. Whitehouse was accompanied by Rhode Island’s senior senator, Jack Reed.
“It has been my life’s honor to serve the people of Rhode Island in the United States Senate, and I thank them for putting their trust in me for another six years,” said Whitehouse. “In the months and years ahead, I will continue the fights that I began during my first term: to support middle class families and the programs – like Social Security and Medicare – that they depend on; to boost our economy and create jobs; and to preserve our environment and combat the effects of climate change. And through it all, I will continue to listen to Rhode Islanders at my community dinners and other events throughout the state, so I can better represent their interests and concerns in Washington.”
Whitehouse’s Senate seat was previously held by John O. Pastore, John Chafee, and Lincoln Chafee. He was re-elected in November with 65 percent of the vote.
Video of Whitehouse’s swearing-in ceremony is available here.
The text of the Senate’s Oath of Office reads:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
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