An emotional man, the West Chester Twp. Republican often tears up as he talks about his rise from the son of a tavern owner in Reading to one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government.
Several of the more than 20 family members and friends who observed the ceremony from inside the House chamber, including his wife, Debbie, also were seen dabbing at their eyes.
“It’s hard,” Debbie Boehner said after the proceedings. “I can’t put it in words. It’s very humbling. It’s exciting. But at the same time, it’s crazy.”
Flanked by daughters, Lindsay and Tricia, Debbie Boehner said they were teary-eyed and emotional as well as “proud.”
“It’s a great feat for young people to see,” she said. “If you work hard enough at something, you can do whatever you want to do.”
Pelosi passed the gavel to Boehner and said, “I now pass this gavel, which is larger than most gavels here, but the gavel of choice of Mr. Speaker Boehner.” The gavel was specially made by one of Boehner’s Ohio supporters.
“I now pass this gavel and the sacred trust that goes with it to the new speaker,”Pelosi said. “God bless you, Speaker Boehner.”
Near the end of his speech, Boehner glanced up toward some friends and family seated in the chamber.
West Chester Twp. residents Patti and Dick Alderson gave a thumbs up and salute to their close friend from the front row of the balcony.
The chamber audience also included Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., former Vice President Dan Quayle, and former House Republican Leader Bob Michel of Illinois.
Portman sworn in
On the other side of the Capitol an hour earlier, Republican Rob Portman from the Cincinnati area was sworn in as Ohio’s newest senator.
Vice President Joe Biden administered the oath to Portman, who was escorted down the middle of the Senate floor by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, with the two partisan rivals chatting amiably.
Portman, too, said he is eager to get down to work. He is scheduled today to join a trio of senators in addressing the rest of the Senate GOP caucus. His presentation will focus on how Republican senators can tackle the issues of economic recovery and job creation. “I’m more optimistic than some” about the prospects of reaching agreements between Republicans and Democrats, Portman said.
First salvo next week
Republicans hold a 242-193 conservatives’ majority in the House and have pledged to challenge President Barack Obama both with legislation and with their power to investigate. The first salvo is expected next week, a bill to repeal the sweeping health care law that Democrats pushed to passage 10 months ago and have vowed to defend.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., signaled as much, and more, in a speech marking the beginning of a new two-year Congress. “We have to do even more to help middle-class families, to create jobs, to hasten our energy independence, to improve our children’s education and to fix our broken immigration system,” he said.
Within a few hours of the opening gavel, Democrats unveiled a plan to limit the ability of Republicans to filibuster their legislation. No resolution is expected for weeks.
The Associated Press and
Jack Torry and Jonathan Riskind of the Washington bureau contributed to this story.
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