Michigan’s 4 new Congress members are sworn in
But even with a Democratic House -- which now includes four new
Here's the skinny on the swearing-in
Under the 20th Amendment, the new
In the House, the new
"Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the
The response was "I do." After that, in both chambers, officials held ceremonial swearings-in for the members. It's at these where the formal photos are taken of members -- some with one hand on a Bible or other religious text -- raising their hand to take the oath.
No book at all is needed, however. It's entirely up to the member who is being sworn in. Some of
What's at stake in this
With many votes on legislation still requiring a 60-vote threshold in the
* Immigration reform, with questions remaining about whether immigrants who came into the country as children should be able to remain.
* Border security, with Trump insisting he'll secure funding from
* Health care reform, with a
* Trade, with Trump still engaged in a tariff battle with
And that doesn't even scratch the surface, with calls for
Set that against the backdrop of the 2020 presidential campaign getting underway -- with potential candidates jockeying for position and making their presence known throughout 2019 -- you can expect the year to be a wild ride.
Levin, 58, of
A state department head under former Gov.
He's a self-described "hell-raiser" when it comes to social justice issues -- organizing hunger strikes in college, getting arrested while protesting oil drilling in
Levin got here by defeating Republican businesswoman
His agenda this coming year: Levin already has been part of efforts to slow
What to expect at his swearing in: At his swearing-in, Levin was expecting lots of family and friends from
Slotkin, 42, of
She worked for President
Slotkin won the toughest-fought congressional battle in
Her agenda this coming year: Campaigning as a moderate, she wasn't a vote for
What to expect at her swearing in: Slotkin served hot dogs -- in honor of her grandfather's connection to the company that gave
Stevens, 35, of
Also like Slotkin, Stevens -- who grew up in
Stevens split a large field in the Democratic primary and went on to defeat businesswoman
Her agenda this coming year: Stevens campaigned from the start on the need for training and additional resources for workers, especially those that can move them into high-tech jobs. And she wants to see money pumped into new and rebuilt roads and bridges in
What to expect at her swearing-in: Stevens' open house at her new offices in the
Tlaib, 42, of
Tlaib won the full term that began Thursday and made history when she was sworn in as
A former state representative, Tlaib is a lawyer and a civic activist, and anyone who knows her expects to hear more from her in
As she was meeting other new incoming members of
Her agenda this coming year: Tlaib already has made some noise: She has proposed taking new members of
What to expect at her swearing-in: She took her oath of office in a traditional Palestinian robe made by her mom. Her ceremonial swearing-in had been expected to be with her hand on
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