Washington:Vice President Kamala Harris swore in two newly elected US senators from the state of Georgia and her own appointed successor from California less than five hours after taking the oath of office alongside President Joe Biden.
"The chair lays before the Senate two certificates of election from the state of Georgia and the resignation of former Senator Kamala D. Harris," the new Vice President said on Wednesday. Then she added, in reference to herself, "That was weird."
As the head of the Senate, Harris then administered the oath of office to the three new Democratic senators, the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff - both elected from Georgia - and Harris's own successor, former California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who was appointed by state Governor Gavin Newsom.
Since Warnock and Ossoff defeated two Republican incumbents their swearing in tips control of the upper chamber of Congress by a single vote from the Republicans to the Democrats and making Democratic caucus leader Senator Chuck Schumer of New York State the new Senate Majority Leader.SPUTNIK