Vice President Joe Biden has sworn in Tammy Duckworth as Illinois' new U.S. senator at a ceremony in Washington.
Duckworth's press secretary, Sean Savett, says Illinois' other U.S. Senator, Dick Durbin, escorted Duckworth to the ceremony Tuesday.
Savett says Duckworth and the vice president also did a traditional recreation of the ceremony shortly afterward and her family, including her 2-year-old daughter Abigail and her husband Bryan were there.
Duckworth says she is excited about her committee assignments.
"Environment and Public Works. So, any work that we'll be doing with the new administration on investments and infrastructure will go through that committee. Commerce, Science, and Transportation is also another committee I'm on. Of course, that'll be incredibly important to Illinois when we talk about fixing our roads, and rail, and airports, as well as supporting Illinois businesses and manufacturers all across our great state."
Duckworth is a Democratic two-term representative from Hoffman Estates. She defeated incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk in the November general election. Duckworth is the second woman to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate.
Duckworth is a veteran and served as director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. She also worked in the federal VA.
Southern Illinois' representatives in the U.S. House also returned to Washington Tuesday for the inauguration of the new Congress.
12th District Republican Congressman Mike Bost of Murphysboro is serving his 2nd term, while 15th District GOP Congressman John Shimkus of Collinsville has been in the House since 1997.
