Without specifying, the Wrentham Republican said there are several votes pending in which he would like to take part, but stressed the importance of working on a balanced budget. President Barack Obama unveiled a $3.8 trillion budget plan earlier this week.
Following two weeks of what amounted to a victory tour, the Sen. Scott Brown era officially began in Washington at 5 p.m. Thursday.
With his right hand raised and the childhood Bibles of his daughters in his left hand, Brown took the oath of office from Vice President Joe Biden as Sen. John Kerry and former interim Sen. Paul G. Kirk Jr. looked on.
The ceremony, which officially ends decades of Democratic rule in the Massachusetts’ Senate seats, took place hours after Gov. Deval Patrick certified the results of the Jan. 19 special election.
Meeting with reporters minutes after being sworn in, Brown thanked the residents of Massachusetts before offering up his first minor verbal slip-up as a U.S. senator.
“I can’t promise I will be right in every vote, but I’ll be sure to make mistakes from time to time,” Brown said. He then continued, “However, I always have tried to learn and grow, and I will do the very best job that I can.”
“People have asked me why I wanted to get sworn in so quickly,” he added. “There is no hidden agenda. The answer is pretty basic; I want to get to work.”
A special election to fill the seat vacated by new U.S. Sen. Scott Brown will be held Tuesday, May 11, according to Secretary of State William Galvin. The election to replace the Wrentham Republican will take place in the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex districts. A party primary election is set for Tuesday, April 13.
tony.lee@metro.us |