In the News

Three new federal lawmakers from Indiana took their oaths of office Thursday as the 116th Congress got underway.

Republican Sen. Mike Braun of Jasper and Republican Reps. Jim Baird of Greencastle and Greg Pence of Columbus – brother of Vice President and former House member Mike Pence – were sworn in along with other legislators elected last year.

The vice president, in his role as president of the Senate, administered the oath to Braun, who unseated first-term Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., in the Nov. 6 general election. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., escorted Braun on the Senate floor.

Braun wore a gray suit, white shirt and mostly maroon necktie – a departure from his campaign uniform of blue shirt and no jacket or tie. Senate dress codes require business professional attire.

In an interview broadcast by Fort Wayne TV station WANE, Braun said, “I spent 15 months in the process of getting here, so it's neat that the day has finally come where you're going to start your career as a senator.”

Braun, a former state lawmaker, said he hopes to be named to the Senate Budget Committee, WANE reported.

“I'm wanting to weigh in there. That's the most dysfunctional thing about our government currently,” he said, an apparent reference to the federal budget deficit, which is expected to approach $1 trillion this year.

Braun said in the interview that he also would like to be appointed to committees that oversee infrastructure and health care costs.

Sworn in Thursday were seven re-elected House members from Indiana: Republican Reps. Jim Banks of Columbia City, Jackie Walorski of suburban Elkhart, Susan Brooks of Carmel, Larry Bucshon of Newburgh and Trey Hollingsworth of New Albany, and Democratic Reps. Pete Visclosky of Gary and Andre Carson of Indianapolis.

In the vote for House speaker, all seven Republicans from Indiana voted for Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and both Democrats from the state supported the winner, former Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

“Putting Nancy Pelosi back in the speaker's chair, for me as a conservative, it goes against every fiber within me of what I believe in,” Banks said in an interview with Fort Wayne radio station WOWO.

Democrats have a 235-199 advantage in the House. Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate.

Earlier in the day, Vice President Pence attended the Indiana congressional delegation's breakfast at the Capitol.

“Looking forward to working with them as we strive to serve Indiana & advance @POTUS' America FIRST agenda. Let's get to work!” Pence tweeted, mentioning President Donald Trump's Twitter account.

Also Thursday, Trump signed into law legislation introduced by Young and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., requiring federal agencies to report on open and unimplemented recommendations from the Office of the Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office.

Young's office said examples of open and unimplemented GAO recommendations include those aimed at improving patient wait times at Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities; measuring progress in addressing prison overcrowding and recidivism rates; and improving lead grant programs and compliance monitoring.