Cindy Hyde-Smith officially becomes Mississippi's first female senator
WASHINGTON _ Cindy Hyde-Smith was sworn in to the U.S. Senate on Monday, becoming Mississippi's first female senator in the state's history.
Hyde-Smith took her oath of office as a member of the Senate at 3:04 p.m., with Vice President Mike Pence on hand to swear her in.
"I know I speak for senators on both sides of the aisle in welcoming our new colleague," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in his opening remarks to the chamber as it returned from its two-week recess.
Previously the Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Hyde-Smith was tapped by Republican Gov. Phil Bryant to replace former Sen. Thad Cochran, who resigned this month amid continued health problems.
Republicans hold 51 seats in the Senate, but the margins have been effectively even as Sen. John McCain continues to battle brain cancer back in his home state of Arizona.
Hyde-Smith's arrival gives the GOP some potentially critical support as the chamber gears up to consider nominees to fill vacancies at the helm of the State Department, Department of Veterans Affairs and Central Intelligence Agency.
Even with her potential backing, however, the nominees for each position may not advance without some Democratic support.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has already signaled he will vote against both Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump's pick to head the CIA, and current CIA Director Mike Pompeo, the nominee for secretary of state. Adm. Ronny Jackson, the president's personal military doctor and his nominee to lead the VA, is a relatively unknown quantity on Capitol Hill and is also expected to face a difficult confirmation battle.
_CQ-Roll Call
