Harris receives standing ovation in first Senate appearance as VP

Vice President Harris received a standing ovation in the Senate on Wednesday upon her first visit to the chamber after being sworn in as VP.

Harris, who hours earlier became the nation’s first female vice president, went from the inaugural ceremony to the Senate, where she swore in three new members to officially give Democrats a majority in the chamber.

They included Democrats Raphael Warnock (Ga.) and Jon Ossoff (Ga.), who won a pair of runoff elections earlier this month, as well as Alex Padilla (D), who Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed to Harris’s Senate seat.

Vice President Kamala Harris receives a standing ovation as she arrives to swear in three new Democratic senators.

pic.twitter.com/tW0qcT9xOD

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) January 20, 2021

Despite leaving the Senate for the new Biden administration, Harris is likely to be heavily involved in the chamber’s activities as vice president. Warnock and Ossoff’s victories on Jan. 5 ensured a 50-50 split in the Senate, setting up Democrats to have a single-vote majority with Harris casting tie-breaking votes.

The swearing-in of the senators marked one of Harris’s first official acts as vice president. It followed her participation in the inaugural procession to the White House, accompanied by the marching band from her alma mater, Howard University.

WATCH: Howard University’s Showtime Marching Band escorts Vice President Harris to the White House for her first time as the 49th vice president of the United States. pic.twitter.com/zPfbGBsYFq

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 20, 2021