January 5: Kaptur to Perform Ceremonial Functions as the 112th Congress Convenes in Washington
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in the U.S. House of Representatives, will participate in today's opening session of the 112th Congress, including the installation of fellow Ohioan John Boehner as the 53rd Speaker of the House.
Congresswoman Kaptur, the dean of the Ohio Democratic delegation, will serve as a member of the escort committee that will accompany Mr. Boehner to the chair of the House.
As senior woman in the House, she will also serve as the chief Democratic tally clerk as members of the House formally vote to elect a new speaker.
Mr. Boehner will be the third speaker of the House from the state of Ohio. J. Warren Keifer, a lawyer from Clark County, served as speaker in the 74th Congress and Nicholas J. Longworth, a Cincinnatian, served as speaker in the sixty-ninth through seventy-first Congresses (1925-1931).
Kaptur, who wore a red and gray corsage adorned with buckeyes to celebrate the occasion, is beginning her 15th term in Congress. She said the 112th Congress should put Heartland values forward, setting partisan differences aside to rebuild the American economy and preserve liberty.
"I was honored to be chosen as a member of the escort committee," Kaptur said. "We thank the Speaker-elect for reserving special chairs in the chamber for the Ohio delegation. Ohio welcomes the attention! Importantly, today, we are united, as Ohioans and Americans, as we celebrate the peaceful transition of power in the House of Representatives," Kaptur said. "We all wish Speaker Boehner Godspeed in the days ahead as we address the weighty challenges facing our nation. In America, as in Ohio, all things are indeed possible."