The 116th U.S. Congress officially convened Thursday noon, with Democrats taking control of the House and Republicans remaining their majority in the Senate.
Democrats have a 235-199 majority in the House, with one seat still in dispute after allegations of election fraud in the state of North Carolina. Representative Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, is expected to be elected as House speaker.
Vice President Mike Pence, who also serves as the president of the Senate, swore in new members of the upper chamber, where 53 Republicans hold the majority over 45 Democrats and two independents aligning with Democrats.
The new Congress convened amid a partial shutdown of the federal government.
