Cliff Bentz, OR-O2
To be a member of congress, you must take the following oath:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter so help me God."
Until being sworn in, even though elected, you are not a member of congress. The person administering the oath is the Speaker.
This is the third time I have had the incredible privilege of taking the oath. The first time, in 2021, was a confusing mess. Speaker Pelosi had the challenging job of administering the oath as we milled about on the floor being constantly admonished to maintain COVID-generated “social distance.” No one paid any attention. I recall that Speaker Pelosi was trying to round up all freshmen “in the well” (directly in front of the dais) on the House floor. She finally gave up and simply told everyone to raise their hands as she read the oath and we all said “yes.”
The second time, in 2023, Speaker McCarthy administered the oath, but everyone was worn out after the 15 votes over five days that it took to get him elected. The swearing in was supposed to be at around noon on Jan. 3 — it actually took place in the very early morning hours of Saturday the 7th of January!
This time, in 2025, the process was almost normal, with the oath being administered only an hour or so after the process of selecting the Speaker started. This was a good thing, because many of the members bring their families to Washington, D.C., to watch, so little kids and family members are on the floor, in the galleries, and just about everywhere else. Needless to say, having to wait days for a speaker to be selected so that he or she can swear members in means everyone who came to watch the swearing in (such as my wife back in 2023) eventually has to give up and go home. This is pretty sad for families with kids, siblings, parents, and grandparents who had hoped to attend. The good news is that we did select our Speaker in a timely fashion and family members who had traveled hundreds and even thousands of miles had the once in a lifetime chance to see their loved one sworn in as a member of the 119th Congress.
•••
The above is an excerpt from the Jan. 13 “Bentz Briefing," sent to constituents via email. Sign up for newsletters at www.bentz.house.gov.
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