Owens now officially the congressman from the 23rd District

WASHINGTON — Rep. William L. Owens was sworn in early this afternoon as the new congressman for the 23rd Congressional District and received a standing ovation from a full House chamber.

With most of the House's 435 members and his family looking on following a series of floor votes, Mr. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, expressed gratitude to north country voters for putting him in the seat vacated by former Rep. John M. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, now secretary of the Army.

And in a moment that reflected up on the fates of both men, Mr. Owens began by expressing sorrow at Thursday's shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Tex., an incident that thrust Mr. McHugh into the spotlight as the Army responds.

After his formal swearing in, Mr. Owens posed for snapshots during a mock swearing in with House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as his family stood at his side. He raised his right hand and placed his left on a Bible provided by Mrs. Pelosi's office.

“This is an extraordinary experience for us,” Mr. Owens said, and he vowed to act in an “independent and bipartisan way” as the new representative for the heavily Republican district.

His first significant votes, however, will be on the Democratic-sponsored health care plan, which is expected to gain few if any Republican votes this weekend. He said he expects to vote in favor of it.