Brown sworn in to fill Kennedy Senate seat

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Republican Scott Brown was sworn in Thursday as Massachusetts' new senator by Vice President Joe Biden on the U.S. Senate floor.

Brown took the U.S. Senate seat that had been held for 46 years by the late Democratic stalwart Edward Kennedy, and was welcomed by Republicans as the 41st GOP senator -- breaking the Democrats' filibuster-proof 60-vote majority in the 100-member chamber.

Politico said Brown arrived in Washington just hours after his election was certified in Massachusetts.

"It's exciting, I'm humbled and honored to represent the people of Massachusetts," Brown told the crowd assembled outside the Russell Senate Office Building. "Now it's time to get to work," the newspaper reported.

The swearing-in marked the last day of service for interim Sen. Paul Kirk, D-Mass.

In Massachusetts earlier, the independently elected Governor's Council voted 6-0 to accept the official results, which indicated Brown won last month's special election by 107,317 votes over Democrat Martha Coakley, the state's attorney general, The Boston Globe reported.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed the official returns and then added his name to official certificates the U.S. Senate requires showing Brown was a properly elected senator for Massachusetts.

Before signing the certification, Secretary of State William F. Galvin, addressed what he called "unfounded speculation" about a delay.

"There has been a diligent effort on behalf of all election officials to honor the rights of Massachusetts' voters," said Galvin, a Democrat.

Brown's attorneys Wednesday requested the certification process be sped up so he could be seated sooner than Feb. 11, as earlier expected, the Globe said. However, officials said Patrick and Galvin had planned to meet the required steps and Brown's new timetable.

Several Senate votes, including ones on several of President Barack Obama's nominees, are scheduled within the next few days, the Globe said.