First Native American Congresswomen Share Emotional Moment After Swearing-In

Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland shared a sweet moment after officially becoming members of Congress.
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Thursday afternoon, two months after American voters elected more than a dozen history-making candidates for office, newly re-elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi swore them in alongside their fellow House members.

For at least two of them, it was an emotional moment.

Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) and Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) each held up a right hand and vowed to uphold their oath of office, becoming the first Native American women in the U.S. Congress, which has comprised more than 10,000 people since the late 1800s.

The pair then shared a tearful embrace on the House floor. (Watch above.)

Davids, an attorney and former mixed martial arts fighter, is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation. She’s also the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress from her state.

Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, is an attorney and once served as her state’s Democratic Party chair. She arrived on Capitol Hill in traditional dress with silver and turquoise jewelry.

Now to end the government shutdown.

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