David Cicilline sworn into Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WPRI) - David Cicilline was sworn in Wednesday as Rhode Island's newest Congressman.

The former Providence mayor is succeeding Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who announced last year he would not run for reelection. It's the first time in decades Congress will be without a Kennedy in office.

Cicilline's parents were on hand as he and more than 80 other new representatives took the oath of office.

It's the largest freshman class in the U.S. House of Representatives in more than 60 years.

Cicilline joins fellow Congressman Jim Langevin in representing Rhode Island in the U.S. House.

Eyewitness News political analyst Joe Fleming says the former Providence mayor faces an uphill climb in Washington due to a number of factors.

"He's a freshman congressman. He's replacing Patrick Kennedy, who had a great deal of seniority and who was also on the Appropriations Committee. Right away as a freshman you get very little power."

But Fleming believes Cicilline's biggest obstacle is the fact that the Republicans now control the House.

"The other thing that really hurts David Cicilline, he's now part of the minority and not the majority. And when you're part of the minority party you're not going to get a lot. It's going to be very difficult for him to get things for the state of Rhode Island being part of the minority party at this point in Congress."

Cicilline is the fourth openly gay person to serve in the House.  Longtime Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank is among the others.