house along with his party. the famously emotional one-time janitor kept a handkerchief handy, misting up more than once as he prepared to take the oath. i do. congratulations, mr. speaker. reporter: boehner in turn swore in the rest of the house. if all members could raise their right hands. reporter: all but nine of the 96 new members are republicans. the people voted to end business as usual, and today we begin to carry out their instructions. reporter: the first female speaker of the house, democrat nancy pelosi, handed the gavel to boehner, as her four-year tenure came to an end. however we may differ, let us never lose sight of our common laws for this exceptional nation and our shared obligation to the way forward. reporter: but the friendly overtures by both leaders quickly gave way to partisan jabs, as the house got down to business. our mission is not to redistribute wealth, or tell people how to live their lives. my head is somewhat spinning b