Roland Burris will be sworn in as a United States senator on Thursday.
At 2 p.m., Burris, the appointee of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) to fill President-elect Obama’s former seat, will take an oath to become a senator, Burris’s office said Tuesday. Vice President Dick Cheney will administer it on the Senate floor.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who joined Democrats in opposing the appointment of Burris or any anyone else by Blagojevich, will host a private reception for his colleague-to-be after the swearing-in ceremony, Burris’s office said.