The Congress leaving office squabbled this week in its final days over contentious tax and spending legislation before finally agreeing to increase taxes on the wealthiest American families. The new Congress, the country's 113th, faces a renewed debate over increasing the country's $16.4 trillion borrowing cap, a debt ceiling the government reached earlier this week.

As part of the opening day of ceremonies, the majority Republicans in the House of Representatives again chose Ohio congressman John Boehner as Speaker, the top position in the chamber. By U.S. law, he also is second in the line of succession for the presidency, behind Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

In a time-honored ceremony, Biden swore in new and re-elected senators, asking them whether they swore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution:

"Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you God?"

The U.S. government said it can keep paying its bills for another two months, but by then will need to have the borrowing limit increased - or face an unprecedented circumstance, running out of money and defaulting on some of its financial obligations. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, said he will not negotiate with Congress over raising the debt ceiling, but Republican lawmakers said they plan to use the borrowing debate to try to win sharp concessions from Obama to cut government spending.