Democrat Jeanne Shaheen took her oaths as New Hampshire’s first ever female U.S. Senator on Jan. 6 and vowed to work with Republican senior Sen. Judd Gregg. Shaheen has been appointed to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Foreign Relations.

After being sworn in, Shaheen said she has “no doubt” the nation can tackle the many challenges it currently faces. “We need to get our economy back on track by creating jobs and putting middle class families first again,” she said in a press release. “We must lay the foundation for long-term economic strength by investing in clean, alternative energy sources, and we must begin the long work of repairing our international standing.”

Following tradition, Gregg escorted Shaheen through the Senate Chamber in Washington, D.C., on her way to be sworn in by Vice President Dick Cheney. Gregg and Shaheen pledged to work together in a cooperative, bipartisan manner to serve the people of New Hampshire.

“Jeanne and I have a long history of working together to advance the interests of New Hampshire and I look forward to building on that strong bipartisan relationship to ensure that the decisions made in Washington promote our state’s values and benefit New Hampshire citizens,” Gregg said in a press release.

Shaheen, who defeated incumbent Republican John Sununu in November, becomes the first woman in any state to serve as both governor and U.S. Senator. She took her oaths of office on the same Bible she used when first sworn in as governor of New Hampshire on Jan. 9, 1997.