Newly Elected Officials Take Their Seats In The House Of Representatives

Washington (CNN) -- The 112th Congress officially convened Wednesday as Republicans prepared to officially take charge of the House of Representatives for the first time in four years and dramatically change Washington's political landscape.

Democrats will maintain control of the Senate, but with a smaller majority.

The change likely presages a stark ideological conflict with President Barack Obama, who is preparing to defend his legislative accomplishments of the past two years and position himself for a re-election campaign in 2012.

Ninety-four new House members will be sworn in Wednesday, along with 13 new senators. The new House has the largest freshman class with no previous experience in elective office since 1948.

House GOP leader John Boehner, an 11-term Ohio Republican, will inherit the speaker's gavel from Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California. Boehner's rise to the top position caps a remarkable political comeback. He was voted out of the House leadership in 1998 after Republicans unexpectedly lost seats to Democrats that year.

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