RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - It was a big week for North Carolina inside the Washington Beltway, despite wicked weather that made operations of the federal government difficult.

Thom Tillis, the Mecklenburg County Republican who defeated incumbent Kay Hagan in November, was sworn into office as North Carolina's newest U.S. Senator. He joins Richard Burr, also a Republican, as the state's Senate representation.

As North Carolina House Speaker, Tillis was known as a reformer of tax and regulatory policy.

In the U.S. House, veteran Democratic Congressman G.K. Butterfield of the 1st District not only began another term, he was sworn in as the new chairman of the powerful Congressional Black Caucus.

Butterfield promised the group, under his leadership, would pursue legislative remedies to what he believes are incidents of excessive and/or deadly force by law enforcement.

Butterfield is from Wilson.