Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. New US Congress Convenes Michael Bowman | Capitol Hill 05 January 2011 House Speaker-designate John Boehner of Ohio walks out of his home on Capitol Hill in Washington prior to the start of the 112th Congress, Jan 5, 2011 Photo: AP House Speaker-designate John Boehner of Ohio walks out of his home on Capitol Hill in Washington prior to the start of the 112th Congress, Jan 5, 2011 A new Republican majority takes control of the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday, promising to cut spending and trim America's trillion-dollar federal deficit. President Barack Obama's Democratic Party will retain control of the Senate, making for a divided legislature at a time of sharp partisan disagreements on how best to move the country forward. Scores of new Republican legislators view last November's election as a national rebuke of President Obama's economic stewardship and a mandate to scale back the size and scope of the federal government. Kentucky freshman Republican Senator Rand Paul told CBS' Early Show he will not vote to raise the limit on federal borrowing unless spending is drastically cut. "What we want is not to give up and say 'just do [spend] whatever you want' as it has always been," said Paul. "All the new people coming to Washington are going to insist that if we raise the debt ceiling, it has to be linked to something. From here on out, we are going to balance the budget." The Obama administration has warned that failure to raise the debt ceiling would cause the U.S. government to default on its loan obligations and produce a catastrophic financial crisis. To demonstrate their commitment to fiscal responsibility, House Republicans say their first act will be to vote to trim their own office payrolls. Next week, a vote to repeal President Obama's health care reform initiative is expected. The incoming House Budget Committee Chairman, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, tied repeal to national prosperity. "This is related to jobs and the economy," said Ryan. "The health care bill has massive tax increases on individuals and employers that will cost us jobs." Ryan spoke on NBC's Today show. Also appearing on the program was Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, who characterized a House vote to repeal the health care law as a worthy, but largely symbolic act, since the Democratically-controlled Senate will not follow suit. "I think the House vote is a good one," said McCain. "It is not going to pass here in the Senate. But we need to continue the fight." The new Speaker of the House, Republican John Boehner of Ohio, takes over from California Democrat Nancy Pelosi. She has promised a vigorous fight to preserve what she sees as hard-won victories for the American people during her tenure. "As we keep job creation front and center, House Democrats will continue to protect the gains we have made on behalf of health and economic security for the American people," said Pelosi. Virtually all of the new Republican legislators won their seats in Congress by running against what they see as a corrupting and bankrupting culture of excess in Washington that burdens the American people with ever-higher levels of taxation and government debt. The populist rhetoric shows no sign of abating as Congress convenes. Incoming Republican Representative Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania said he will keep in touch with the people who sent him to Congress, not Washington power-brokers. "I'll spend the bulk of my time, when I can, back in my district," said Kelly. "I have to get back with the people I walk with, talk with, the people that I work with." It is a promise that U.S. politicians of all ideologies and political stripes have made for centuries. .