Politics / Roland Burris Burris Joins Senate Thursday By John Johnson, Newser Staff Posted Jan 13, 2009 6:20 PM CST Copied Illinois U.S. Senate appointee Roland Burris gestures during a news conference in Chicago, Monday, Jan. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) At least one aspect of the Rod Blagojevich soap opera will end Thursday: Roland Burris will be sworn into the Senate at 2pm EST, the Hill reports. Dick Cheney will do the honors in the Senate chamber, and a ceremonial re-enactment will follow elsewhere in the building for Burris' family (and the media). The development comes after Senate Democratic leaders dropped their objections yesterday. (More Roland Burris stories.) Report an error