WASHINGTON — Amid time-honored rituals and a measure of controversy, Rhode Island’s newly reelected Sen. Jack Reed and Representatives Patrick J. Kennedy and James R. Langevin were sworn in yesterday as members of the 111th Congress — the first in 14 years to be elected to serve under a Democratic President, with Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress.

Change and celebration were in the air but the undercurrent was all business. For the immediate future, all hands will work on “the economy, the economy, the economy,” as Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse put it. The Rhode Island Democrat (who is two years into his term) thus summed up the bipartisan preoccupation with swift enactment of a huge spending bill aimed at jolting some life into a badly ailing economy.

Reed said the overall economy will start to recover if the Congress and President-elect Barack Obama can succeed in two things: “Employment has to begin to increase and we have to begin to stabilize home prices.”

“Without question, we’ve got to move aggressively to get the economy back on track and people back to work,” said Langevin. Kennedy agreed and, like scores of lawmakers mingling at afternoon receptions around the Capitol, made a point of describing how his personal priorities — health-care improvements, for one — are good candidates for inclusion in the upcoming economic stimulus bill. All four Rhode Islanders also said innovative energy and environmental spending programs are just as essential to the federal public works package as traditional programs such as road-building.

In the Senate, thorny questions remain about the filling of Obama’s open seat in Illinois and a court fight over the close battle in Minnesota between incumbent Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. Senate replacements must be found, too, for Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Both were on hand yesterday, with other soon-to-depart senators to add a valedictory note to the proceedings.

For most members, though, the focus lay with the traditions of hail and farewell. Senators new and old walked down the center aisle in small groups to be sworn in by the presiding officer, Vice President Dick Cheney. Reed took the oath for his third six-year term with another seasoned Democrat, Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, and two Republicans, the veteran Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas and newly elected James E. Risch of Idaho.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who missed much of last year’s session after being diagnosed with and treated for cancer, made a robust appearance with his reelected Massachusetts colleague Sen. John F. Kerry, who later pronounced the moment “wonderful.”

Langevin, so far, is the only member of the Rhode Island delegation to make a major change in his committee assignments. Shortly after the members of the House were sworn in, Langevin announced that he will resume his position on the House Armed Services Committee, making a substantial leap in seniority after taking a leave from the panel at the request of Democratic leaders in 2007. The congressman said he hopes to be seated on the subcommittee in charge of Navy issues — a key panel for Southeastern New England’s submarine industry. Langevin also stressed his determination “to end this war in Iraq and bring our troops home.” He added, “It’s something I campaigned on and Barack Obama campaigned on and we’ve got to do it.”

While Langevin will take a leave from the Homeland Security Committee and his chairmanship of a subcommittee in charge of threats from biochemical weaponry and other sources, he stressed that he will remain active on computer security issues as a member of the Intelligence Committee and in other forums.

Political backers, fellow public officials, lobbyists, family and friends packed the House and Senate for the opening proceedings and the party rooms for the celebrations. Many were ready to tout their own priorities. When Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline was asked at Reed’s reception what he would like from the new Congress, Rhode Island Democratic Chairman Bill Lynch put in jokingly: “Money.” The mayor refined that, arguing that the nation’s cities are lined up with jobs and public improvements projects that can quickly pump money into the economy.

jmulligan@belo-dc.com