 Although it was initially thought that Foster would not be sworn in until April due to the need to count absentee ballots before the first election would be certified, he took the oath of office on March 11.Foster joined Vern Ehlers (R-MI) and Rush Holt Jr. (D-NJ) as the only research physicists ever to be elected to Congress.On his first day in office, he cast the deciding vote to keep from tabling an ethics bill that would create an independent outside panel to investigate ethics complaints against House members.