With the start of the 117th Congress, North Carolina has three fresh faces on Capitol Hill.

On Sunday on the U.S. House floor, Democrats Deborah Ross and Kathy Manning plus Republican Madison Cawthorn each raised a hand in the air, taking the oath of office.

In interviews, all three struggled to contain their excitement describing the experience of casting their first votes as a member of Congress.

“That is the moment when it really set in. Wow, I am a member of the House of Representatives, I get to make a difference on behalf of the people of the United States,” said Cawthorn, R-11th District.

“I was nervous because we got our voting cards in the morning,” she said. “It’s the first time using it. Is it going to work?”

Two of the new lawmakers already know at least one of their committee assignments. Ross, D-2nd District, will be on the House Judiciary Committee, which works on everything from criminal justice reform to antitrust law.

As a state lawmaker in North Carolina, Ross previously served on the House Judiciary Committee in the General Assembly.

Manning will serve on the Education and Labor Committee. In doing so, Manning will join other North Carolina lawmakers who are also part of that panel, including Rep. Virginia Foxx, who is the top Republican.

“We have an enormous need for investment in schools, we need workforce development ... we need to focus on making sure kids can afford to get those post-secondary degrees without being overwhelmed by student debt,” said Manning, D-6th District.

One topic above all others will dominate their first months in office: the pandemic.

On that, all three new members generally agree that there will likely need to be another aid bill. Though whether lawmakers will be able to reach an agreement what that bill looks like is another matter altogether.

“I really think that we should be focusing on helping those small business owners who are really the backbone of America,” Cawthorn said.

“This past package had some aid for distributing the vaccine. I’m confident that we’re going to need to do more of that,” Ross said.

“We have so many people that are suffering in my district. We have incredible food insecurity,” Manning said.

In the days ahead, though, these new lawmakers have basic logistical work ahead of them. Navigating Capitol Hill, setting up their staffs, and simply moving into their offices.