Republican Norm Coleman is suing to challenge Democrat Al Franken's apparent recount victory in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race.

Burris Turned Away | Senate Drama

At a news conference Tuesday, Coleman said he won't accept a board's determination that Franken won 225 more votes in the November election.

"We are filing this contest to make absolutely sure every valid vote was counted and no one's was counted more than anyone else's," Coleman said.

The lawsuit will keep the seat vacant for weeks or months. State law prevents officials from issuing an election certificate until legal matters are resolved.

"Something greater than expediency is at stake here," Coleman said. He added: "Democracy is not a machine. Sometimes it's messy and inconvenient, and reaching the best conclusion is never quick because speed is not the first objective, fairness is."

Coleman, whose term expired Saturday, led Franken by 215 votes in the Nov. 4 count but that flipped during a prolonged recount. Coleman's lawyers say inconsistencies in the recount and election irregularities should be reviewed by a special three-judge panel.

Burris Turned Away From Senate

Roland Burris, President-elect Barack Obama's appointed successor, was turned away when he appeared at the U.S. Capitol to take his seat Tuesday.

The drama outside the chamber took place as Vice President Dick Cheney swore in nine new members of the Senate.

Vice President-elect Joe Biden was also sworn in, along with other Senate veterans. He will relinquish that seat on Jan. 20 and become president of the Senate as part of his role as vice president.

Burris announced the decision to deny him the Senate seat as he stood before a large throng of reporters and cameras in the rain outside the Capitol building.

Speaking just an hour before the convening of the 111th Congress on Tuesday, Burris said he was looking at a host of options for getting the seat.

"I am not seeking to have any kind of confrontation," he added.

Burris left the Capitol offices of the secretary, Nancy Erickson, after a meeting of about 20 minutes.

Earlier Tuesday, the 71-year-old former Illinois attorney general had been in tense negotiations with Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer. Once inside the Capitol, he was taken to the secretary of the Senate's office for further discussions.

Burris' attorney, Timothy Wright, said the rejection is "against the law of the land."

Burris has said there is nothing to arguments by critics and the Democratic leadership that his appointment is invalid or inappropriate because it came from disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who faces federal corruption charges.

Burris, interviewed on CBS's "The Early Show," said he believes the fact that Blagojevich on Monday set an election date for a successor to Rep. Rahm Emanuel proves that the governor's appointment of him to the Senate is valid, constitutional and binding.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said earlier that since Burris' appointment wasn't certified by the Illinois secretary of state, he wouldn't be included when new senators are sworn in Tuesday.

The new members of the U.S. House of Representatives were also sworn in Tuesday.

The oath was administered by newly re-elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had just been sworn in for a second term as speaker.

She and House Republican leader John Boehner each pledged to work together to deal with the troubled economy and other challenges.

There are 54 freshmen House members and two freshmen delegates. Democrats hold a majority of 256 to 178 with one vacancy, a gain of more than 20 seats since the end of the previous Congress.

This is the first time in 16 years that Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House.