Biden presided over the session in his role as president of the Senate after swearing in the new New Jersey senator, Cory Booker (D).
Ray LaHood had been a prominent establishment Republican Congressman, who had presided over the session of Congress that voted to impeach then-President Bill Clinton.
During the Electoral College vote earlier in the day, Mr. Bush proudly presided over the session.
Representative Andy Harris, Republican of Maryland, who presided over the session on Thursday, said that the next stopgap spending bill, which runs to Nov. 18, "will be more contentious".
Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheik Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, who presided over the session on Saturday, said at a news conference that Egypt's objections could not be ironed out because they were presented at the last moment.
Pope John Paul II, 81, who presided over the session in a modern conference hall in the Vatican, made an opening statement, then listened as more than 35 of his advisers made comments that were translated into French, English, Spanish, Italian and German.
Mr. Lidén, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN, presided over the session.
Rauf Kalani, the Chief of Mowe, presided over the session and was supported by representatives of the state's Ministries of Agriculture, Health and Information.
Texas senators, who would elect one of their own to replace him for the remainder of his term, would have to bury their plans and ambitions about presiding over the next session.
Senator George H. Winner Jr., who was presiding over the Republican session, was left to peck the table in front of him with a small gavel used by Republicans for their private conferences.
