Moment senator's husband appears to snub Kamala Harris' handshake

The husband of a Republican senator has appeared to reject the handshake attempt of Kamala Harris as his wife was sworn into office.

Harris was conducting the swearing-in of senators in her capacity of vice president overnight.

As Deb Fischer from Nebraska approached to be sworn in, Harris and the senator shook hands and smiled.

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Fischer's husband Bruce had to stand between his wife and Harris to hold the Bible on which the senator would take her oath.

Harris was seen attempting small talk with Mr Fischer as he took his position, but he did not reply or look directly at her.

After Senator Fischer was sworn in, she and Harris shook hands.

But when Harris offered her hand to Mr Fischer, he did not take it.

"May I give congratulations to you?" she said.

He replied "Thank you," before putting his hand in his pocket.

Harris grimaced before they took the official photo.

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Senator Fischer is now in her third term as the Republican senator for Nebraska.

Democrats did not put up a candidate against her in the conservative rural state, but she faced an unusually close race against independent candidate Dan Osborn.

She won the state with 53 per cent of the vote, well short of Donald Trump.

Harris got just 39 per cent of the vote in the state, but won the Second Congressional District.

In presidential elections, Nebraska is one of two states that allocates its electoral college votes by congressional district.

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