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ELECTION OF SPEAKER
The CLERK. Pursuant to law and precedent, the next order of business is the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 117th Congress.
Nominations are now in order.
The Clerk recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries).
Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Clerk, I rise today at the direction of the House Democratic Caucus, by the vote of that Caucus, to place the name of the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Representative-elect from the great State of California, by way of Charm City, into nomination for election to the position of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
Nancy Pelosi believes in the power of American exceptionalism.
Nancy Pelosi believes in the goodness of the American people.
Nancy Pelosi believes that our diversity is our strength and that our unity is our power.
Nancy Pelosi believes that the House is fundamentally the institution best equipped to reflect the hopes, the dreams, and the aspirations of everyday Americans.
Nancy Pelosi believes that our sacred mission is to continue America's long, necessary, and majestic march toward a more perfect Union.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once observed that the true measure of a leader is not how one fares in moments of comfort or convenience, but how one fares in moments of challenge and controversy. Nancy Pelosi has passed that test with flying colors over and over and over again.
As a result of her tremendous leadership, during a moment of great turbulence, House Democrats ended the longest government shutdown in American history; addressed the humanitarian crisis at the border; negotiated a historic trade agreement that protected good-paying American jobs; held the President accountable because no one is above the law; passed progressive legislation to transform policing in America as part of our effort to deal with systemic racism; ended the egregious practice of surprise billing because healthcare is a right, not simply a privilege; and confronted the once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic with a comprehensive, passionate, and continuing congressional response that, at the end of the day, will crush the virus and supercharge our economy.
That is the Nancy Pelosi track record.
Nancy Pelosi is a champion of the children, a defender of the disenfranchised, a voice for the voiceless, a fabulous facilitator, a notorious negotiator, and a legendary legislator for such a time as this.
This is a moment of great challenge here in America, filled with trials and tribulations and a lot of pain and suffering and death. But America is a resilient Nation. House Democrats are a resilient Caucus. Nancy Pelosi is a resilient leader.
Brighter days are ahead in the United States of America. This is a day of great renewal in the House of Representatives. This is a day when House Democrats will begin our work with the next President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and his partner, Kamala Harris, so we can build back better for the people. This is a day when, once again, Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi will become the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
Madam Clerk, I proudly place her name into nomination, and when it is all said and done, history will record that today was a good day.
God bless Nancy Pelosi. God bless the Congress. God bless the United States of America.
The CLERK. The Clerk now recognizes the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Cheney).
Ms. CHENEY. Madam Clerk, first of all, let me thank my colleague from New York (Mr. Jeffries).
Madam Clerk, I also start by asking all of our colleagues to remember in their thoughts and prayers the family of Luke Letlow, Congressman-
elect from Louisiana, who died tragically last week.
We also want to remember our friend and colleague Jamie Raskin and pray for his family as they deal with the devastating loss of their son.
We engage in heated exchanges in this body, as we should, but it is well for us always to remember that we are all God's children. Our hearts break when our colleagues and friends are suffering. I am reminded of the words of the 19th century religious scholar who said: I expect to pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there can be any kindness I can show or any good thing I can do my fellow being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
Fine words to guide us as we embark on this Congress.
Madam Clerk, the nominating ceremony looks very different today in this Chamber. Our masks and our distancing requirements are reminders of this pandemic threat that we face and that we must defeat together, but the Congress is also different because of something we all take great pride in.
This body now has more women Members than at any time in our history. Our new Republican women are here to work. They are here to get things done. As we like to say in Wyoming, it is time to cowgirl up.
There is no one in this body more responsible for our tremendous new class of Members, our men and women, than our leader, Kevin McCarthy. Through his tireless work and his efforts to date, we have made historic gains, and we are not done yet.
These gains would not have happened without Leader McCarthy's unmatched work ethic, his strategic and tactical skill, and his commitment to our candidates. Nor would they have happened without Kevin's steadfast commitment to defending our freedom, standing up for our Constitution, and remembering that the work we do in this Chamber affects American families and workers all across this Nation.
Madam Clerk, it is my high honor today to have the great privilege to nominate the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy) to lead us in our work as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
Leader McCarthy is a grandson of a cattle rancher, the son of a firefighter. He grew up in a working-class family. He started and ran his own business, Kevin O's in Bakersfield. He paid his way through college. And he knows firsthand that our small businesses are the backbone of our economy and that government is more often the problem than the solution.
No one has been a greater champion of ensuring that our government is limited, defending the rights of the States and the people in those States, and resisting the urge of some of our colleagues to steal power from the people and give it to the government.
Leader McCarthy will always look for ways to work across the aisle. More times than I can count over the last 2 years, he has led us in putting forward proposals, like the Commitment to America, that encapsulate good policy and should be bipartisan. He will continue to do this, but he will never compromise our fundamental rights and freedoms.
Last year, as the threat from the Chinese Communist Party grew and spread, Leader McCarthy established the China Task Force and urged Democrats to join us in confronting a grave threat that requires bipartisan solutions. They refused. Nonetheless, the task force he directed published legislative recommendations, two-thirds of which are bipartisan.
Leader McCarthy ensured that we were united as we successfully fought the unconstitutional and partisan impeachment effort launched by our Democrat colleagues, and he guided us through the unprecedented challenges of operating in and responding to the global COVID pandemic.
For a real guide as to how things will operate once Leader McCarthy is Speaker McCarthy, look to the historic productivity we saw the last time Republicans were in charge in the 115th Congress. Leader McCarthy led us in repealing regulations, cutting taxes, supporting our veterans, combating opioid addiction and human trafficking, securing our borders, growing our economy, and defending our Nation.
Leader McCarthy made sure that we passed on time and at a sufficient level, for the first time in more than a decade, defense appropriations to ensure that we fulfilled our most sacred constitutional duty. As Speaker, that is the kind of record he will deliver on again.
Madam Clerk, as Republicans, we know that the United States Constitution is our sword and our shield. We know that our rights do not come from government; they come from God. We know that those rights are protected by the exquisite structure designed by our Founding Fathers.
Madam Clerk, over here on this side of the aisle, we are going to continue to call them Founding Fathers, despite the new House rules package. We know that the man to lead us as we confront the important work ahead is our Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy.
Madam Clerk, because he will lead us in fighting for all the people of this great Nation; because he will continue to stand against socialism and will continue to stand against the expansion of government power that strips power from the people and gives it to the government; because he knows that the most important words of our founding document are the first 3 words, ``We the people,'' as chair of the House Republican Conference, I am honored and directed by the vote of that Conference to present for election to the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 117th Congress the name of the Honorable Kevin McCarthy, Representative-elect from the State of California.
The CLERK. The names of the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, a Representative-
elect from the State of California, and the Honorable Kevin McCarthy, a Representative-elect from the State of California, have been placed in nomination.
Are there further nominations?
There being no further nominations, the Clerk appoints the following tellers:
The gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur);
The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis);
The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren); and
The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).
The tellers will come forward and take their seats at the desk in front of the Speaker's rostrum.
The roll will now be called, and those responding to their names will indicate by surname the nominee of their choosing.
The Reading Clerk will now call the roll.
The tellers having taken their places, the House proceeded to vote for the Speaker.
The following is the result of the vote:
PELOSI--216
AdamsAguilarAllredAuchinclossAxneBarraganBassBeattyBeraBeyerBishop (GA)BlumenauerBlunt RochesterBonamiciBourdeauxBowmanBoyle, Brendan F.BrownBrownleyBushBustosButterfieldCarbajalCardenasCarsonCartwrightCaseCastenCastor (FL)Castro (TX)ChuCicillineClark (MA)Clarke (NY)CleaverClyburnCohenConnollyCooperCorreaCostaCourtneyCraigCristCrowCuellarDavids (KS)Davis, Danny K.DeanDeFazioDeGetteDeLauroDelBeneDelgadoDemingsDeSaulnierDeutchDingellDoggettDoyle, Michael F.EscobarEshooEspaillatEvansFletcherFosterFrankel, LoisFudgeGallegoGaramendiGarcia (IL)Garcia (TX)GomezGonzalez, VicenteGottheimerGreen, Al (TX)GrijalvaHaalandHarder (CA)HayesHiggins (NY)HimesHorsfordHoulahanHoyerHuffmanJackson LeeJacobs (CA)JayapalJeffriesJohnson (GA)Johnson (TX)JonesKaheleKapturKeatingKelly (IL)KhannaKildeeKilmerKim (NJ)KindKirkpatrickKrishnamoorthiKusterLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LawrenceLawson (FL)Lee (CA)Lee (NV)Leger FernandezLevin (CA)Levin (MI)LieuLofgrenLowenthalLuriaLynchMalinowskiMaloney, Carolyn B.Maloney, SeanManningMatsuiMcBathMcCollumMcEachinMcGovernMcNerneyMeeksMengMfumeMoore (WI)MorelleMoultonMrvanMurphy (FL)NadlerNapolitanoNealNeguseNewmanNorcrossO'HalleranOcasio-CortezOmarPallonePanettaPappasPascrellPaynePelosiPerlmutterPetersPhillipsPingreePocanPorterPressleyPrice (NC)QuigleyRaskinRice (NY)RichmondRossRoybal-AllardRuizRuppersbergerRushRyanSanchezSarbanesScanlonSchakowskySchiffSchneiderSchraderSchrierScott (VA)Scott, DavidSewellShermanSiresSmith (WA)SotoSpeierStantonStevensStricklandSuozziSwalwellTakanoThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)TitusTlaibTonkoTorres (CA)Torres (NY)TrahanTroneUnderwoodVargasVeaseyVelaVelazquezWasserman SchultzWatersWatson ColemanWelchWextonWildWilliams (GA)Wilson (FL)Yarmuth
McCARTHY--209
AderholtAllenAmodeiArmstrongArringtonBabinBaconBairdBaldersonBanksBarrBentzBergmanBice (OK)BiggsBilirakisBishop (NC)BoebertBostBradyBrooksBuchananBuckBucshonBuddBurchettBurgessCalvertCammackCarlCarter (GA)Carter (TX)CawthornChabotCheneyClineCloudClydeColeComerCrawfordCrenshawCurtisDavidsonDavis, RodneyDesJarlaisDiaz-BalartDonaldsDuncanDunnEmmerEstesFallonFeenstraFergusonFischbachFitzgeraldFitzpatrickFleischmannFortenberryFoxxFranklin, C. ScottFulcherGaetzGallagherGarbarinoGarcia (CA)GibbsGimenezGohmertGonzales, TonyGonzalez (OH)Good (VA)Gooden (TX)GosarGrangerGraves (LA)Graves (MO)Green (TN)Greene (GA)GriffithGrothmanGuestGuthrieHagedornHarrisHarshbargerHartzlerHernHerrellHerrera BeutlerHice (GA)Higgins (LA)HillHinsonHollingsworthHudsonHuizengaIssaJacksonJacobs (NY)Johnson (LA)Johnson (OH)Johnson (SD)JordanJoyce (OH)Joyce (PA)KatkoKellerKelly (MS)Kelly (PA)Kim (CA)KinzingerKustoffLaHoodLaMalfaLambornLattaLaTurnerLeskoLongLoudermilkLucasLuetkemeyerMaceMalliotakisMannMassieMastMcCarthyMcCaulMcClainMcClintockMcHenryMcKinleyMeijerMeuserMiller (IL)Miller (WV)Miller-MeeksMoolenaarMooneyMoore (AL)Moore (UT)MullinMurphy (NC)NehlsNewhouseNormanNunesObernolteOwensPalazzoPalmerPencePerryPflugerPoseyReedReschenthalerRice (SC)Rodgers (WA)Rogers (AL)Rogers (KY)RoseRosendaleRouzerRoyRutherfordScaliseSchweikertScott, AustinSessionsSimpsonSmith (MO)Smith (NE)Smith (NJ)SmuckerSpartzStauberSteelStefanikSteilSteubeStewartStiversTaylorThompson (PA)TiffanyTimmonsTurnerUptonVan DrewVan DuyneWagnerWalbergWalorskiWaltzWeber (TX)Webster (FL)WenstrupWestermanWilliams (TX)Wilson (SC)WittmanWomackWrightYoungZeldin
DUCKWORTH--1
Golden
JEFFRIES--1
Lamb
ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--3
SherrillSlotkinSpanberger
NOT VOTING--3
HastingsSalazarValadao
{time} 1750
The CLERK. The tellers agree in their tallies that the total number of votes cast is 427, of which the Honorable Nancy Pelosi of the State of California has received 216, the Honorable Kevin McCarthy of the State of California has received 209, the Honorable Tammy Duckworth of the State of Illinois has received 1, the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries of the State of New York has received 1.
Therefore, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi of the State of California, having received a majority of the votes cast, is duly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 117th Congress.
The Clerk appoints the following committee to escort the Speaker-
elect to the chair:
The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer);
The gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy);
The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn);
The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise);
The gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark);
The gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Cheney);
The gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries);
The gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer);
The gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar);
The gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer);
The gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney);
The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson);
The gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty);
The gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson);
The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Jacobs);
The gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice);
And the Members of the California delegation.
The members of the committee from majority and minority leadership will retire from the Chamber to escort the Speaker-elect to the chair.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 1
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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