about daniel webster and his impact, shaping the identity prior to the civil war. seeing as the nation bound by the constitution. >> is most famously connected with liberty and union being inseparable, he did not think that the union was free today. he thought that one third of our population were slaves in his view was, the union was the vehicle for ending slavery. >> sunday night at 8:00 eastern, on c-span's one-day area you could listen to all of our podcast on our free c-span now cap.

>> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including comcast. >> you think this is just a community center? it is way more than that. >> comcast is partnering with 1000 committed a centers to create listings so students can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. >> giving you a front row seat democracy. >> how striper a 15 to elect the house speaker. -- the house tried for a 15th time to elect a speaker. >> madam clerk, i rise to nam nate kevin mccarthy as the speaker of the house.

mr. westerman: madam clerk, in the eyes of the world and america are on this body right now. what america needs, what this body needs is a lot less talk and a lot more action. and at the direction of the republican conference, i advance the name of kevin mccarthy as the next speaker of the house of the 118th congress.

the clerk of the house: for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota rise? >> i rise to say wow. and madam clerk, i rise to place in nomination for election of speaker of the house of representatives, the esteemed and wonderful leader of the house democrats, mr. hakeem jeffries of new york. >> our nation's first president

unanimously elected by the electoral college keeps watch over of us every single day and in his inaugural address, he spoke of, and i quote, a form of government for the security of our union and advancement of our happiness, security of our union and advancement of our happiness. but 234 years later and after 14 rounds of balloting and a ridiculous war for personal power across the aisle, we the people still find ourselves without a constituted government and advancement of anything impossible. and happiness, suffice to say, americans are unhappy by the nonsense and dysfunction playing out. particularly those who need us the most those who rely on our

offices for services and support. not to mention, the unhappy g.o.p. and democratic ranking member and chairs, armed services committee and intell say the risk to our safety and security grows with each passing hour. my friends, this is not just unhappiness, this is dangerous. however, the 212 unified members of the democratic caucus have a solution to this problem, we call him hakeem jeffries. and in the spirit of friendlyness and hopefulness we extend an invitation to six of you across the aisle to join us,

join us and let's end this nonsense and constitute this congress and elect a speaker of the house, a man who is ready to work with everyone in this congress and throughout our country to place people over politics and solve our country's problems, a man of competency, deeseens shy, man of courage and resolve, a man who listens to anyone better than i have known in my life, a man of cooperation and 14, 421 americans have served in the united states congress since george washington's address. one of the very finest americans is hakeem jeffries and honor of a lifetime to place his name in

nomination for speaker of the house. the clerk of the house: the reading clerk will call the roll. the clerk: adams.

jeffries. aderholt. mccarthy. aguilar. jeffries. alforward -- alford. mccarthy. allen. mccarthy. allred. jeffries. amodei. mccarthy. armstrong. mccarthy. arrington. mccarthy. auchincloss. jeffries. babin. mccarthy. bacon. bacon. mccarthy. baird.

baird. mccarthy. balderson. mccarthy. balint. jeffries. banks. mccarthy. barr. mccarthy. bar began. jeffries. dean of florida. mccarthy. beatty. jeffries. bentz. mccarthy. bera.

jeffries. bergman. mccarthy. beyer. jeffries. bice. mccarthy. biggs. present. bilirakis. mccarthy. bishop of georgia. jeffries. bishop of north carolina. mccarthy.

blumenauer. jeffries. blunt rochester. jeffries. boebert. present. bonamici. jeffries. bost. mccarthy. bowman. jeffries. boyle of pennsylvania. jeffries. brie keen. brown. jeffries. brownley. jeffries. buchanan. mccarthy. buck. mccarthy.

bucshon. mccarthy. buds ins ky. jeffries. burchett. mccarthy. burgess. mccarthy. burlison. mccarthy. bush. jeffries. calvert. mccarthy. cammack. mccarthy. caraveo. jeffries. carbajal. jeffries. cardenas. jeffries. carey. mccarthy. carl.

mccarthy. carson. jeffries. carter of georgia. mccarthy. carter of louisiana. jeffries. carter of texas. mccarthy. cartwright. jeffries. caasar. jeffries. case. jeffries. casten. jeffries. castor of florida. jeffries. castro of texas. jeffries. chavez-deremer. mccarthy. cherfilus-mccormick.

jeffries. chu. jeffries. cicilline. jeffries. cisco many. mccarthy. clark of massachusetts. jeffries. clarke of new york. jeffries. cleaver. jeffries. cline. mccarthy. cloud. mccarthy. clyburn. jeffries. clyde. mccarthy. cohen. jeffries. cole. mccarthy. collins. mccarthy. comer. mccarthy.

connolly. jeffries. correa. jeffries. costa. jeffries. courtney. jeffries. craig. jeffries. crane. present. crawford. mccarthy. crenshaw. crenshaw. mccarthy. crockett. jeffries. crow.

jeffries. cuellar. jeffries. curtis. mccarthy. davids of kansas. jeffries. davidson. mccarthy. davidson of illinois. jeffries. davis of north carolina. jeffries. dean of pennsylvania. jeffries. degette. jeffries. de la cruz. mccarthy. delauro. jeffries. delbene. jeffries. deluzio. jeffries. desaulnier.

jeffries. desjarlais. mccarthy. dees possess eato. mccarthy. diaz-balart. mccarthy. dingell. jeffries. doggett. jeffries. donalds. duarte. mccarthy. duncan. mccarthy. dunn of florida. mccarthy. edwards. mccarthy. ellzey. mccarthy. emmer. mccarthy. escobar. jeffries. eshoo.

jeffries. espaillat. jeffries. estes. mccarthy. evans. jeffries. ezell. mccarthy. fallon. mccarthy. feenstra. mccarthy. ferguson. mccarthy. finstad. mccarthy. fischbach. mccarthy. fitzgerald. mccarthy. fitzpatrick. mccarthy. fleischmann. mccarthy. fletcher. jeffries.

flood. mccarthy. foster. jeffries. foushee. jeffries. foxx. mccarthy. lois frankel. jeffries. c. scott franklin. mccarthy. frost. jeffries. fry. mccarthy. fulcher. mccarthy. gaetz. present. gallagher. mccarthy. gallego. jeffries.

garamendi. jeffries. garbarino. mccarthy. mike garcia. mccarthy. robert garcia. jeffries. garcia of illinois. jeffries. garcia of texas. jeffries. gimenez. mccarthy. golden of maine. jeffries. goldman of new york. jeffries. gomez. jeffries. tony gonzales. mccarthy. vicente gonzalez.

vicente gonzalez. good of virginia. present. gooden of texas. mccarthy. gosar. mccarthy. gottheimer. jeffries. granger. granger. mccarthy. graves of louisiana. mccarthy. graves of missouri. mccarthy. green of tennessee. mccarthy. green of texas.

jeffries. greene of georgia. mccarthy. griffith. mccarthy. grijalva. jeffries. grothman. mccarthy. guest. mccarthy. guthrie. mccarthy. hageman. mccarthy. harder of california. jeffries. harris.

mccarthy. harshbarger. mccarthy. hayes. jeffries. hern. mccarthy. higgins of louisiana. mccarthy. higgins of new york. jeffries. hill. mccarthy. himes. jeffries. hinson. mccarthy. horsford. jeffries. houchin. mccarthy. houlahan. jeffries.

hoyer. jeffries. hoyle of oregon. jeffries. hudson. mccarthy. huffman. jeffries. huizenga. mccarthy. hunt. mccarthy. issa. mccarthy. ivey. jeffries. jackson of illinois. jeffries. jackson of north carolina. jeffries. jackson of texas. mccarthy. jackson lee.

jeffries. jacobs. jeffries. james. mccarthy. jayapal. jeffries. jeffries. jeffries. johnson of georgia. jeffries. johnson of louisiana. mccarthy. johnson of ohio. mccarthy. johnson of south dakota.

johnson of south dakota. mccarthy. jordan. mccarthy. joyce of ohio. mccarthy. joyce of pennsylvania. mccarthy. kamlager-dove. jeffries. kaptur. jeffries. kean of new jersey. mccarthy. keating. jeffries. kelly of illinois. jeffries. kelly of mississippi. mccarthy. kelly of pennsylvania. mccarthy. khanna.

jeffries. kiggans of virginia. mccarthy. kildee. jeffries. kiley. mccarthy. kilmer. jeffries. kim of california. mccarthy. kim of new jersey. jeffries. krishnamoorthi. jeffries. kuster. jeffries. kustoff. mccarthy. lahood. mccarthy. lalota. mccarthy. lamalfa. mccarthy.

lamborn. mccarthy. landsman. jeffries. langworthy. mccarthy. larsen of washington. jeffries. larson of connecticut. jeffries. latta. mccarthy. laturner. mccarthy. lawler. mccarthy. lee of california.

jeffries. lee of florida. mccarthy. lee of nevada. jeffries. lee of pennsylvania. jeffries. leger fernandez. jeffries. lesko. mccarthy. letlow. mccarthy. levin. jeffries. lieu. jeffries. lofgren. jeffries. loudermilk. mccarthy. lucas. mccarthy. luetkemeyer.

mccarthy. luna. mccarthy. luttrell. mccarthy. lynch. jeffries. mace. mccarthy. magaziner. jeffries. malliotakis. mccarthy. mann. mccarthy. manning. jeffries. massie. mccarthy. mast. mccarthy. matsui. jeffries. mcbath. jeffries. mccarthy. mccarthy.

mccaul. mccarthy. mcclain. mccarthy. mcclintock. mccarthy. mccollum. jeffries. mccormick. mccarthy. mcgarvey. jeffries. mcgovern. jeffries. mchenry. mchenry. mccarthy.

meeks. jeffries. menendez. jeffries. meng. jeffries. meuser. mccarthy. mfume. jeffries. miller of illinois. mccarthy. mill of ohio. mccarthy. miller of west virginia. mccarthy. miller-meeks. mccarthy.

mills. mccarthy. mol inair. mccarthy. mooney. mccarthy. moore of alabama. mccarthy. moore of utah. mccarthy. moore of wisconsin. jeffries. moran. mccarthy. morelle. jeffries. moss could witnesses -- moskowitz. jeffries. moulton. jeffries. mrvan. jeffries.

mullin. jeffries. murphy. murphy. mccarthy. nadler. jeffries. napolitano. jeffries. neal. jeffries. neguse. jeffries. nehls. mccarthy. newhouse. mccarthy. nickel. jeffries. norcross. jeffries. norman. mccarthy. nunn of iowa. mccarthy.

obernolte. mccarthy. ocasio-cortez. jeffries. ogles. mccarthy. omar. jeffries. owens. mccarthy. pallone. jeffries. palmer. mccarthy. panetta. jeffries. pappas. jeffries. pascrell. jeffries. payne. jeffries. pelosi. jeffries. peltola. jeffries. pence. mccarthy.

perez. jeffries. perry. mccarthy. peters. jeffries. pettersen. jeffries. pfluger. mccarthy. phillips. jeffries. pingree. jeffries. poke and -- pocan. jeffries. porter. jeffries. posey, mccarthy. pressley. jeffries. quigley. jeffries. ramirez. jeffries. raskin.

jeffries. reschenthaler. mccarthy. rodgers of washington. mccarthy. rogers of alabama. mccarthy. rogers of kentucky. mccarthy. rose. mccarthy. rosendale. rosendale. ross. jeffries. rouzer. mccarthy. roy. mccarthy. ruiz. jeffries. ruppersberger. jeffries.

rutherford. rutherford. mccarthy. ryan. jeffries. salazar. mccarthy. salinas. jeffries. sanchez. jeffries. santos. mccarthy. sarbanes. jeffries. scalise. mccarthy. scanlon. jeffries. schakowsky. jeffries. schiff. jeffries. schneider.

jeffries. scholten. jeffries. schrier. jeffries. schweikert. mccarthy. austin scott. mccarthy. david scott. jeffries. scott of virginia. jeffries. self. mccarthy. sessions. mccarthy. sewell. jeffries. sherman. jeffries. sherrill. jeffries. simpson. mccarthy. slotkin, jeffries. smith of missouri.

mccarthy. smith of nebraska. mccarthy. smith of new jersey. mccarthy. smith of washington. jeffries. smucker. mccarthy. soren sen. jeffries. soto. jeffries. spanberger. jeffries. spartz. present. spartz. mccarthy.

stansbury. jeffries. stanton. jeffries. stauber. mccarthy. steel. mccarthy. stefanik. mccarthy. steil. mccarthy. steube. mccarthy. stevens. jeffries. stewart. mccarthy. strickland. jeffries. strong. mccarthy. swalwell. jeffries. sykes.

jeffries. takano. jeffries. tenney. mccarthy. thanedar. jeffries. thompson of california. jeffries. thompson of mississippi. jeffries. thompson of pennsylvania. mccarthy. tiffany. mccarthy. timmons. mccarthy. titus. jeffries. tlaib. jeffries. to cueda. jeffries. tonko. jeffries. torres of california, jeffries.

torres of new york. torres of new york. jeffries. tray hawaiian. difficult trahan. jeffries. trone. jeffries. turner. mccarthy. underwood. jeffries. valadao. mccarthy. van drew. mccarthy. van duyne. mccarthy. van orden. mccarthy. vargas. jeffries. vast chez.

jeffries. veasey. jeffries. velazquez. jeffries. wagner. mccarthy. walberg. mccarthy. waltz. mccarthy. wasserman schultz. jeffries. waters. jeffries. watson coleman. jeffries. weber of texas. mccarthy. webster of florida. mccarthy. wenstrup. mccarthy. westerman.

mccarthy. wexton. jeffries. wild. jeffries. williams of georgia. jeffries. williams of new york. mccarthy. williams of texas. mccarthy. wilson of florida. jeffries. wilson of south carolina. mccarthy. wittman. mccarthy. womack. mccarthy. yakym. mccarthy. zinke.

mccarthy. the clerk of the house: the reading clerk will now call the names of the members-elect who did not answer the first call of the roll.

the clerk: vicente gonzalez. jeffries. rosendale. present.

the clerk of the house: the tellers agree in their tallies that the total number of votes cast is 428 of which the honorable kevin mccarthy of the state of california has received

216. the honorable hakeem jeffries of the state of new york has received 212. with six recorded as present. therefore, the honorable kevin

mccarthy of the state of california, having received a majority of the votes cast, is duly elected speaker of the house of representatives for the -- speaker of the house of representatives. the clerk appoints the following committee to escort the speaker-elect to the chair.

the gentleman from louisiana, mr. scalise. the gentleman from new york, mr. jeffries the gentleman from minnesota, mr. emmer the gentlewoman from massachusetts, ms. clark the gentlewoman from new york, ms. stefanik. the gentleman from california, mr. aguilar. the gentleman from louisiana, mr. johnson. the gentleman from california, mr. lieu. ms. mcclain. the gentlewoman from washington, ms. delbene. the gentleman from north carolina, mr. hudson. the gentleman from south carolina, mr. clyburn. the gentleman from alabama, mr. palmer. the gentleman from colorado, mr. neguse. the gentlewoman from oklahoma,

ms. bice. the gentlewoman from texas, ms. escobar. the gentlewoman from indiana. the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. underwood. the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. cole. the gentleman from minnesota, mr. phillips. the gentleman from north carolina, mr. mchenry. the gentlewoman from california ms. barbara lee. the gentleman from louisiana, mr. graves. the gentlewoman from florida ms. wasserman schultz. the gentleman from arkansas, mr. the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline. the gentleman from texas, mr. roy. the gentlewoman from virginia, ms. spanberger.

the gentleman from florida, mr. donalds. the gentlewoman from california, ms. jacobs. the gentleman from north carolina, mr. bishop. the gentlewoman from texas, ms. crockett. the members of the california -- and the members of the california delegation. ms. pelosi. ms. waters. mr. calvert. ms. eshoo. ms. lofgren. mr. sherman. mrs. napolitano. mr. thompson. mr. schiff. ms. sanchez. mr. issa. mr. costa. ms. matsui. mr. mcclintock. ms. chu. mr. garamendi.

mr. behra. ms. brownley. mr. cardenas. mr. hoffman. mr. lamalfa. mr. peters. mr. ruiz. mr. swalwell. mr. takano. mr. vargas. mr. desaulnier. mr. tore -- mrs. torres. mr. valadao. ms. barragan. mr. carbajal. mr. correa. mr. kaw navment mr. panetta. mr. gomez. mr. harder. mr. levin. ms. porter. mr. mike garcia. mrs. kim.

mr. obernolte. mrs. steel. mr. dewar. mr. robert garcia. mr. mullin. the committee will retire from the chamber to escort the speaker-elect to the chair.

>> the speaker-elect, the honorable kevin mccarthy from california.

>> madam clerk. mr. jeffries: distinguished members of the house democratic caucus and the house republican

caucus, it's my high honor and distinct privilege to finally welcome all of you to the 118th congress. let me just begin by thanking my good friend, pete aguilar, for his very generous words of introduction and for placing my name into nomination, a total of nine times. and i also want to thank my other colleagues from the democratic caucus for your generous words of nomination, as well as jim clyburn, katherine

clark, ted lewan veronica escobar. and i thank my colleagues and my friends in the house democratic caucus for your perseverance, four your strength, for your friendship and for your purpose and for your unanimous support. and i simply want to say that showing of strength is not for any one particular individual. it will be a showing of strength throughout the 118th congress, you nammity of purpose on behalf of the american people. before i proceed any further,

let me begin by acknowledging the distinguished gentlelady from the great state of california, the iconic, the heroic, legendary nancy pelosi. .. . . and without question in my mind, speaker emerita pelosi will go down in history as the greatest speaker of all time. throughout her time -- throughout her time in congress, she's been a legendary legislator, a fabulous

facilitator, and a no-nonsense negotiator. we know that nancy pelosi is a woman of faith, a loving wife, a mother of five, a grandmother of nine. a defenders of democracy. a voice for the voiceless. and a powerful champion for the children, the climate, charm city, california, the caucus, the congress, the country, and the constitution. thank you, madam speaker, for all that you have done, it's an honor to stand on your broad shoulders. as well -- as well as the shoulders of the great steny hoyer and the great jim clyburn, two consequential leaders in their own right.

scripture says in galatians, let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. over the last two years, house democrats in partnership with president biden and our colleagues in the senate have been hard at work on behalf of the american people, getting big things done. we passed the american rescue plan. saved the economy from a deep recession. put shots in arm, money in pockets and kids back in school. we passed the infrastructure investment and jobs act. to create millions of good-paying jobs. fix our crumbling bridges, roads, tunnels, our airports,

our sewer and water system, mass transportation systems and ensure high speed internet access in every single community. we passed gun safety legislation for the first time in 30 years that will save lives and make our communities safer. we passed the chips in science act to bring domestic manufacturing jobs back home to the united states of america and ensure that our work force has the skills to succeed in the 21st century economy and we passed the inflation reduction act to strike a dramatic blow against the climate crisis, set our planet on a sustainable trajectory forward, lower energy costs, strengthen the affordable care act, lower health care costs and drive down the high price of life-saving prescription drugs for millions of americans. it was one of the most

consequential congresses in american history. president biden gets the job done and the d in democrat stands for deliver. so over the next two years, over the next -- over the next two years -- as we begin this 118th congress, let us continue to fight for lower costs. let us continue to fight in this congress for better paying jobs. let us continue to fight in this congress for safer communities. let us continue to fight in this congress to defend democracy. let us continue to fight in this congress to put and protect the

public interests. let us continue to fight in this congress for economic opportunity in every single zip code and let us continue to fight in this congress for reproductive freedom. because -- because as democrats we do believe in a country for everyone. we do believe in a country for everyone. a country that provides for the poor. works for working families. makes sense for the middle class. stands up for senior citizens. innovates in the inner city. strengthens suburban communities, helps out the

heartland and revitalizes rural america. we believe in a country with liberty and justice for all. equal protection under the law. free and fair elections and yes, we believe in a country with the peaceful transfer of power. we believe -- that in america our diversity is a strength. it is not a weakness. an economic strength, a competitive strength, a cultural strength. our diversity is a strength. it is not a weakness. we are a gorgeous mosaic of people from throughout the world. as john lewis would sometimes remind us on this floor, we may

have come over on different ships but we're all in the same boat now. we are white, we are black,erer latino, we are asian, we are native american, we are christian, we are jewish, we are muslim, we are hindu, we are religious, we are secular, we are gay, we are straight, we are young, we are older, we are women, we are men, we are citizens, we are dreamers, out of many we are one. that's what makes america a great country. and no matter what kind of haters are trying to divide us, we're not going to let anyone take that away from us, not now, not ever. this is the united states of america. a land of opportunity. the fact that i'm able to stand up here today is another data

point in that narrative. i was born in brooklyn hospital, raised in a working class neighborhood in crown heights, grew up in the cornerstone baptist church. started off in the cradle roll department, somehow survived the violence of the crack cocaine epidemic and wound up here in the united states congress as the highest ranking democrat in the house of representatives. america truly a land of opportunity. government of the people, by the people, and for the people. so on this first day, let us commit to the american dream. a dream that promises that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should be table provide a comfortable living for

yourself and for your family. educate your children. purchase a home. and one day retire with grace and dignity. let us commit on this first day to lift up the american dream for every single person in this nation. now i recognize that this is a moment of transition. as we transition from one congress to the next, from one majority to the next. from a year of accomplishment, a year of accomplishment to a year of ambiguity. a moment of transition.

the american people understandably after the events of this week recognize that the congress is at a fork in the road. and are asking the question, what direction will we choose? on this first day, i do not pretend to answer that question on behalf of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. but we do extend our hand of partnership to you. and want to make clear that we extend and intend to try to find common ground, whenever and wherever possible on behalf of the american people. not as democrats, not as

republicans, not as independents, but as americans. but i also want to make clear that we will never compromise our principles. house democrats will always put american values over autocracy. benevolence over bigotry. the constitution over the code. democracy over demagogues. economic opportunity over extremism. freedom over fascism. governing over gaslighting. hopefulness over hatred. inclusion over isolation. justice over judicial overreach. knowledge over kangaroo courts. liberty over limitation. maturity over mar-a-lago.

normalcy over negativity. opportunity over obstruction. people over politics. quality of life issues over q-anon. reason over racism. substance over slander. triumph over tyranny. understanding over ugliness. voting rights over voter suppression. working families over the well-connected. xennial over xenophobia. yes we can over you can do it. and -- we will always do the right thing by the american people. so let us not grow weary of doing good. for the american people will reap the benefit of the harvest if we do not give up. god bless you. god bless the house. and god bless the united states of america.

it is now my solemn responsibility to hand over the people's gavel to a son of bakersfield. a former small business owner. a proud product of a firefighter's household. the gentleman from the great state of california and the next speaker of the 118th congress, kevin mccarthy.

the speaker: that was easy, huh. never thought we'd get up here. thank you, minority leader jeffries. hakeem, i've got to warn you, two years ago, i got 100% of the vote from my conference.

for somebody else i want to thank. the gentlelady who served as our presiding officer this week, our clerk, cheryl johnson. thank you. you know, my father always told me, it's not how you start, it's how you finish, and now we need to finish strong for the american people. you know, the son of a fire man

and a grandchild of immigrants can rise to the highest position in the most important legislative body in our country and my colleague, hakeem jeffries, with his life story can rise to lead his party and democracy can still thrive in america. to leader jeffries, there will be times we agree. and many times, we will differ. i promise, our debates will be passionate, but they will never be personal. that's my commitment to you.

and now, the hard work begins. what we do here today, next week, next month, next year, will set the tone for everything that follows. tonight, i want to talk directly to the american people. as speaker of the house, my ultimate responsibility is not to my party. my conference or even our congress. my responsibility, our responsibility is to our country. two months ago, you voted for a new direction for our country. you embraced our commitment to

america. and now, we're going to keep our commitment to you. it's a commitment for an economy that that's strong and fill up a tank of gas and feed our family. it's a commitment for a nation that's safe, where communities are protected, law enforcement is respected and criminals are prosecuted. a commitment for the future that is built on freedom, where children come first and are taught to dream big, because in america, dreams can still come

true. a commitment for a government that is held accountable, where americans get the answers they want, need and deserve. our system is built on checks and balances. it's time for us to be a check and provide a balance to the president's policies. there is nothing more important than making it possible for american families to live and enjoy the lives they deserve. that is why we commit to stop wasteful washington spending, to lower the price of groceries, gas, cars, housing and stop the rising national debt.

we pledge to cut the regulatory burden, lower energy costs for families and create good paying jobs for workers by unleashing reliable, abundant american-made energy. i know the night is late, but when we come back, our very first bill will repeal the funding for 87,000 new i.r.s. agents. you see, we believe government

should be to help you, not get after you. we are going to pass bills to face the nation's challenges from wide open borders to woke indoctrination in our schools. we will address america's long-term challenges, the debt and the rise of the chinese communist party. congress must speak with one voice on both of these issues. this is why we will end wasteful washington spending. from now on, federal bureaucrat wants to spend it, they will come before us to defend it.

as for as the chinese communist party, we will create a bipartisan select committee on china to investigate how to bring back the hundreds of thousands of jobs that went to china and then we will win this economic competition. speaking of committees, we will hold the swamp accountable, from the withdrawal of afghanistan to the origins of covid and to the weaponnation of the f.b.i. -- weapon isation of the f.b.i.

let me be very clear. we will use the power of the purse and the power of the subpoena to get the job done. this is something we should all agree upon. we will stand up and speak out for the back dislep bone of -- backbone of our economy, the hardworking taxpayer. it's night time here in washington, but in some ways, it's also like a new beginning, a fresh start. my friends, this chamber is now

fully open for all americans to visit. i want to give all americans a personal invitation, you are welcome to see this body at work. no longer will the doors be closed, but the debates will be open for you to witness what happens in the people's house. from the committee rooms to this floor, we commit to pursue the

truth passionately and embrace debate. no more one-sided inquiries, competing ideas will be put to the test in public so that the best ideas win. but we also pledge to bring congress to the people, because answers have not and will not always be found in washington. that's why one of our very first hearings will be held on the southern border. no more ignoring a crisis of

safety and sovereignty. we must secure our border. we must get america back on track. now on a personal note to my family, here and at home. to judy, megan, connor, emily, my brother mark, and my mom bert, i am where i am because you are who you are.

i would like to thank my constituents in california's central valley and my hometown of bakersfield. i don't know if you are familiar with music but as buck owens sings, how many of you sit in judgment of me have ever walked the streets of bakersfield? i have walked those streets my entire life. i know it's people. it is hardworking and optimistic about our future and i'm honored to have the opportunity to represent them.

i am the son of a firefighter and i saw firsthand what it means to have hard work, leadership and service to others can change peoples' lives and that is why we are exactly why we are here today, to serve you, the people. we come here with the support of our family and neighbors to serve you. for all the husband and wives, children and parents, a loved one to be sworn in -- i know it took a couple of extra days dch i'll be honest, not how i had it planned -- i want you to remember this moment. take it in. your loved ones are about to make history. my colleagues and i thank you for your understanding and your sacrifice and we will work every day to make you proud.

my most favorite spot in this building is not in this chamber, it's in the chamber we met before in statuary hall. it's my favorite place to take people on a tour. you see, it's where abraham lincoln served, one-term congressman sat in the back. i would like to stand where he stood. i like to do it at night when people are not around and i like to look over and look at the clock because that's the same clock and same view that abraham lincoln saw. i have watched lincoln serve in the greatest challenge to our constitution, the civil war and watched people's arrivalals and

put them together and watched at a time that the nation could not sustain itself but built of a future and built a railroad across the future nation. i want to take a moment and i want you to stand there and i i want you to stand there, and i want you to look, and i want you to think, if america could do it then, we can do it now, one more time. abraham lincoln gave his life in service to this country. one of his most important

observations about america applies today. as much as it did 160 years ago. he said, we are striving to maintain the government and institutions of our fathers. and to transmit them to our children. and our children's children, forever. my fellow americans, that is still our mission today. this miami calls for restoring trust within our country, and with each other. in that spirit, i will work with anyone and everyone who shares our passion to deliver a better future for the nation. i hope you'll join me. as a congress we can only operate if we cooperate.

my door will be open. i'd like you to come by. i want you to see, as you walk down the hall, a large portrait of lincoln. i want you to go into that conference room. i want you to see another portrait. my members know of this. it's of washington. crossing the delaware. you all know the story. it happened on christmas, 1776. there was no iphone to take a picture. people wonder when it was painted. it wasn't painted by someone who was there. it was painted in 1850 and 1851. he was an immigrant who lived in america, emanuel linz. you know why he painted it? because he knew america was more than a country, america was an idea.

he went home to germany, and he wanted germany to have a revolution based upon the values and freedoms that we defend every day. his talent was art. so he believed if he painted this painting, he could inspire his countrymen to rise up for the idea of freedom. many historians will tell you he didn't get it correct. they'll tell you washington crossed on a durham boat. but he paints it with washington in a row boat. you see, 13 people but only 12 faces. you see washington standing up in a row boat in the middle of winter, wearing a ceremonial uniform with his hand on his chest. he looks so stoic. you would look at that man and say, i'd follow him anywhere. you probably believe that he never lost a battle.

but history would tell us, at that moment, at that time, he'd only lost. we had never won. you see, that was the night of our first victory as a nation when we surprised the hessians. when you look at that painting, don't look at washington. i want you to look at who is in the boat. you see, the second row -- rower in the beret is scottish. the person directly across from him, in green, roing the exact same cadence, is an african-american. you come down right to the middle in the red, the person who is rowing the strongest. a woman. and in the very back is a native american. i don't know from a historic fact if they were in the boat that night. but to this young immigrant who had lived in america, that's who

he believed would be in the boat. the second to last person is a farmer. he could be from bakersfield. not sure. his hand goes across his face. people will debate this part. but what i see is a hand of the 13th person nobody sees. you see, what i believe emmanuelle was saying is, here we are. battling for the creation of the idea of freedom. that every individual is equal. not a perfect nation, but striving to be a more perfect union. having lost every battle against the greatest challenge with the strongest nation, having lost them all, but willing to do it on our holiest of nights with a hand reached out and asking if you would join us.

that's as true today as it was then. if we let everybody in the boat, if we row in the same cadence together, there is no obstacle this body can overcome for this nation. it is time for us to be the voice and worthy of their vote. let me close with this. i may not know all of you, some of you are new. but i hope one thing is clear after this week. i never give up.

i make this promise. i'll never give up for you, the american people. and i will never give up on keeping our commitment to america. our nation is worth fighting for. our rights are worth fighting for. our dreams are worth fighting for. our future is worth fighting for. therefore, with love for this country and charity for each

other, let us now take our oath and be worthy of the office on which we are about to enter. god bless everybody in this chamber and god bless america. not so fast. i have to get sworn in first. sit down. i am now ready to take the oath of office. i want to ask the dean of the house, the honorable hal rogers of kentucky, one of my first mentor, to administer the oath of the office. mr. rogers: first we want to offer a bipartisan congratulations to the gentleman

from california. now will the speaker-designate raise his right hand. do you solemnly swear you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemy, foreign and domestic, that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that you take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you god. the speaker: yes, i do. mr. rogers: congratulations and

godspeed. the speaker: according to precedent, the chair will swear in the members-elect en masse. the members-elect will rise. the chair will now administer the oath of office. all members-elect will raise their right hands. do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you god.

congratulations, you are now members of the 118th congress.

all right, we've got a little more business. i hope that was worth the wait. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york, ms. stefanik. ms. stefanik: it is my humble honor to be the first to address you from the floor of the speaker's house as mr. speaker. mr. speaker, as chair of the republican conference, i am directed by that conference to notify the house officially that the republican members have selected as majority leader, the gentleman from louisiana, mr. steve scalise.

the speaker: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. aguilar. mr. aguilar: as the chair of the democratic caucus, i have been directed to report to the house that the democratic members have selected as minority member, the gentleman from new york, mr. hakeem jeffries. the speaker: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york, ms. stefanik. ms. stefanik: as chair of the republican conference i'm directed by that conference to notify the house officially that the republican members have selected as majority whip the gentleman from minnesota, mr. tom emmer.

the speaker: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. aguilar. mr. aguilar: as chairman of the democratic caucus, i have been directed to report to the house that the democratic members have selected as minority whip the distinguished gentlewoman from massachusetts, the honorable katherine clark. the speaker: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york, ms. stefanik. ms. stefanik: i offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1, resolved that sheryl l. johnson of the state of louisiana be and is hereby chosen clerk of the house of representatives. that katherine spindor of the

commonwealth of virginia, be and is hereby chosen chief administrative officer of the house of representatives and that rev -- reverend dr. margaret ground kibben of the commonwealth of pennsylvania be and is hereby chosen chaplain of mr. clarke: i yield to the gentleman from california for the purpose of offering an amendment. mr. aguilar: before offering the amendment, i request a division of the division on the resolution and separate vote on the chaplain. the speaker pro tempore: the question will be divided. the question is on agreeing on that portion of agreeing to that resolution of the chaplain. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. this portion of the resolution is agreed to and without

objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker: if we couldville all votes like that. don't blame me for hoping. the gentleman from california. >> i offer an amendment to the resolution offered by the gentlewoman from new york. the speaker: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. aguilar of california for the remainder of house resolution 1 that jackson of the state of new york is chosen clerk of the house that walker sergeant of arms and that gideon of the state of new york is chosen chief administrative officer of the house of representatives. the speaker: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from california. those in favor, say aye. those

opposed, no. the noes have it. and the amendment is not agreed to. the question is on the remainder of the resolution offered by the gentlewoman from new york. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the resolution is agreed to. and without objection is laid -- the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to six 208-a the reorganization act of 1946, the chair appoints william mask farland of the state of maryland to act and exercise the duties of the sergeant of arms of the house of representatives effective today.

the chair will now swear in the officers of the house. raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic and bear true faith and allegiance to the same and take this without mental reservation and well and faithfully execute the duties of the office which you are about to discharge? >> i do. the speaker: for what purpose does the gentleman from

louisiana seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the clerk: the senate be informed that the senate that kevin mcmccarthy and representative have been elected and cheryl johnson has been elected clerk of the house of representatives of the 118th congress. the speaker: without objection. the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana seek recognition? mr. scalise: i offer an additional rifled resolution. the speaker: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: the committee of the two members be appointed on the

part of the house of representatives to join with the committee on the part of the senate to notify the president of the united states that a quorum of each house has assembled and congress is ready to receive any communication that he may be pleased to make. the speaker: without objection. without objection. the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to house resolution 3, the chair appoints the following members to the committee on the part of the house to the joint committee on the part of the senate to notify the president of the united states that a quorum of each house is assembled and congress is ready to receive any communication that he may be pleased to make. the gentleman from louisiana, mr. scalise, and the gentleman from new york, mr. jeffries.

the clerk: house resolution 4, resolved, that the clerk be instructed to inform the president of the united states that the house of representatives has elected kevin mccarthy a representative from the state of california and cheryl l. johnson as clerk of the house of representatives. the speaker: without objection-p the the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker: the chair will make a statement. since the rules has not yet been adopted the rights of members to introduce bills is delayed. the chair will state that committed bills will be held until adoption of the rules until which time it will be referred to. at that time, the bills which are not referred to and do not appear in the record and printed with the dates of the time as the rules are adopted. under clause rule 20, the chair announcees to the house that the whole number of the house is 434. for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana seek recognition? >> i move that the house stand adjourned until 5:00 p.m. on

monday. the speaker: those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. all right. the ayes have it. >> c-span is yournfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including mitco.supports c-span as a