, it is disconcerting to hear that the fake news -- i would like to see the new congress tackle immigration and they should integrate that doctoral -- dr. to get full citizenship. they deserve that. host: that was jake in new democrat. randy is next from illinois, a democrat. points,on that three need to bring the troops home to guard the border. donaldwe need to tell trump to keep his campaign promise. host: i'm going to bring it to the floor, the 116th congress is about to get underway.

continue to follow the story on c-span throughout the day.

leadership to the house of representatives of the united states. may we temporarily hush our preoccupation with vexing considerations that deplete our energy and consume our hours to seek now nafere from thou whose immaculate voting record demonstrates on thee guidance. we pray, o lord, for wisdom sufficient to lean not only on our unaided privilege and power, to embrace our summons, to address the great k458 lention -- great challenges of this day, fraught with tribalism at home and

turbulence abroad. thou who has the whole world in his hand to thee we pray for inner resources, to rise as a legislative body above political selfishness and then a level of humility and penitence that would be in harmony with your will. and when we leave this place, we will with your blessing launch a bold attempt to become the architects of a kindlier nation that is purging itself of any and all prejudices which degrade the unmatched blessings you have awarded the people of this great nation. inspire us, the members of this august body, to dedicate ourselves to the healing of open soars --sores in a land where there is far too much mistrust of those who are different. led now in this temple of governance by the speaker and leaders of both sides of the political aisle, we pray for your presence in this place. we need thee every hour, o

lord, how we need thee. when we're puzzled, guide us with your hand of direction. when we're worn and weary, grant us light to find a just and fair way, and when we're confused, ignore our priorities and pet projects so that any diminutive success may give you the glory. we have now this prayer, o lord, amen. the clerk of the house: the representatives eleaningt their guests will please remain standing and join in the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the clerk of the house: as

directed by law the clerk of the house has prepared the official roll of the representatives elect. certificates of election, 434 seats in the 116th congress have been received by the clerk of the house. the clerk has not received a certificate of election for the 9th district of the state of north carolina. the names of those persons whose credentials show that they were regularly elected representatives in accord with the laws of their respective states or of the united states will be called. the representatives elect will record their presence by electronic device and their in alpha be reported -- alphabetica order by state beginning with the state of alabama to determine whether a quorum is present. representatives elect will have a minimum of 15 minutes to record their presence by electronic device. representatives elect who have not obtained their voting i.d. card may do so now in the

speaker's lobby. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the clerk of the house: are there additional representatives elect in the chamber who wish to record their presence? f not, all time has expired. 431 representatives elect have recorded their presence. a quorum is present. credentials regular in form have been received showing the election of the honorable

jennifer gonzalez colon as resident commissioner from the commonwealth of puerto rico for a term of four years beginning january 3, 2017. the honorable eleanor holmes norton as delegate from the district of columbia. the honorable michael st. nichlas as delegate from guam. the honorable stacey plaskett from virgin islands. the honorable amata raddy wagon as delegate from the american samoa. gle goreo -- gre goreo sablan from the northern mariana islands. pursuant to law and precedent the next order of business is election of the speaker of the house of representatives. for the 116th congress. ominations are now in order.

the clerk recognizing the gentleman from new york, mr. jefferies. why refries: -- mr. jefferies: thank you, madam clerk. let me begin by welcoming all the members and families to the people's house in connection with the start of the 116th congress. the scripture says weeping may endure during the long night, but joy will come in the morning. madam clerk, it is with great joy that i rise today as directed by the house democratic caucus to place the name of nancy pelosi in nomination to be the next speaker of the ups house of representatives.

without question nancy pelosi has a track record of legislative success that is unparalleled in modern american history. nancy pelosi captained a ship that defeated the effort to privatize social security, rescued our economy in the midst of the great recession, saved the american automobile industry, provided affordable health care to more than 20 million americans.

created the consumer financial protection bureau, enacted a minimum wage increase for the first time in 10 years, struck a blow against mass incarceration with passage of the fair sentencing act, and provided relief to tens of millions of americans who were credit card holders that were being defrauded. but nancy pelosi is just getting started. in the 116th congress she will continue to fight hard for the people. nancy pelosi will fight to lower health care costs, strengthen the affordable care act, protect people with pre-existing conditions, increase pay for everyday americans, enact a real infrastructure plan, clean up corruption, defend the dreamers, fix the voting rights act, and end the era of voter uppression once and for all.

will fight for 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, and strengthen suburban communities. nancy pelosi is a woman of faith. a loving wife. a mother of five. a grandmother of nine. a sophisticated strategist. a legendary legislator. a voice for the voiceless. a defender of the disenfranchised. a powerful, profound, prophetic, principled public servant and that's why we stand squarely behind her today. let me be clear, house mocrats are down n.d.p.,

nancy deli sando pelosi, the once and future speaker of the united states house of representatives. i proudly place her name in nomination, may god bless her, may god bless the united states of america. . the clerk of the house: the clerk how recognizes the gentlewoman from wyoming, ms. cheney. ms. cheney: thank you, madam clerk. i'd like goin i think by thanking my colleague, the gentleman from new york, mr. jeffries, and welcoming all of the members and the families who are here with us today. madam clerk, we gather today in this magnificent place, on -- in this body, a place where

there's no other like it in the world, the united states house of representatives. the people's house. this is the place where the great battles and debates about human liberty and freedom have been waged since the beginning of our republic. it was on these grounds, madam clerk, that abraham lincoln sought to heal this nation in his second inaugural address. it was here that we passed the 14th amendment to the constitution, guaranteeing equal protection under the law. it was here, madam clerk, in this chamber, 100 years ago this year, that we passed the 19th amendment, granting women the right to vote. i would point out, madam clerk,

finally catching up with my home state of wyoming, the first place in all the world where women had suffrage beginning in 1869. now, madam clerk, we have not always gotten it right. one legislator famously said, quote, we have the power to do any damn fool thing we want and we seem to do it about every 10 minutes. madam clerk, that was a senator. and a democrat. on this ground, madam clerk, we have inaugurated presidents and mourned them, declared wars and celebrated peace, debated all the issues facing this great republic down through the years. today, as we take our oath of office, democrat and republican alike, we inherit that legacy and that duty to defend and protect our constitution. 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 that work as speaker of the united states house of representatives. leader mccarthy is the grandson of a cattle rancher. he's the son of a firefighter. he grew up in a working class family. he started and ran his own small business. kevin owns in bakersfield. he paid his way through college and he learned firsthand that the government of the united states is more of a burden than a help to small businesses all across this country. no one has fought harder, madam clerk, for the rights and freedoms of american families, to ensure they get to keep more of what they earned so that the

american dream is accessible to all. been a - no one has greater champion of ensuring our government is limited, exercising its constitutional obligations to defend our rights and resisting the urge that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle constantly seek to fulfill of empowering federal bureaucrats o tell us how to live. leader mccarthy will always look for ways to work with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle when we can. but he will never compromise on our fundamental rights and freedoms. leader mccarthy knows our ights come from god. they are enshrined in our constitution. he knows government is not the

source of our liberty. rather, it is instituted among men and women to secure our liberty. leader mccarthy has led us through the 115th congress in unmatched historic productivity. including passage of the historic tax cuts and jobs act, we know, know -- madam clerk, that the american people know better than the government how to spend their money. leader mccarthy led us in passage of the support act, providing important resources to help address the devastating opioid crisis across this nation. he helped work to pass the v.a. mission act, so we could finally provide our veterans with the care that they deserve. leader mccarthy led us in repealing historic numbers of obama-era regulations that were strangling families, small businesses, and community banks

all across our nation. the s leader -- he was leader in the important fight to combat human trafficking and, madam clerk, leader mccarthy led us in passing legislation to secure our borders, keep our nation safe, and the devastating practice of sanctuary cities and, yes, madam clerk, build the wall. leader mccarthy also led to ensure we pass the american health care act, to expand access and options and put patients and families in the driver's seat, not government bureaucrats. leader mccarthy

made sure that we passed on time and at a sufficient level for the first time in a decade appropriations to fund the united states armed forces, to fulfill our most sacred and important constitutional duty. madam clerk, because he will lead us in fighting for all the people of this great nation from all walks of life, because he will stand against the fraud of socialism, which strips power from the people and gives it to the government, because he knows that the most important words of our founding documents are the very first 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 116th congress, the name of the honorable kevin mccarthy, representative-elect from the state of california. the clerk of the house: 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. davis. the gentlewoman from california, ms. lofgren. 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 clerk of the house: the names of the honorable nancy pelosi, a representative-elect from the state of california, and the honorable kevin mccarthy, a representative from the state of california, have been placed in nomination. the roll now will 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 clerk: mr. abraham. mccarthy. adams. elosi. aderholt. mccarthy. aguilar. pelosi. allen. ccarthy. allred. elosi. amash.

assie. modei. mccarthy. armstrong. mccarthy o. arrington. ccarthy. xne, pelosi. babin, mccarthy. bacon, mccarthy. baird, mccarthy. balderson, n --

mccarthy. banks, mccarthy. arr, mccarthy. barragan, pelosi. ass, pelosi. beatty, pelosi. bera, pelosi. bergman, mccarthy. beyer, pelosi. biggs, jordan.

bilirakis, mccarthy. pelosi.f georgia, ishop of utah, mccarthy. lumenauer, pelosi. blunt rochester, pelosi. bonamici, pelosi. .o.s. -- bost, mccarthy. rendan f. boyle, pelosi. brady, mccarthy. ryn disy -- brindisi, biden.

brooks of alabama, mccarthy. brooks of indiana, mccarthy. , pelosi.maryland rownley of california, pelosi. buchanan, mccarthy. uck, mccarthy. bucshon, mccarthy. udd, mccarthy.

burchett, burgess, mccarthy. ustos, pelosi. butterfield, pelosi. byrne, mccarthy. calvert, mccarthy. arbajal, pelosi. car keenas -- cardenas, pelosi. carson of indiana, pelosi. carter of georgia. mccarthy. carter of texas, mccarthy.

artwright, pelosi. case, pelosi. asten of illinois, pelosi. castor of florida, pelosi. castro of texas, pelosi. sha pot, mccarthy. -- chabot, mccarthy. heney, mccarthy. udy chu, pelosi. cicilline, pelosi. , pelosi. -- cisneros

clark of massachusetts, pelosi. pelosi. new york, clay, pelosi. cleaver, pelosi. cline, mccarthy. mccarthy. clyburn, pelosi. , pelosi.

mccarthy. ollins of georgia, mccarthy. ogins of new york, mccarthy. -- collins of new york, mccarthy. omber-can-comer, mccarthy. conaway, mccarthy. pelosi. ook, mccarthy. cooper, present. correa, pelosi.

osta -- costa, pelosi. courtney, pelosi. cox of california, pelosi. craig, pelosi. crawford, mccarthy. renshaw, mccarthy. crist, pelosi. crow, duckworth. cuellar, pelosi.

ummings, pelosi. . nningham, bustos curtis, mccarthy. daveds of kansas -- davids of kansas, pelosi. avidson of ohio, mccarthy. davis of california, pelosi. anny k. davis, pelosi. rodney davis, mccarthy. , pelosi, defazio, pelosi.

degette, pelosi. pelosi. delbene, pelosi. delgado, pelosi. demings, pelosi. desaulnier, pelosi. esjarlais, mccarthy. deutsch -- deutch, pelosi.

diaz-balart, mccarthy. dingle -- dingell, pelosi. doggett, pelosi. michael f. doyle, pelosi. duffy, mccarthy. uncan, mccarthy. dunn, mccarthy. emmer, mccarthy. engel, pelosi. escobar, pelosi. eshoo, pelosi.

pelosi.t, estes, mccarthy. evans, pelosi. erguson, mccarthy. finckenauer, pelosi. itzpatrick, mccarty. fleischmann, mccarthy. letcher, pelosi. flores, mccarthy. fortenberry, mccarthy.

oster, pelosi. foxx of north carolina, mccarthy. frankel, pelosi. fudge, pelosi. fulcher, mccarthy. gabbard, pelosi. gaetz, mccarthy. , llon lager gallagher mccarthy. gallego, pelosi. guerra mend -- garamendi, pelosi. garcia of illinois. pelosi.

garcia of texas, pelosi. gianforte, mccarthy. gibbs, mccarthy. mccarthy. olden, bustos. gomez, pelosi. onzalez of ohio, mccarthy. gonzalez of texas, pelosi.

ooden, mccarthy. gosar, jordan. ottheimer, pelosi. granger, mccarthy. graves of georgia, mccarthy. graves of louisiana, mccarthy. raves of missouri, mccarthy. reen of tennessee, mccarthy. reen of texas, pelosi.

riffith, mccarthy. rijalva, pelosi. grothman, mccarthy. . guest, mccarthy. guthrie, mccarthy. haaland -- pelosi. agedorn, mccarthy. harder of california, pelosi.

, mccarthy. hartzler, mccarthy. , pelosi. .ayes, pelosi , kevin heroin, mccarthy. errera butler, mccarthy. hice of georgia, jordan.

iggins of louisiana, mccarthy. higgins of new york, pelosi. ill of arkansas, mccarthy. . ll of california, pelosi himes, pelosi. holding, mccarthy. , mccarthy.th kendra s. horn, pelosi. pelosi. han,wood han -- hollywooda

, pelosi, houlahan hoyer, pelosi. mccarthy. huffman, pelosi, huizenga, mccarthy. hunter, mccarthy. .urd of texas, mccarthy ackson lee pelosi. jayapal, pelosi.

jeffries, pelosi. ohnson of georgia, pelosi. . hnson of louisiana, mccarthy johnson of ohio, mccarthy. , nson of south dakota mccarthy. . hnson of texas, pelosi .ones jones. ordan, mccarthy. joyce of ohio, mccarthy. joyce of pennsylvania, mccarthy.

kaptur, pelosi. katko, mccarthy. keating, pelosi. .elly of illinois, pelosi elly of mississippi, mccarthy. kelly of pennsylvania, mccarthy. kennedy, pelosi. khanna, pelosi. ildee, pelosi. kilmer, pelosi. kim, pelosi.

john lewis. . ng of iowa, mccarthy ing of new york, mccarthy. kinzinger, mccarthy. kirkpatrick, pelosi. krishnamoorthi, pelosi, kuster of new hampshire, pelosi. ustoff of tennessee, mccarthy.

ahood, mccarthy. , mccarthy. kennedy. lamborn, mccarthy. langevin, pelosi. larsen of washington, pelosi. larson of connecticut, pelosi. latta, mccarthy.

, pelosi. lawson of florida, pelosi. pelosi.alifornia, .ee of nevada, pelosi lesko, mccarthy. levin of california, pelosi. levin of michigan, pelosi. lewis, pelosi.

ed lieu, pelosi. ipinski, pelosi. loebsack, pelosi. lofgren, pelosi. mccarthy. oudermilk, mccarthy. .ow lowenthal, pelosi lowey, pelosi. lucas, mccarthy. luetkemeyer, mccarthy.

ieu han, pelosi. luria, pelosi. lynch, pelosi. carolyn b.y, pelosi, maloney, pelosi. sean maloney, pelosi. . rchant, mccarthy marino, mccarthy. marshal l, mccarthy. jordan.

. st, mccarthy atsui, pelosi. , mcadams, murphy. mcbath, pelosi. ccarthy, mccarthy. ccaul, mccarthy. cclintock, mccarthy.

ceachin, pelosi. cgovern, pelosi. mchenry, mccarthy. mckinley, mccarthy. mccarthy. dgers, cnerney, pelosi. meadows, mccarthy. .eeks, pelosi meng, pelosi. miller, arthy, , mccarthy. tchell

moolenar, mccarthy. mooney of west virginia, mccarthy. , pelosi. .orelle, pelosi .oulton, pelosi , pelosi, mullin, mccarthy. murphy, pelosi.

nadler, pelosi. . politano, pelosi neal, pelosi. neguse, pelosi. new house, mccarthy. norcross, pelosi, norman, mccarthy. mccarthy. , owe cast pelosi yeoh cortez, pelosi. olson, mccarthy.

. ar, pelosi palazzo, mccarthy. pelosi. . lmer, mccarthy panetta, pelosi. appas, pelosi. pascrell, pelosi. . payne, pelosi. elosi, pelosi.

pence, mccarthy. erlmutter, pelosi. perry, jordan. eters, pelosi. pettersson, -- peterson, pelosi. hillips, pelosi. pingree, pelosi. pocan, pelosi. orter, pelosi. posey, mccarthy. ressley, pelosi.

price of north carolina, pelosi. quigley, pelosi. raskin, pelosi. ratcliffe, mccarthy. eed, mccarthy. reschenthaler, mccarthy. ice of new york. brams. rice of south carolina,

mccarthy. ichmond, pelosi. riggleman, mccarthy. oby, mccarthy. david p. roe, mccarthy. rogers of alabama, mccarthy. reerges of kentucky, mccarthy. rooney of florida, mccarthy. rose of new york, duckworth. ohn w. rose, mccarthy.

udea -- rouda, pelosi. rouzer, mccarthy. , mccarthy. roybal-allard, pelosi. pelosi. pelosi.erger, ush, pelosi. , mccarthy.

yan, pelosi. sanchez, pelosi. arbanes, pelosi. scalise, mccarthy. scanlon, pelosi. chakowsky, pelosi. chiff, pelosi. schneider, pelosi. chroeder -- schrader, fudge.

schreyer -- schrier, pelosi. chweikert, mccarthy. ustin scott, mccarthy. david scott, pelosi. scott of virginia, pelosi. sensenbrenner, mccarthy. serrano, pelosi. sewell of alabama, pelosi. shalala, pelosi. sherman, pelosi.

herrill, bustos. shimkus, mccarthy. simpson, mccarthy. sires, pelosi. lotkin, present. smith of missouri, mccarthy. smith of nebraska, mccarthy. smith of new jersey, mccarthy. smith of washington, pelosi. .mucker, mccarthy

oto, pelosi. panberger, bustos. spano, mccarthy. pelosi. stanton, pelosi. stauber, mccarthy. tefanik, mccarthy. steil, mccarthy.

steube, mccarthy. stevens, pelosi. stewart, mccarthy. stivers, mccarthy. suozzi, pelosi. walwell of california, pelosi. pelosi. aylor, mccarthy. pelosi. of california,

thompson of mississippi, pelosi. thompson of pennsylvania, mccarthy. hornberry, mccarthy. timmons, mccarthy. ipton, mccarthy. pelosi. pelosi. tlaib, tonko, pelosi. orres of california, pelosi.

torres small of new mexico, pelosi. rahan, pelosi. trone, pelosi. urner, mccarthy. underwood, pelosi. upton, mccarthy. mr. van drew votes no. vargas, pelosi. easey, pelosi.

ella -- veterans daya, pelosi. -- vela, pelosi. velazquez, pelosi. visclosky, pelosi. agner, mccarthy. walberg, mccarthy. walden, mccarthy. alker, mccarthy. walorski, mccarthy. waltz, mccarthy.

pelosi.n schultz, , pelosi. watkins, mccarthy. atson coleman, pelosi. eber of texas, mccarthy. mccarthy. florida, welch, pelosi. enstrup, mccarthy. westerman, mccarthy.

pelosi. wild, pelosi. illiams, mccarthy. wilson of florida, pelosi. wilson of south carolina, mccarthy. wittman, mccarthy. womack, mccarthy. woodall, mccarthy. right, mccarthy.

yarmuth, pelosi. oho, mccarthy. young, mccarthy. eldin, mccarthy.

the clerk of the house: the reading clerk will call the mes of the representatives-elect who did not answer the call of the roll. . e clerk: jones mr. van drew is present. the clerk of the house: if there are nip representatives-elect who did not answer the call of the roll, you may come to the well and vote at this time.

the clerk of the house: the tillers agree in their tally that the total number of votes cast is 430 of which the honorable nancy pelosi of the state of california has

received 220.

the clerk of the house: the -- rable the clerk of the house: the honorable kevin mccarthy of the state of california has received 192. the honorable jim jordan of the state of ohio has received five. the honorable cheri bustos has

received four. the honorable tammy duckworth of the state of illinois has received two. the honorable stacy abrams of the state of georgia has received one. the honorable joseph biden of the state of delaware has received one. the honorable marcia fudge of the state of ohio has received one. the honorable joseph p. kennedy iii of the state of massachusetts has received one. the honorable john lewis of the state of georgia has received one. the honorable thomas massie of the state of kentucky has received one. the honorable stephanie murphy of the state of florida has received one. with three recorded as present, therefore, the honorable nancy pelosi of the state of california, having received a majority of the votes cast, is duly elected as speaker of the house of representatives for he 116th 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 gentleman from new mexico, mr. lujan, the gentlewoman from wyoming, ms. cheney, the gentleman from new york, mr. jeffries, the gentleman from

north carolina, mr. walker, the gentlewoman from massachusetts, ms. clark, the gentleman from alabama, mr. palmer, the gentleman from missouri, mr. smith, and the members of the california delegation, ms. waters, mr. calvert, ms. eshoo, ms. roybal-allard, ms. lofgren, r. sherman, ms. lee, ms. neap, mr. thompson, mrs. davis, mr. schiff, mr. nunes, ms. sanchez, mr. costa, ms. matsui, mr. mcnerney, ms. speier, mr. hunter, mr. mcclintock, ms. hu, mr. garamendi, ms. bass, mr. bera, ms. brownley, mr. cardenas, mr. cook, mr. huffman, mr. lamalfa, mr. lowenthal, mr. peters, mr.

ruiz, mr. swalwell, mr. takano, . vargas, mr. aguilar, mr. desauliner, mr. lieu, ms. torres, ms. barragan, mr. carbajal, mr. correa, mr. khanna, mr. panetta, mr. gomez, mr. sneros, mr. cox, harder, ms. hill, ms. porter, mr. rouda. the committee will retire from the chamber to escort the speaker-elect to the chair.

>> madam clerk, the speaker-elect, nancy pelosi of the state of california.

mr. mccarthy:. embers, take your seats.

mr. mccarthy: the house will be in order. colleagues, friends and fellow americans, it is an honor to serve with you and to welcome you to the first day of the 116th united states house of representatives. we are here in this chamber because the faith of your neighbors and support of your family. we are here today to represent the voice and the vote of 325

million americans. now i would like everyone to pause. i want you to reflect on this fact. in the last 230 years dating back to the founding of our republic, fewer than 11,000 americans had the privilege to stand here as a member of the house, just as you do. chosen by their fellow citizens to represent them in washington. what an amazing, invigorating, and yes, frustrating experiment that is, representative democracy. the ink was barely dry on the constitution when ben franklin wondered out loud, whether this new nation was capable of keeping its government and its freedom that has been granted to us generation to generation. centuries later, people still harbor similar concerns.

they wonder if congress truly represents them. is it still capable of solving big problems. well, there is no guarantee. it is up to us, all of us in this room to make congress work. to create and debate, just like our founding fathers did many years ago, with courage, with ommitment and resolve. we are a small group with a very large responsibility. the burden on us 435 members is to represent 325 million americans faithfully, to work together so that tomorrow is better than today. as ronald reagan advised us, america's too great for small dreams. when we work together, we succeed together as one nation. we are now entering a period of

divided government, but that is no excuse for gridlock or inaction. we are at our best when we focus not on retribution but on building a more perfect union. but while we seek cooperation, there is one core principle upon which we will not compromise, republicans will always choose personal freedom over government control. now this very floor has hosted some of the toughest debates in our nation's history, but it is also the most noble

achievements. this house has triumphed in times of crisis. it still stands not on sand but on the solid rock of constitutional preliminary. today this is in pursuit of a perfect union. the country knows nancy pelosi with an experienced leader with three decades of service and fighter for her causes and true trailblazer. even when we disagree with one another completely, it is important to remember that we are bounded together in a common cause, our love for america. as fellow citizens and friends, let us lead together to show the people that we are truly their

voice and their vote. in that spirit, in the spirit of a more perfect union and in the unshakeable belief that america was, is and always will be the greatest nation on the face of the earth. and in that spirit, i extend my hand of friendship to every member of this body. and to the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, i extend to you his gavel.

ms. pelosi: thank you very much, leader mccarthy. i look forward working with you in a bipartisan way. for the good of our country respecting our constituents, every one of you, i respect you d the constituents sent each and every one of us here. they expect for us to find our common ground and we must try to stand our ground where we can, but always extend the hand of friendship. thank you, kevin mccarthy, for your leadership. i look forward to working with you. congratulations on being the leader of the party. and congratulations to each and every one of you. new members of congress, newly re-elected memberships of congress, thank you for your

courage to run for office and to serve in this distinguished body. every two years we gather in this chamber for a sacred ritual under the dome of this temple of democracy, the capital of the united states, we renew the great american experiment. i'm particularly proud to be women speaker of the house of this congress, which marks the 100th year of women having the right to vote. and we all have the ability and the privilege to serve with over 100 women members of congress,

he largest number in history. as leader mccarthy said, each of us comes to this chamber strengthened by the trust of our constituents and the love of our families. let us congratulate and welcome all of the families who are here today. thank you to our families. let me take the privilege of thanking my dear husband, paul, and our five children.

our five children. nancy, paul, jacqueline, alexandra. and our grandchildren. thomas and paul. bella and octavio. we're so proud of all of our grandchildren. and we're proud of everyone's grandchildren and children who are here today. we'll see more of them. i'm also proud of my d'alesandro family that's here from baltimore for us, too. in the spirit -- in that spirit, my mother and father, my brother, tommy, was also mayor of baltimore, taught us through their example that public service is a noble calling. that we should serve with our heart full of love and that america's heart is full of love. seeing that to us last night in my comrade -- italian american

with all that pride, i want to acknowledge tony bennett, who is here with us today as well. thank you, tony. he helped -- he helped -- he helped free the concentration camps during the time of world war ii. he marched with martin luther king. he is a true american patriot. thank you, tony. and, again, i want to thank my constituents from san francisco who have entrusted me to represent them in congress in the spirit of st. francis, the patron saint of san francisco and his song of st. francis is our anthem. make me a channel of thy peace. we heard that in church this morning, but it is our mission. and let me thank our men and women in uniform, our veterans,

and our military families and caregivers. whose service reminds us of our mission to make the future worthy of their sacrifice. to our men and women in uniform. we enter this new congress with a sense of great hope and competence for the future and deep humility and prayerfulness in the face of challenges ahead. our nation is at a historic moment. two months ago the american people spoke and demanded a new dawn. they called upon the beauty of our constitution that our system of checks and balances that protects our democracy, remembering that the legislative branch is article 1, the first branch of

government, co-equal to the presidency and to the judiciary. they wanted congress that delivers results for the people, opening up opportunity and lifting up their lives. we're hearing the voice of the future there. how beautiful. when our new members take the oath, our congress will be refreshed and our democracy will be strengthened by their optimism, idealism and patriotism. f this transformative freshmen class. congratulations to all of you in the freshman class. working together, we will redeem the promise of the american dream for every family, advancing progress for every community. we must be pioneers of the future.

this congress must accelerate a future that advances america's preeminence in the world and opens up opportunities for all. building an economy that gives all americans the tools they need to succeed in the 21st century -- public education, workforce development, good-paying jobs, and secured pensions. we have heard from too many families who wonder in this time of innovation and globalization if they have a place in the economy of the future. we must remove all doubt that they do and say to them individually, we will have an conomy that works for you. let us declare we will call upon bold thinking to address the disparity of income in america which is at the root of the crisis of confidence felt by so many americans. as justice brandeis said, we may have democracy or we may

have wealth concentrated in the hands of the few. but we cannot have both. we must end that injustice and restore the public faith in a better future for themselves and their children. we must be champions of the middle class and all those who aspire to it, because the middle class is the backbone of our democracy. has been since the birth -- it has been since the birth of our democracy. aristotle said it is manifest that the best political community is sworn by citizens of the middle class in which the middle class is large and stronger than any of the other classes. we must fight for the middle class, it is fair and fiscally sound, protecting medicare, medicaid, and social security. we must also thank the

existential threat of our time -- climate crisis, a crisis manifested in epic proportions. the american people understand the urgency. the people are ahead of the congress. the congress must join them. and that is why we have created a select committee on climate crisis, the entire congress must work to put an end to the inaction and denial of science that threaten the planet and the future. this is a -- this is a decision -- a public health decision about clean air, clean water for our children's health. it's a decision for america's global preeminence in the green technologies. it's a decision, a security

to be n to keep us all good stewards of god's creation. we have no illusions that our work will be easy and that all of us in this chamber will always agree. but let us give a pledge that when we disagree we respect each other and we respect the truth. we will debate and advance good ideas no matter where they come from, and in that spirit, democrats will be offering the senate republican appropriations legislation to reopen government later today. we will do so -- we will do so to meet the needs of the american people, to protect our

borders and to respect our workers. and i pledge that this congress will be transparent, bipartisan, and unifying, that we will seek to reach across the aisle in this chamber and across divisions across our nation. in the past two years, the american people have spoken. tens of thousands of public events were held. hundredses of thousands of people turned out. millions of calls were made. countless families, even sick little children, our little lobbyists, our little lobbyists bravely came forward to tell their stories, and they made a big difference. now the floor of this house must be america's town hall where people will see our debates and where their voices ll be heard and effect our decisions. transparency will be the order f the day.

and as mr. jeffries, our distinguished chairman, said, we will follow our mandate for the people. and i thank you for your kind nomination and accept those kind remarks on behalf of the entire house democratic caucus who made all of those victories possible. some of them in a bipartisan way. empower our mandate for the people, to lower health care costs and prescription drug prices and protect people with pre-existing medical onditions. increase paychecks -- to increase paychecks by rebuilding america with green and modern infrastructure from sea to shining sea. we look forward to working with the president on that.

to pass h.r. 1, to restore integrity to government so that people can have confidence that government -- in a government that works for the people, not the special interest. .r. 1. this house will take overdue legislation that has bipartisan support, bipartisan support in the congress and across the country. we will make our communities safer and keep our sacred promise to the victims, survivors and families of gun violence by passing bipartisan ackground check legislation. we will make america fairer by passing the equality act, to

end discrimination against the lgbtq community. and we will make america more american by passing -- by , otecting our patriotic courageous dreamers. all three -- all three of those legislative initiatives have bipartisan support in this body. when we're talking about the dreamers, let us remember what president reagan said in his last speech as president of the united states. i urge you all to read it. it's a beautiful speech. he said, if we ever close the door to new americans, our leadership role in the world will soon be lost. ronald reagan.

our common cause -- applaud for ronald reagan. our common cause is to find and forge a way forward for our country. let us stand for the people, to promote liberty and justice for all as we pledge every day. and always, always keep our nation safe from threats old and new, from terrorism and cyber warfare, overseas and here at home, to protect and defend. that's the oath we all take to serve in this body. that is the oath we take, to protect and defend. i close by remembering a cherished former member of this body who rose to become a beloved president of the united states and who last month returned to the capitol once

more and he came this time to lie in state. that week we honored president george herbert walker bush with eulogies, tributes and tears. today, i single out one of his great achievements, working with both democrats and republicans to write the americans with disabilities act into the laws of our land. thank you, steny hoyer, for being an important part of hat. in 2010, we marked the 20th anniversary of the act by making it possible for our colleagues with disabilities to preside over the house. by changing the mechanics of this podium. and that spirit of equality and justice, let me announce that this afternoon, the first speaker pro tempore, whom i will yield to, of the 116th

congress, will be congressman as we fake the oath of land. office today, we accept responsibility as daunting and demanding than any previous generations of leadership have faced. guided by the vision and values of our founders, the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and the aspirations that we have for our children, let us meet that responsibilities with wisdom, with courage and with grace. together, we will let it be known that this house will truly be the people's house.

and let us pray that god may bless our work and crown our god with brotherhood and sisterhood from sea to shining sea. god bless you all. and god bless the united states f america. the parliamentarian instructs me to say the following. imnow ready to take the oath of office, i ask the dean of the house of representatives, the honorable don young to administer the oath of office.

before you do, mr. dean, and i thank you for your great leadership in the congress, i would like to call my grandchildren up here to be up here and any other children who want to join them. come on, kids.

mr. young: everybody be quiet. if the gentlewoman from california please raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will swort 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 and you take this without any mental reservation and purpose of evasion and you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office which you are ?bout to enter, so help you god the speaker: i do. let us thank dean young. thank you dean young, dean of he house of representatives.

i now call the house to order on behalf of all of america's hildren. m going to administer to the members-elect -- do the children want to go back -- or if they want to be on tv, it's up to them. stay or join their parents and grandparents. katie hill wants her children -- katie porter, whose birthday it

is today wants her children to join them. you can stay, if you want. the speaker: the members-elect will all rise. will you please raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear 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 without mental reservation or purpose of evasion and you will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which you are about to enter, so help you god. >> i do. he speaker: congratulations.

the speaker: the house will be in order. congratulations. you are all now members of the 116th congress. the speaker: the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. jeffries. he house will be in order.

mr. jeffries: as chairman of the democratic caucus i have been directed to report to the house that the democratic members have selected asthma the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. leader, the distinguished the gentleman from maryland, the honorable steny hoyer. the speaker: the chair recognizes the distinguished the gentlewoman from wyoming, chair cheney. ms. cheney: as chairman of the republican conference, i have been directed to report to the house that the republican members have selected as our leader, the gentleman from california, the honorable kevin ccarthy. the speaker: the chair

recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. jeverries. jeverjever as chairman of the democratic caucus i have been directed to report to the house that the democratic members have selected asthma the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. whip the distinguished the gentleman from south carolina, he honorable james c. clyburn. and i have been directed to report that we have also selected as our assistant speaker, the distinguished the gentleman from new mexico, the honorable ben ray lujan. the speaker: the chair recognizes the distinguished the gentlewoman from wyoming, ms. cheney. ms. cheney: as chairman of the house republican conference i have been directed to report to the house that the republican members have selected as minority whip, the gentleman

from louisiana, the honorable steve scalise. the speaker: the chair recognizes the gentleman from ew york, mr. jeffries. does the gentleman seek to offer a resolution? mr. jeffries: i offer a privileged resolution electing officers of the house of representatives. the speaker: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1, that karen l. haas be and is hereby chosen clerk of the house, paul d. irving is chosen sergeant at arms of the house of representatives, that phillip george kiko of the state of ohio

is chosen chief administrative officer of the house of representatives and that father patrick j. conroy of the state of oregon be and is hereby chosen chaplain of the house of representatives. the speaker: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. jeffries: i offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker: the gentleman seek to offer an amendment? does the gentleman wish to yield to the gentlelady for wyoming for addition of the question? mr. jeffries: i yield to the distinguished the gentlewoman from wyoming for the purpose of offering an amendment. ms. cheney: i have an amendment to the resolution, but before offering the amendment, i request division of the question on the resolution so we may have a separate vote on the chaplain. the speaker: the question is on agreeing to that portion of the

resolution providing for the election of the chaplain. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. portion of the resolution is agreed to. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the gentlewoman from wyoming. ms. cheney: i offer an amendment to the resolution offered to the the gentleman from new york. the clerk: amendment offered by ms. cheney that barrett karr is chosen clerk of the house of representatives, that james minn of the state of california be chosen as sergeant of arms and bill hughes of the state of south dakota and hereby chosen chief addtive officer. the speaker: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from wyoming. those in favor say aye.

those opposed, no. . the nost have it and the amendment is not agreed to. the question is on the remainder of the resolution offered by the gentleman from new york. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the resolution is agreed to. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the chair will now swear in the officers of the house. the chair will now swear in the officers of the house. aren haas, paul irving, george

kiko, father conroy. do you solemnly swear 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 and without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office you are about to ensheer, so help you god? >> i do. he speaker: congratulations. for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts seek recognition? mr. mcgovern: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the house stand in recess subject to the call of the chair. the speaker: without objection, the house will stand in recess subject to the call of the chair.