[Pages H35-H39]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page H35]]

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House of Representatives

The House met at noon, and was called to order by the Clerk.
The Chaplain, the Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben, offered the
following prayer:
Our hope is in the Lord, not in rulers or principalities, parties or
persons. And we are keenly aware, especially on this day, as the
psalmist has said, that their plans come to nothing. You, O Lord,
thwart the plans of nations. You thwart the purposes of the people.
On this day of profound remembrance, may we lean on the strength to
be found only in You. Come alongside us and show Your mercy on the
American people as they and we approach today with a host of feelings:
The abiding emotional and spiritual unease stemming from the memory
of inconceivable unrest in these Chambers 2 years ago;
The exhausting frustration over the prolonged impasse in the
deliberations that obscures the way ahead;
The fear that resides in the hearts of families and staffers,
communities and constituents, who are affected by the lack of resources
and security while this legislative body remains unseated.
We wait in hope for You, O God, for You are our help and shield. In
You, we will find reason to rejoice, for despite all that makes today,
today, we trust in You.
May Your unfailing love rest upon us, for it is in Your sovereign
name we pray.
Amen.

the journal

The CLERK. The Chair has examined the Journal of the last day's
proceedings and announces to the House the approval thereof.
Representatives-elect are invited to join in the Pledge of
Allegiance.

pledge of allegiance

The CLERK led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows:

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.

point of order

Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Clerk, I make a point of order that there is not
a quorum present.
The CLERK. The gentlewoman makes a point of order that a quorum is
not present. The Chair will count for a quorum. The Chair counts 275
Members present. A quorum is present.
The question recurs upon the election of a Speaker. The tellers will
please come forward and take their seats.
The Clerk recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike
Garcia).
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Madam Clerk, I rise to nominate Kevin
McCarthy for Speaker of the House.
While I rise to that end, I think it is critically important to note
that this is actually not about Kevin McCarthy.
Kevin is a good man. He is a man of God. He is a patriot. He is a
leader who has led this Conference to our current majority over the
last 4 years.
Those things are unassailable, but this isn't about him. This isn't
about Kevin McCarthy.
I put no single human being on a pedestal and certainly not before
God and not before the gift that He has blessed us with, with this
grand experiment that we call the United States of America.
This isn't about Kevin McCarthy, but the matters before us are of
stupendous magnitude.
A federal republic such as ours, it is a dynamically unstable one. It
is a wobbly top that is just a few mere revolutions away from falling
down at any given moment except for the exertions of men and women who
are willing to serve her with pure and selfless intent, just as our
Founding Fathers did, just as Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan did,
with pure and selfless intent.
As our Nation today and over the last 2 years has seen, we are
certainly a wobbly top.
Today, we have a southern border that is wide open. As a result of
that, and as a result of our executive branch policies, today, 200
fellow Americans will die of fentanyl poisoning, and roughly 5,000
illegal immigrants will be victims of human smuggling.
Today, our Nation's debt is $31 trillion, and that will go up just
this day alone by roughly $2.1 billion.
Today, we are seeing one of the worst crime spikes in our Nation's
history. Our law enforcement is direly underfunded, and they are
hurting. On that topic, I want to thank our law enforcement.
I want to especially thank the Capitol Hill police for what they do.
We thank them not only for what they have done--our police also serve
with that pure and selfless intent. They do it every day, and we should
thank them every day.
Today, the Chinese Communist Party will orchestrate the theft of
another $1 billion of intellectual property from American companies.
The Chinese Communist Party is still today not being held accountable
for the deaths of millions of people around this planet, deaths as a
result of genocide within their borders and deaths as a result of COVID
outside them. We are today losing on multiple fronts against China.
So, today isn't about a single human being. It is not about Kevin
McCarthy. It is about the 13 Gold Star families who still suffer today
mercilessly without closure and without accountability after the
unnecessary loss of their loved ones in Afghanistan over a year ago.

{time} 1215

Speaking of our military, today, roughly 40 Active Duty and veterans
of our military will commit suicide.

[[Page H36]]

These, Madam Clerk, are the matters of stupendous magnitude.
This isn't about a man in a suit in the Halls of Congress. It is
about 330 million Americans. It is about the preservation of the
Constitution and the liberties guaranteed therein. It is about the 246
years of pride and providence that we have enjoyed as a Nation. Above
all things, it is about ensuring that this beautiful journey exists for
generations to come.
That doesn't happen if we don't address and rise above the multiple
existential crises that we are experiencing today. We must be
victorious in this cause, and victory begins with allowing this body to
get to work. It begins today.
Now, winning isn't easy, okay? Winning isn't easy, but winning is
necessary. Of all the folks in this Chamber, I know that winning isn't
easy. I represent a district where only 29 percent of my voters are
registered in the same party as I am. But I engage and I communicate
with the other 71 percent because it is the only way that we all win.
In the end, it is the only way that the Nation wins. It ain't easy, but
it is necessary, but the noble wins, the most important wins, never are
easy.
We take on these missions just as passionately as Colonel Chamberlain
did at Little Round Top in Gettysburg. We must hold this line because
if we don't hold this line, the entire Union is at stake. We don't hold
the majority for bragging rights. We hold the majority to govern
responsibly. We hold the majority to protect the American people, to
coalesce around the foundational constitutional principles that I have
been willing to give my life to defend since the age of 18.
To my Democrat colleagues across the aisle, I want to make sure you
understand and make no mistake, we are, in fact, on the verge of a very
important victory, a victory for the people, a victory by the people,
and most importantly, a victory for the future of our Nation.
It dawns on me as I look across the aisle after being here for nearly
3 years, that I haven't had the pleasure of meeting many of you because
you have chosen to stay home and not vote here in person, electing
instead to proxy vote.
The CLERK. The Member-elect is reminded to direct his remarks to the
Chair.
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. It is a pleasure to see 212 of you
here today. It is also a pleasure to see the end of proxy voting.
Let me end with this: I am extremely proud of my colleagues on this
side of the aisle. The last 4 days haven't been ideal. They have been
difficult.
But I do see fighters. I see patriots who love this country and want
to make things better. I see folks who are willing to do whatever is
necessary to ensure that we better serve the Nation. I see men and
women who are willing to serve her with that pure and selfless intent,
even if that service means undergoing the dentistry that we have
experienced over the last 4 days and in the wake of the last 20
meetings over the last 2 months.
Let me be clear. These are not concessions to the rules. These are a
critical evolution of the rules for the good of the Nation. I am proud
that we, as a party, have decided and have been willing to extend the
time aperture so that we can get to a solution, a product of compromise
but also a product that will fix the ills induced by the Democrat
majority over the last 4 years. This product will hopefully end the
multifaceted legacy of reckless and toxic behavior in the swamp.
So this isn't about Kevin McCarthy. It is not about the 434 Members
in this Chamber. It is about the 330 million Americans across this
beautiful land, and it is about our Nation's future. The person who
will lead us on that journey will be Kevin McCarthy. He has earned this
position, and I have the honor of nominating him at the direction of
the Republican Conference as the Speaker of the House of the 118th
Congress.
God bless the United States.
The CLERK. The Clerk recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina
(Mr. Clyburn).
Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Clerk, I rise to nominate my friend, colleague,
and leader of the House Democratic Caucus, Hakeem Jeffries, as Speaker.
Madam Clerk, I want to begin by thanking you for your contribution to
maintaining the dignity and honor of this august body.
The eyes of the country are on us today. Let us consider what they
will remember. I often refer to this Hall as America's classroom. The
proceedings we undertake in this body and our actions should serve as
lessons for those who may be watching and/or listening.
Hopefully, that which they see and hear will help them gain
understanding and appreciation for the greatness of America and the
goodness of the American people. This body has a unique role in this
government. What we do and how we do it will determine whether our
pursuit toward a more perfect Union can continue in earnest.
No day in recent history underscores the importance of that pursuit
more than January 6, 2021. Exactly 2 years ago today, our resolve was
tested when a violent mob of insurrectionists attacked our Capitol,
threatened the integrity of this democracy, and undermined our
Constitution. The greatness of this country and the resiliency of our
democracy were put in peril, but we survived.
The preamble of the Constitution explains that the document was
established, in part, to ``secure the blessings of liberty'' not just
for ourselves but also to our posterity. In this body, we are tasked
with protecting our Nation's hard-earned principles of liberty,
justice, and freedom for all. Every 2 years, the American people
evaluate our stewardship and render a verdict.
Last November, they invested their time and resources going to the
polls and casting their votes. They expect and should get a just return
on their investment. For many, maybe most Americans, this is the only
investment they will ever make to help preserve the greatness of this
country. For the first time in over 200 years, after 11 rounds of
voting, we are unable to organize and begin to work on behalf of those
who elected us to serve.

Democrats are offering a candidate for Speaker, Hakeem Jeffries, who
is not just prepared to lead but committed to preserving this democracy
and enhancing this august body.
Madam Clerk, there is some dispute among historians as to whether
Alexis de Tocqueville said this, but I consider it to be true
regardless. De Tocqueville is credited in some quarters with having
said: America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be
good, America will cease to be great.
The greatness of America lies in the goodness that exists within the
American people. Today, the greatness of our Nation hangs in the
balance because the goodness of the American people is at stake.
We Democrats are offering the people of America, through this unique
body, a good man who has the best interests of the American people at
heart and is committed to preserving the fundamental principles that
make this country great.
Madam Clerk, I am honored to carry out the directive of the House
Democratic Caucus and submit to this august body the name of Hakeem
Jeffries to be Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
The CLERK. The Clerk recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Gaetz).
Mr. GAETZ. Madam Clerk, I rise to submit a name for the nomination of
the Speaker of the House.
Madam Clerk, my colleague from California, Mr. Garcia, knows the
incredibly high regard I hold him in. He is a patriot. I deeply, deeply
admire him. But I must take some exception with some of the comments he
made in his nomination of Mr. McCarthy.
First, he said that Mr. McCarthy has earned the position. You only
earn the position of Speaker of the House if you can get the votes. Mr.
McCarthy doesn't have the votes today, he will not have the votes
tomorrow, and he will not have the votes next week, next month, next
year.
So one must wonder, Madam Clerk, is this an exercise in vanity for
someone who has done the math, taken the counts, and is putting this
institution through something that absolutely is avoidable?
My colleague, Mr. Garcia, did not say this, but many of my other
Republican colleagues have. They believe that Mr. McCarthy has earned
the position of Speaker of the House because he raised half a billion
dollars to get Republicans elected.

[[Page H37]]

The CLERK. Members-elect are reminded not to engage in personalities
against other Members-elect of the House.
Mr. GAETZ. Madam Clerk, several believe that one earns the position
of Speaker by raising enormous sums of money, and there is no doubt
that the individual that was nominated by Mr. Garcia is the LeBron
James of special interest fundraising in this town. There is nobody
better.
But I would suggest that there are qualifications for Speaker that
are far more important and there are attributes that are far more
important. Jim Jordan has those, and I am submitting his name for
nomination at this time.
I heard my colleague from California, Mr. Garcia, say that we seek
pure, selfless intent, and I could not agree more with that assessment.
Mr. Jordan, indeed, is reflective of pure, selfless intent. I don't
know that the same can be said for the Republican alternative.
Let's start with purity. Many of you have seen the reports that there
are negotiations to determine whether or not on this side of the aisle
there can be a deal, a meeting of the minds, a grand bargain that would
allow us to proceed with the Speakership.

{time} 1230

I want all of my colleagues to know, regardless of your perspective
on me, how impure some of those negotiations have gone; and I want the
country to know.
The principal goal of the people who are objecting to Mr. McCarthy on
the Republican side is that we don't believe the rules of this place
unlock the potential of all of the Members to be able to cast votes on
individual bills and to offer amendments on appropriations acts.
We are also concerned about spending that has ballooned our debt and
borrowed against the future generations of American citizens.
Mr. McCarthy said, well, goodness--to the objectors--why do you want
to be on the Oversight and Judiciary Committees, and you never submit
your names to be on the Rules Committee or the Appropriations
Committee; and so, gosh, if you will get a list of folks who are
willing to come early on fly-in days for Rules, and folks who are
willing to take on the extra burden of our appropriators who work so
hard, then I will certainly work to do that. So we endeavored in good
faith, in pure good faith, to create that list.
Then what did Mr. McCarthy do? He went out to the media and came to
other members of the Conference and said, see, they just want jobs for
themselves. That is not pure.
Selflessness. Selflessness is not selling shares of yourself to the
lobby corps and then doing their bidding at the expense of the American
people.
But there certainly is intent, and it is an intent driven almost
exclusively by personal ambition, and that ambition is paralyzing the
House now.
Madam Clerk, at this time, there is great trust in Mr. Jordan, and
that is why I am nominating him, and there is insufficient trust in
Kevin McCarthy.
There are some who have been objecting to Mr. McCarthy, who are
working on perhaps changes to the rules, changes to circumstances that
would convert the Speakership from the great, awesome, powerful
position it is now to more of a ceremonial position, almost akin to the
Speaker in the British House of Commons.
I referred to it previously as a straitjacket that some of us were
trying to construct with better rules and better personnel because we
do not trust Mr. McCarthy with power because we know who he will use it
for, and we are concerned it will not be for the American people.
We trust Jim Jordan, I nominate him, and I am going to vote for
him.
The CLERK. The Clerk recognizes the gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs.
Boebert).
Mrs. BOEBERT. Madam Clerk, I rise to enter a name for nomination for
Speaker.
Once again, I just stand here today to nominate Kevin Hern, the
chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus in the
Republican Conference who, unanimously, was elected as chairman whom, I
believe, can unite this Republican Conference and put forward the
agenda that we all promised to work hard on, and serve our American
people to the best of our abilities with.
I believe that Kevin Hern will be a fighter for our national debt. I
get texts on a regular basis at how inflation is hurting families, how
grocery prices are skyrocketing continuously. He has crafted a budget
that balances and will bring that to the floor to help the American
people.
Madam Clerk, I nominate Kevin Hern as Speaker.
The CLERK. 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:

[Roll No. 15]

McCARTHY--213

Aderholt
Alford
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bean (FL)
Bentz
Bergman
Bice
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Bost
Brecheen
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burchett
Burgess
Burlison
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carl
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chavez-DeRemer
Ciscomani
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Collins
Comer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
D'Esposito
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Donalds
Duarte
Duncan
Dunn (FL)
Edwards
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Ezell
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flood
Foxx
Franklin, C. Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Gallagher
Garbarino
Garcia, Mike
Gimenez
Gonzales, Tony
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Harshbarger
Hern
Higgins (LA)
Hill
Hinson
Houchin
Hudson
Huizenga
Issa
Jackson (TX)
James
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Kean (NJ)
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kiggans (VA)
Kiley
Kim (CA)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaLota
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Langworthy
Latta
LaTurner
Lawler
Lee (FL)
Lesko
Letlow
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Luna
Luttrell
Mace
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McCormick
McHenry
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (OH)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Mills
Molinaro
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moore (UT)
Moran
Murphy
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ogles
Owens
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Salazar
Santos
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Self
Sessions
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Strong
Tenney
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Turner
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Wagner
Walberg
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (NY)
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Yakym
Zinke

JEFFRIES--211

[[Page H38]]

Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Nickel
Norcross
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Pelosi
Peltola
Perez
Peters
Pettersen
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Ross
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Ryan
Salinas
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sherrill
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Spanberger
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Underwood
Vargas
Vasquez
Veasey
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Wilson (FL)

JORDAN--4

Biggs
Gaetz
Good (VA)
Harris

HERN--3

Boebert
Crane
Rosendale

ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--0

NOT VOTING--3

Buck
Hunt
Trone

{time} 1356

The CLERK. The tellers agree in their tallies that the total number
of votes cast is 431, of which the Honorable Kevin McCarthy of the
State of California has received 213, the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries of
the State of New York has received 211, the Honorable Jim Jordan of
the State of Ohio has received 4, the Honorable Kevin Hern of the State
of Oklahoma has received 3.
No Member-elect having received a majority of the votes cast, a
Speaker has not been elected.
The Clerk recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer).
Mr. COMER. Madam Clerk, I rise on behalf of the Republican Party to
nominate Kevin McCarthy for Speaker of the 118th Congress.
For the past 2 years, one-party Democrat rule has resulted in
multiple crises that are harming Americans without any oversight or
accountability from this body. Americans are facing historic inflation,
skyrocketing energy costs, the worst border crisis in American history,
and surging fentanyl overdoses.
One of the reasons is that there has been no congressional oversight.
There is no sense of urgency from this White House or the bureaucrats
that populate this town to move. I want to talk about that. Oversight
of our tax dollars is our responsibility.
We have all heard reports of hundreds of millions of dollars of
potential waste and fraud in the unemployment insurance programs in all
50 States.
We have all heard reports of misuse of hundreds of millions of
dollars of the stimulus money, of PPP loan funds, yet there has not
been a single hearing in the House Oversight Committee about this.
This border crisis, we have made several trips on this side of the
aisle to the border. We have listened to the Border Patrol agents.
Their message is loud and clear. Under President Biden, the Border
Patrol has become the welcoming committee. They are begging for help to
do their job.
Law enforcement officers in all 50 States are begging Congress to
force this administration to secure the border, to do something about
the fentanyl crisis that plagues every community in every State in our
great Nation.
Americans watched in dismay the debacle in Afghanistan, and Americans
were left with many questions. How much equipment was left behind for
the Taliban? How many Americans were left behind?
The origination of COVID-19--we all know someone personally who lost
their life during COVID-19. They deserve answers to what really
happened in that lab in Wuhan, China.
Those of us who have kids in the public school system can testify
that our kids have lost a year of their education because of the forced
virtual learning that so many of our schools put our children through
during the COVID pandemic.

{time} 1400

Congress ran the debt up at least $3 trillion in the name of COVID-
19. Yet, as I mentioned earlier, there has not been a single hearing in
the Oversight Committee to deal with potential waste, fraud, or abuse
of the COVID funds, not a single hearing.
We all know, despite what Dr. Fauci said, American tax dollars were
sent through EcoHealth Alliance to the Wuhan lab in China for gain-of-
function research, yet Dr. Fauci hasn't come before Congress in the
House of Representatives.
The American people deserve answers on COVID-19, and Speaker Kevin
McCarthy has given the Republican majority the tools necessary to make
that possible.
The Democrats have spent the past 6 years investigating a President
for potential wrongdoing in Ukraine and Russia. Let me say this loud
and clear: The Republicans will also investigate a President for
potential wrongdoing in Ukraine and Russia as well as China.
The American people have a lot of questions for Dr. Fauci,
Christopher Wray, Merrick Garland, and Secretary Mayorkas. We can't ask
those questions until we get organized and elect our Speaker.
The role of the Oversight Committee under Speaker Pelosi was a full-
time committee to harass the previous President, a committee to
advocate for wedge social issues--upon which the Oversight Committee
had absolutely no jurisdiction--a committee totally uninterested in the
American taxpayer.
In a Republican majority under Speaker Kevin McCarthy and many of my
friends embedded in these negotiations, the House Oversight Committee
with strong Members like Byron Donalds and Andy Biggs and Jim
Jordan will return to its original mission of identifying waste, fraud,
abuse, and mismanagement in the Federal Government and holding
unelected bureaucrats accountable.
In a Republican majority, under Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the forgotten
working men's and women's voices will finally be heard and represented.
In a Republican majority under Speaker Kevin McCarthy, this broken
Congress will finally be fixed, we will return to regular order, and we
will drag those Senators kicking and screaming along with us every step
of the way.
We will return to regular order. We will get the backs of the
American taxpayers. This is the people's House. Let's get to work.
Madam Clerk, I am proud to nominate Kevin McCarthy to be the next
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
The CLERK. The Clerk recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms.
Escobar).
Ms. ESCOBAR. Madam Clerk, I rise to nominate a great leader, a
unifier, not a divider, Hakeem Jeffries, for Speaker of the United
States House of Representatives.
We are on day 4, the 13th vote, and House Democrats continue to stand
united with Hakeem Jeffries, with him and for him, because he is a
uniter, not a divider, and a positive force of nature.
Two days ago, during the fourth, fifth, maybe the sixth roll call, a
nominator claimed this process should not be considered dysfunction.
Madam Clerk, their process didn't begin this week. They have had months
to figure this out, and Americans should have profound concerns about
what this portends.
As we gather here in this Chamber on this solemn day, the second
anniversary of January 6, when members of law enforcement were under
siege, when there was an attempted coup, an insurrection that will live
in infamy, what we lived through was an assault on our Republic and on
our democracy from within.
On that day, when my colleagues and I were trapped in this gallery,
the terrorists who assaulted our police officers could be heard banging
on these doors, breaking these windows, and they were here to prevent
the certification of a free and fair election.
I shudder to think what a Republican majority's inability to govern
would have meant on that day and what it could mean in the future for
those of us who believe in defending our democracy abroad, and now,
more than ever, here at home.
On this painful anniversary, thankfully, the Honorable Hakeem
Jeffries made sure that we came together to mark the moment, honor our
law enforcement, recognize the lives lost as a

[[Page H39]]

result of that day, honor the families and the survivors, and ensure
that we recommit to our Republic and our democracy. That is the kind of
Speaker that our Nation needs.
We are now 4 days into what should be the 118th Congress, and the
House of Representatives has no committees, no rules, no classified
briefings, no Members who have taken their oaths to serve our country.
There are no debates happening on this floor about addressing the
challenges we face at home or around the globe, no votes on legislation
to tackle the challenges facing the American people.

Madam Clerk, they told the American people they wanted to win the
majority to fight inflation. The only thing they are fighting is each
other. These 4 days have tested House Republicans' ability to govern,
and they have failed.
With Hakeem Jeffries as our Speaker, Congress can continue to deliver
commonsense, bipartisan solutions for the American people. Instead,
what we have seen unfold before our very eyes is exactly what is in
store for the country for the next 2 years under Republican control.
This should be deeply concerning to the American people who expect us
to do our jobs and fulfill even the most fundamental functions of this
institution like voting on the debt ceiling to fund expenditures we
have already made. What if this happens then?
What if we default on our debts because of the Republican majority's
inability to govern?
What impact will that have on our economy or on the global economy?
In less than 9 months, in September, we have a vote to fund the
government, to pay for our military, Social Security, Medicare, and
other obligations. What happens on September 30 when government funding
runs out and they are in charge?
With Hakeem Jeffries as our Speaker, we can continue to advance an
agenda that puts people over politics, just as we did in the 117th
Congress with a majority as slim as theirs.
``Es un gran honor nominar a mi amigo.''
``It is a great honor to nominate my friend.''
Madam Clerk, as co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and
Communications Committee and in accordance with the vote of the House
Democratic Caucus, I am honored to present for election to the office
of the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 118th Congress
the name of a man of integrity and intellect, who is bold and
brilliant, and, most importantly, a man who leads with love, the
Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, Representative from the State of New York.
The CLERK. 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:

[Roll No. 16]

McCARTHY--214

Aderholt
Alford
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bean (FL)
Bentz
Bergman
Bice
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Bost
Brecheen
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burchett
Burgess
Burlison
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carl
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chavez-DeRemer
Ciscomani
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Collins
Comer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
D'Esposito
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Donalds
Duarte
Duncan
Dunn (FL)
Edwards
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Ezell
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flood
Foxx
Franklin, C. Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Gallagher
Garbarino
Garcia, Mike
Gimenez
Gonzales, Tony
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Harris
Harshbarger
Hern
Higgins (LA)
Hill
Hinson
Houchin
Hudson
Huizenga
Issa
Jackson (TX)
James
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Kean (NJ)
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kiggans (VA)
Kiley
Kim (CA)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaLota
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Langworthy
Latta
LaTurner
Lawler
Lee (FL)
Lesko
Letlow
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Luna
Luttrell
Mace
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McCormick
McHenry
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (OH)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Mills
Molinaro
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moore (UT)
Moran
Murphy
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ogles
Owens
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Salazar
Santos
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Self
Sessions
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Strong
Tenney
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Turner
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Wagner
Walberg
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (NY)
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Yakym
Zinke

JEFFRIES--212

Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Auchincloss
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bowman
Boyle (PA)
Brown
Brownley
Budzinski
Bush
Caraveo
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crockett
Crow
Cuellar
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Davis (NC)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Deluzio
DeSaulnier
Dingell
Doggett
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Fletcher
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Frost
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Garcia, Robert
Golden (ME)
Goldman (NY)
Gomez
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gottheimer
Green (TX)
Grijalva
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Higgins (NY)
Himes
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Huffman
Ivey
Jackson (IL)
Jackson (NC)
Jackson Lee
Jacobs
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Kamlager-Dove
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim (NJ)
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
Landsman
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Leger Fernandez
Levin
Lieu
Lofgren
Lynch
Magaziner
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McCollum
McGarvey
McGovern
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Mfume
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Mullin
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Nickel
Norcross
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Pelosi
Peltola
Perez
Peters
Pettersen
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Ross
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Ryan
Salinas
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sherrill
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Spanberger
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Vargas
Vasquez
Veasey
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Wilson (FL)

JORDAN--6

Biggs
Boebert
Crane
Gaetz
Good (VA)
Rosendale

ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--0

NOT VOTING--2

Buck

Hunt

{time} 1521

The CLERK. The tellers agree in their tallies that the total number
of votes cast is 432, of which the Honorable Kevin McCarthy of the
State of California has received 214, the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries of
the State of New York has received 212, the Honorable Jim Jordan of
the State of Ohio has received 6.
No Member-elect having received a majority of the votes cast, a
Speaker has not been elected.

____________________