- The chair counts 275 members present.
A quorum is present.
- This is actually not about Kevin McCarthy.
He has earned this position,
and I have the honor of nominating him
at the direction of the Republican Conference.
- I am honored to carry out the directives
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.
- You have negotiated in good faith,
and as an act of good faith to my colleagues, McCarthy.
- McCarthy.
- The Honorable Kevin McCarthy of the state of California
has received 213.
No member-elect having received a majority of the votes cast,
a speaker has not been elected.
No member-elect having received a majority of the votes cast,
a speaker has not been elected.
- Madam Clerk, I move that the House stand adjourned
until 10:00 PM tonight.
- On this vote, the yeas are 220.
The nays are 212.
The motion is adopted.
Accordingly, the House stands adjourned
until 10:00 PM tonight.
- So, what is your message, then, to the conservatives
who are still voting against Kevin McCarthy at this point?
- I want to be very clear
that we're still having conversations,
and we're still talking to our friends that disagree,
but, at the end of the day,
they are patriots who are standing up,
trying to defend their country.
- I think you saw we made some very good progress.
We'll come back tonight, and I believe at that time
we'll have the votes to finish this once and for all.
It just reminds me of what my father always told me.
It's not how you start.
It's how you finish.
And now we have to finish for the American public.
- I am honored to rise tonight to nominate my good friend,
the gentleman from California, Kevin McCarthy,
to serve as speaker of this House.
- Gaetz. - Present.
- Present.
- No member-elect having received
a majority of the votes cast, a speaker has not been elected.
For what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas rise?
- Madam Clerk, I rise to nominate Kevin McCarthy
as the speaker of the House.
- 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.
With 6 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.
- It is now my solemn responsibility
to hand over the people's gavel.
The gentleman from the great state of California
and the next speaker of the 118th Congress, Kevin McCarthy.
- But I hope one thing is clear after this week.
I never give up.
And I make this promise.
I'll never give up for you, the American people.
- Do you solemnly swear that you will support
and defend the Constitution of the United States
and that you will well and faithfully discharge
the duties of the office on which you're about to enter,
so help you God?
- Yes, I do. - Congratulations and Godspeed.