In his first speech as House speaker, Kevin McCarthy told his colleagues, "Now the hard work begins."
"What we do here today, next week, next month, next year, will set the tone for everything that follows," he added.
McCarthy also used the remarks 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," McCarthy said. "My responsibility, our responsibility, is to our country."
CNN previously reported that McCarthy denied that Rep. Matt Gaetz was offered chairmanship of a subcommittee in exchange for his "present" vote on speaker that ultimately helped him secure victory.
“No one gets promised anything,” McCarthy said.