By Adrienne Vogt, Elise Hammond, Matt Meyer, Tori B. Powell, Kaanita Iyer, Melissa Macaya and Seán Federico-O'Murchú, CNN
From CNN Digital's Photo Team
After 15 rounds of voting held over five days, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has been elected speaker of the US House of Representatives.
The deciding vote started Friday night and ended early Saturday morning. It also came after a dramatic failed ballot where McCarthy came up one vote short and confronted US Rep. Matt Gaetz on the House floor.
See all the photos from the speaker stalemate this past week.
From CNN's Manu Raju
The House won’t vote on a rules package tonight, according to a congressional aide.
CNN previously reported during the 15th round of voting that it was uncertain whether the chamber will vote on a package tonight.
The chamber may come back Monday to pass the package.
Without an approved House Rules package by the end of business on Jan. 13, committees won’t be able to pay staff.
From CNN's Ted Barrett
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that the concessions Rep. Kevin McCarthy made to become House speaker “will cause a government shutdown or a default with devastating consequences to our country.”
“Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s dream job could turn into a nightmare for the American people," Schumer said in a statement following McCarthy's win. "To get the votes, he surrendered to demands of a fringe element of the Republican party."
Read the list of key concessions and promises McCarthy and his allies have made over the course of the negotiations here.
President Joe Biden issued a statement congratulating Speaker-elect Kevin McCarthy on his win.
In his statement, the president said:
“Jill and I congratulate Kevin McCarthy on his election as Speaker of the House. As I said after the midterms, I am prepared to work with Republicans when I can and voters made clear that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well. Now that the leadership of the House of Representatives has been decided it is time for that process to begin.”
From CNN's Kaitlan Collins
Donald Trump is weighing in now that Kevin McCarthy has been elected.
"The 'Speaker' selection process, as crazy as it may seem, has made it all much bigger and more important than if done the more conventional way. Congratulations to Kevin McCarthy and our GREAT Republican Party!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The post comes after the former president made some last-minute calls and spoke to Reps. Andy Biggs and Matt Gaetz while they were on the House floor, a source told CNN.
He called after it appeared Rep. Kevin McCarthy was not going to secure the speakership.
From CNN's Shawna Mizelle
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries has just made history, becoming the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress.
The New York congressman will lead Democrats in the House, succeeding Nancy Pelosi, who served as speaker in the prior session of Congress. In addition to being the first Black lawmaker to attain such a position, he is also the first leader of the House Democrats to be born after the end of World War II.
Jeffries, at 52, marks the end of an era – and the start of a new one – for Democrats as he takes up his new position.
House Democrats selected Jeffries to helm their party during a closed-door election in November. He ran unopposed. Now, Jeffries will be at the forefront of the House Democratic minority for the next two years with Republicans holding a slim majority in the chamber.
"I just look forward to the opportunity to do the most good for the greatest number of people possible for as long as I have the opportunity to do so and can operate at the highest level," he previously told CNN.
His rise in leadership came after Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn announced they would be stepping down from their current leadership positions. Pelosi was designated “Speaker Emerita” in a unanimous vote by the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee on Nov. 29.
From CNN staff
Rep. Kevin McCarthy has been elected House speaker after multiple days of negotiations and 15 rounds of voting.
The final tally was 216 votes for McCarthy, 212 for Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries with six representatives voting "present."
Republicans previously agreed to nominate McCarthy, but his path to the speakership was uncertain after a group of GOP holdouts threatened to derail his bid.
Several days of gridlock gave way to dramatic moments late Friday evening. In the 14th round, an extraordinary scene erupted, with McCarthy confronting Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose vote on that ballot could have given him the role he has sought for so long.
After a failed motion to adjourn until Monday, McCarthy finally had the votes to secure the position.
When the win was announced, Reps. Steve Scalise, Elise Stefanik, and Ryan Zinke, the last member to vote, all ran over to McCarthy with their vote cards for him to sign.
The entire GOP conference was on their feet clapping. McCarthy hugged many members that came up to him and waved to folks in the gallery.
McCarthy came off the floor, expressing relief saying, “I’m glad it’s over.”
He also denied Rep. Matt Gaetz was offered chairmanship of a subcommittee in exchange for his "present" vote on speaker and said it would be up to the steering committee to decide those appointments.
“No one gets promised anything,” McCarthy said. “Whatever happens in steering.”
The GOP only holds a slim majority in the chamber – 222 Republicans compared with 212 Democrats – which meant McCarthy could not afford many defections.
McCarthy represents California and previously served as House minority leader. McCarthy has already vowed to launch multiple investigations into President Joe Biden and his administration.
Now, the House can proceed with the rest of its business, including administering the oath of office to newly elected members.
CNN's Ted Barrett and Kit Maher contributed to this report.
From CNN's Nicky Robertson
When asked for his message to Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters, "Let’s see what happens when the votes are tallied.”
“I’ll have a lot more to say on the floor of the House of Representatives when this is all over," added Jeffries, who is expected to make history as the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress.
While the vote is still underway, McCarthy appears to have clinched enough support to win speakership in the 15th round of voting.
From CNN's Ethan Cohen and Melissa Holzberg DePalo
The 118th Congress will see a record-setting number of women.
Below is a breakdown by numbers of the new House.
Breakdown by party:
Republicans had a net gain of nine seats in 2022 elections.
Freshmen class: There will be 75 freshmen House members in the 118th Congress. Republicans defeated five Democratic incumbents, while Democrats defeated only two sitting Republicans.
Freshmen: 75
2022 flipped House districts
Total: 25
Women: The 118th Congress will see a record number of women in the House. The number of Democratic and Republican women in the House both match previous record highs.
Total: 124
Freshmen women: 22
