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Newly-elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy thanked former President Donald Trump for helping him get the votes, telling reporters: “I don’t think anybody should doubt his influence.”
McCarthy, who spoke with Rep. Matt Gaetz on the floor between the 14th and 15th ballot, told CNN’s Manu Raju: “At the end of the night, Matt got everybody there from the point that nobody voted against the other way, so it actually helped unite people.”
The new House speaker also thanked some of the core negotiators by name — Reps. Garret Graves, Patrick McHenry, Bruce Westerman, Scott Perry, Chip Roy and French Hill.
House drama: McCarthy said he is “1,000%” confident he will serve out his term, even with the new one-person threshold on the motion to vacate.
He also dismissed concerns that tonight’s drama on the floor is a taste of what is to come in the House over the next two years.
Now that a House speaker has been selected following a dayslong stalemate and members have finally been sworn in, the chamber can look toward picking back up business and organizing GOP-led committees.
Every new Congress must pass a new set of House rules, and doing so will be the top of the 118th Congress’ to-do list when the House reconvenes Monday.
With House Republicans’ majority, comes a newfound power to set the agenda — investigative and legislative.
Legislative agenda: House Republicans will be limited in their ability to pass bills through Congress with Democrats in control of the Senate and the White House — where the president can exercise veto power over legislation. Still, House Republicans will be able to push messaging bills that highlight their agenda.
In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with CNN ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy outlined his plans for power.
Those plans include:
There will also be some must-pass policy issues — like funding the government — that will test the ability of Republicans and Democrats to work together.
Read more about what Republicans plan to do with their new House majority here.
The House is now adjourned until 5 p.m. Monday.
Lawmakers were in the chamber until early Saturday morning after late-night voting to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy as House speaker, followed by the swearing-in of all members of the 118th Congress.
Members of the 118th Congress were sworn in early Saturday morning after days of deadlock in the House speaker election that prevented them from assuming their roles.
The new Congress features a record-setting number of women and several history makers, from the House’s first Gen-Z lawmaker to the longest-serving woman in congressional history.
Newly-elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was sworn in before the members, and now Congress can resume business.
The chamber is expected to vote on a House Rules package Monday.
The first bill considered by the new House of Representatives will address a Biden administration initiative to hire additional IRS agents over a 10-year period, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Saturday morning.
Some background: The Republican National Committee and several Republican lawmakers have criticized new IRS funding, claiming that it will provide the agency with an “army of 87,000 new IRS agents.”
But that number is misleading. The Treasury Department estimated in 2021 that a nearly $80 billion investment in the IRS could allow the agency to hire 86,852 full-time employees over the course of a decade. But that figure accounts for all workers, not solely enforcement agents.
Kevin McCarthy has been sworn in as House speaker of the 118th Congress.
After days of deadlock and major concessions, McCarthy secured enough votes to be speaker in the 15th round of voting early Saturday morning.
The other members of Congress were also sworn-in, clearing the path for a vote on the House Rules package.
CNN previously reported that the vote is likely to be on the floor Monday.
In his first speech as House speaker, Kevin McCarthy told his colleagues, “Now the hard work begins.”
McCarthy also used the remarks to “talk directly to the American people.”
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.
Speaker-elect Kevin McCarthy said the new House of Representatives wants the US to win the economic competition with China, referring to the country as the “Chinese Community Party.”
In his first remarks as speaker early Saturday morning, McCarthy said, “We’ll also address America’s long-term challenges, the debt and the rise of the Chinese communist party.”
He added:
GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy opened his first speech as newly elected House speaker with a nod to the many rounds of voting to secure the victory.
After weeks of negotiating and days of deadlock, it took 15 rounds of voting for McCarthy to secure enough votes from GOP hardliners.
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.
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.
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.”
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:
Donald Trump is weighing in now that Kevin McCarthy has been elected.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
While the vote is still underway, McCarthy appears to have clinched enough support to win speakership in the 15th round of voting.
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
Rep. Kevin McCarthy appears to have flipped enough GOP hardliners to become House speaker after 15 rounds of voting, ending a dramatic deadlock.
The final vote comes after multiple days of negotiations and a stunning defeat for the California congressman in the 14th round of voting, where McCarthy and his allies had earlier expressed optimism that he would finally secure the position.
Once the vote is finalized, the House can proceed with the rest of its business, including administering the oath of office to newly elected members.
