[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H3-H5]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ELECTION OF SPEAKER
The CLERK. Pursuant to law and precedent, the next order of business
is the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the
111th Congress.
Nominations are now in order.
The Clerk recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson).
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Our democracy renews itself every 2 years
as Members gather with their family members eager to fulfill the
aspirations of our great Nation. While America watches with
anticipation, they know that hope and help are on their way. The
Democratic Caucus has met and unanimously endorsed Nancy D'Alesandro
Pelosi for Speaker.
Two years ago, the Speaker took the gavel, historically, on behalf of
America's children. She has taken this Congress and the country in a
new direction and provided the foundation for change that America
yearns for and needs. How fitting, on the birthday of Sam Rayburn,
legendary Speaker of the House from Texas, that I, as chairman of the
Democratic Caucus, have been directed by the unanimous vote of the
Caucus, to present for election to the Office of the Speaker of the
House of Representatives for the 111th Congress, the name of the
Honorable Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi, a Representative-elect from the
great State of California.
The CLERK. The Clerk now recognizes the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Pence).
Mr. PENCE. Madam Clerk, as chairman of the Republican Conference, I
am also directed by unanimous consent of that conference to present for
election an individual today, but let me say also from my heart it is
one of the great privileges of my life to do so, to present for
election to the office of Speaker of the House for the 111th Congress
the name of a man from the heartland of America, a man of humble
beginnings who came to Washington during a time of reform and led and
is prepared, starting this day, to lead this Congress back to the
aspirations and ideals of the American people, the name of the
Honorable John A. Boehner, a representative-elect from the State of
Ohio.
The CLERK. The names of the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, a Representative-
elect from the State of California, and the Honorable John A. Boehner,
a Representative-elect from the State of Ohio, have been placed in
nomination.
Are there further nominations?
There being no further nominations, the Clerk appoints the following
tellers:
The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady);
The gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren);
The gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur); and
The gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
The tellers will come forward and take their seats at the desk in
front of the Speaker's rostrum.
The roll will now be called, and those responding to their names will
indicate by surname the nominee of their choosing.
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. 2]
PELOSI--255
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Adler (NJ)
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Baird
Baldwin
Barrow
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Boccieri
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Bright
Brown, Corrine
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carney
Carson (IN)
Castor (FL)
Chandler
Childers
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly (VA)
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Dahlkemper
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis (TN)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Driehaus
Edwards (MD)
Edwards (TX)
Ellison
Ellsworth
Engel
Eshoo
Etheridge
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Foster
Frank (MA)
Fudge
Giffords
Gillibrand
Gonzalez
Gordon (TN)
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Griffith
Grijalva
Hall (NY)
Halvorson
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Heinrich
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hodes
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hoyer
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick (MI)
Kilroy
Kind
Kirkpatrick (AZ)
Kissell
Klein (FL)
Kosmas
Kratovil
Kucinich
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lujan
Lynch
Maffei
Maloney
Markey (CO)
Markey (MA)
Marshall
Massa
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McIntyre
McMahon
McNerney
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Michaud
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Minnick
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy, Patrick
Murtha
Nadler (NY)
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Nye
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Perriello
Peters
Peterson
Pingree (ME)
Polis (CO)
Pomeroy
Price (NC)
Rahall
Rangel
Reyes
Richardson
Rodriguez
Ross
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Salazar
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schauer
Schiff
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sestak
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shuler
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Solis (CA)
Space
Speier
Spratt
Stark
Stupak
Sutton
Tanner
Tauscher
Taylor
Teague
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Towns
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch
Wexler
Wilson (OH)
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth
BOEHNER--174
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Austria
Bachmann
Bachus
Barrett (SC)
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Broun (GA)
Brown (SC)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Buyer
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Cao
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Castle
Chaffetz
Coble
Coffman (CO)
Cole
Conaway
Crenshaw
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Deal (GA)
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dreier
Duncan
Ehlers
Emerson
Fallin
Flake
Fleming
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gerlach
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Granger
Graves
Guthrie
Hall (TX)
Harper
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Hoekstra
Hunter
Inglis
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan (OH)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kline (MN)
Lamborn
Lance
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lee (NY)
Lewis (CA)
Linder
LoBiondo
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McCotter
McHenry
McHugh
McKeon
McMorris Rodgers
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Moran (KS)
Murphy, Tim
Myrick
Neugebauer
Nunes
[[Page H4]]
Olson
Paul
Paulsen
Pence
Petri
Pitts
Platts
Poe (TX)
Posey
Price (GA)
Putnam
Radanovich
Rehberg
Reichert
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rohrabacher
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Scalise
Schmidt
Schock
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shadegg
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Souder
Stearns
Sullivan
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Turner
Upton
Walden
Wamp
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NOT VOTING--5
Boehner
Gutierrez
Hastings (WA)
Miller, Gary
Rogers (MI)
{time} 1350
The CLERK. The tellers agree in their tallies that the total number
of votes cast is 429, of which the Honorable Nancy Pelosi of the State
of California has received 255 votes, and the Honorable John A. Boehner
of the State of Ohio has received 174 votes.
Therefore, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi of the State of California,
having received a majority of the votes cast, is duly elected Speaker
of the House of Representatives for the 111th Congress.
The Clerk appoints the following committee to escort the Speaker-
elect to the chair:
The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner)
The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer)
The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn)
The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor)
The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson)
The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence)
The gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra)
The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter)
And the Members of the California delegation:
Mr. Stark
Mr. George Miller
Mr. Waxman
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Dreier
Mr. Berman
Mr. Gallegly
Mr. Herger
Mr. Rohrabacher
Ms. Waters
Mr. Calvert
Ms. Eshoo
Mr. Filner
Mr. McKeon
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Royce
Ms. Woolsey
Mr. Farr
Ms. Zoe Lofgren
Mr. Radanovich
Mr. Sherman
Ms. Loretta Sanchez
Mrs. Tauscher
Mrs. Capps
Mrs. Bono Mack
Ms. Lee
Mr. Gary G. Miller
Mrs. Napolitano
Mr. Thompson
Mr. Baca
Ms. Harman
Mrs. Davis
Mr. Honda
Mr. Issa
Mr. Schiff
Ms. Solis
Ms. Watson
Mr. Cardoza
Mr. Nunes
Ms. Linda T. Sanchez
Mr. Daniel E. Lungren
Mr. Costa
Ms. Matsui
Mr. Campbell
Mr. Bilbray
Mr. McCarthy
Mr. McNerney
Ms. Richardson
Ms. Speier
Mr. Hunter, and
Mr. McClintock
The committee will retire from the Chamber to escort the Speaker-
elect to the chair.
The Majority Floor Services Chief announced the Speaker-elect of the
House of Representatives of the 111th Congress, who was escorted to the
chair by the Committee of Escort.
Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, Leader Hoyer, fellow Members, and a
special welcome to our new Members and their families and friends who
are here today.
We begin this new Congress at a great time of challenge for the
American people. This winter, working families are struggling to pay
their bills and keep their homes; small businesses are being forced to
choose between cutting jobs and closing their doors; health costs are
rising; college savings funds and 401(k)s have declined in value
substantially; parents are deeply worried about their children's
future.
I think it's a time of anxiety for millions of Americans, some of
whom face economic challenges not seen in this country for generations.
When things are at their worst for the American people, we owe them our
best. This Congress must rise to the occasion.
Two weeks from today, we will inaugurate a new President. President-
elect Obama has expressed a desire to govern from the center and put
the needs of our country first. I think all of you know Washington is a
difficult town, and it won't always be easy for him to do these things.
But when our new President extends his hand across the aisle to do what
is right for our country, Republicans will extend ours in return.
During the 111th Congress, Republicans will strive not to be the
party of opposition, but the party of better solutions.
President-elect Obama's calls for inclusiveness are already being put
to the test. He's called on Congress to move quickly and in a
bipartisan fashion on legislation to help our economy. And at this time
of economic anxiety, the American people deserve open debate and
transparency in their Congress--a key ingredient needed to produce good
legislation. And my hope is we will adopt a Rules package for the new
Congress that encourages transparency and debate and helps ensure our
institution is accountable to the people it serves.
Our Nation has faced adversity before, and we have never failed to
meet the challenge. This is because America is a land of limitless
potential, and when we harness the will of the American people, commit
ourselves to making the most of the blessings God has bestowed on this
great country, and bring all of these gifts to bear on a common goal,
there is no obstacle that we cannot overcome.
America's potential is unlimited, but government's potential is not.
And we must not confuse the two.
We can't simply spend our way back to prosperity. Our
responsibilities as elected leaders in a flagging economy is to craft
policies that allow our country's potential to be unleashed. America
runs on freedom. It's the fuel of our economy, and it is the fuel of
our democracy. The more we spend and the more we tax, the less freedom
we will have left.
So we need to take responsible action together to help put our
economy back on a path toward prosperity. The months ahead can be a
time of hope and renewal in America. The American people are giving
their best. Here in Congress, we need to do the same.
Madam Speaker, as we start the new Congress, we stand ready to work
with you and your fellow Democrats for genuine solutions, for real
reforms that put the needs of our country first and bring the blessings
of liberty fully to bear on the challenges the American people face.
In that spirit, it is my privilege to present to you the gavel of the
111th Congress.
Ms. PELOSI. Thank you very much, Leader Boehner.
Together, we welcome the many new Members of Congress who today join
the House of Representatives of the United States of America.
Congratulations to all of our new Members and to our re-elected
Members.
Your constituents have placed great trust in you. Your families have
given you the love and support to make your leadership possible. Let us
join together now and salute the families of the 111th Congress.
I also want to thank my own family: my husband of 45 years, Paul
Pelosi; and our children, Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul,
and Alexandra; and our grandchildren, Alexander and Madeleine, Liam,
Sean, Ryan, Paulie, and Thomas.
And I also want to acknowledge my brother, Thomas D'Alesandro, the
former mayor of Baltimore.
I wish to express my appreciation of the people of San Francisco for
granting me the privilege of representing them and serving them in
Congress.
[[Page H5]]
And I thank my caucus. Thank you, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Clyburn; thank you,
Mr. Larson, for your nomination this morning. Thank you to the Members
of the caucus for granting me the historic opportunity of breaking the
marble ceiling and to serve, once again, as the first woman Speaker of
the House.
Leader Boehner, thank you for your generous words and for your
commitment to put country ahead of party. Without reservation, let us
stand together, not just today, but in the days ahead to live up to
that resolve.
Few Congresses and few Presidents in history have been given the
responsibility and the privilege of serving the Nation in a time of
such profound challenge. We do so renewed and refreshed by the new
Members who join our ranks today. Again, welcome to our new Members.
It is in that spirit that I pledge to you--let us all pledge to the
American people that we will look forward, not backward; we will join
hands, not point fingers; we will rise to the challenge, recognizing
that our love of country is stronger than any issue which may divide
us.
This is the lesson and the legacy of the last election: The American
people demanded a new era of change and accountability. Yes, we have
problems as grave as our country has faced in generations. But now we
enter a new Congress with a new era with a powerful sense of hope and
pride in our great country.
Two weeks from today, as Mr. Boehner indicated, on the steps of this
Capitol, we will inaugurate the 44th President of the United States.
From the inaugural platform, he will walk down the long stretch of the
National Mall and see the steps of the Lincoln Memorial from which Rev.
Martin Luther King, Jr., called us to the deepest truth of our founding
dream.
When Barack Obama raises his right hand and takes the oath of office,
we will know--and the world will witness--how far America has come. We
will celebrate that moment, but recognize it as only a beginning.
Together, with our new President, we, as a Congress and a country,
must fulfill the rest of America's promise.
All of that promise will not be redeemed quickly or easily, but it
must be pursued urgently with spirited debate and without partisan
deadlock or delay.
Hardworking and still hopeful Americans who are losing their jobs,
their businesses, their retirement savings, their homes that are facing
foreclosure, cannot wait any longer for us to move from the depths of a
recession to the solid ground of an honest and fair prosperity for the
many, not just the few.
We need action, and we need action now.
Families and children without health care, and millions more who fear
losing coverage or who are facing rising costs, cannot afford to wait
any longer.
We need action, and we need action now.
States facing financial crises, which are threatening the education
and the health of our children, the well-being of our seniors, and the
public safety of our communities, cannot afford to wait any longer.
We need action, and we need action now.
Our country is challenged by the climate crisis, by the need for
energy security, and the need for 21st-century infrastructure. On all
of these issues and many more, we cannot afford to wait.
Our Nation needs action, and we need action now.
America's crises at home are matched by conflicts abroad--a terrorist
threat that could strike there or here. We cannot afford to wait to
renew our alliances, our leadership, and our respect in the world. We
cannot afford to wait to deploy the power of our ideals. For the sake
of our security, for the courageous Americans who serve on the front
lines, and for our veterans who have bravely served our country, we
cannot afford to wait to modernize and rebuild our military.
Every chance we get we must express our appreciation to our heroic
men and women in uniform and their families for their service and their
sacrifice to our country.
Let us show America and the world that we are equal to every test of
a turbulent and unprecedented time. Let us listen to each other. Let us
respect every voice and every view, and then together, let us act.
{time} 1415
As we in Congress pledge to reach across the aisle, we recognize that
history will measure this decisive moment not just by what we do here
in Washington, but how we reflect and respect how all Americans work
together for the common good to strengthen America's future and faith
in itself.
As we take the oath of office today, we accept a level of
responsibility as daunting and demanding as any that previous
generations of leadership have faced. With the help of God, the light
of our values, the strength of the American people, and the hopes that
we have for our children and their future, God will bless us so that
America will continue to be as our Founders predicted more than 200
years ago, ``a rising not a setting sun.''
Today, Cardinal McCarrick honored us by asking God's blessing on our
work. May God bless our work, and may God continue to bless America.
Thank you all.
I am now ready to take the oath of office as Speaker. Before I call
the Dean of the Congress forward, I want to invite my grandchildren and
any other children in the Congress--they've asked me can we come up
again this year. They certainly can.
Now, it is my privilege to ask the Dean of the House of
Representatives, the Honorable John Dingell of Michigan, to administer
the oath of office.
Mr. Dingell then administered the oath of office to Ms. Pelosi of
California, as follows:
Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the
Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and
domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;
that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or
purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the
duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you God.
(Applause, the Members rising.)
Mr. DINGELL. Congratulations, Madam Speaker.
The SPEAKER. I want to thank the children for joining me at the
podium so that, as we called the House to order earlier today, it will
be clear that the House will be called to order for all of America's
children. And now I am going to administer the oath of office to your
parents. You are welcome to stay here, or you may wish to join your
parents as they take the oath of office.
____________________