[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.

                          ____________________