[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 5, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H2-H6]
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
112th Congress.
Nominations are now in order.
The Clerk recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).
Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Clerk, every Congress represents a sacred
responsibility to write a new and greater chapter in our Republic's
history. Be it providence or destiny, a unique man of uniquely American
values is now called to lead this effort.
At a time when far too many of our countrymen remain unemployed, a
former small businessman will lead the House to pass policies to
encourage job creation.
At a time when all agree our Nation is on an unsustainable fiscal
course, a fiscal reformer will ensure that this House never mortgages
the torch of liberty in order to pay our debts.
At a time when too many doubt that their children can enjoy a
brighter future in our country, he has lived the American dream, and
will protect it for our posterity like few others before him.
This proud son of Ohio--one of 12 children born into a working-class
family--has waited tables, mopped floors, tended bar, worked
construction, worked his way to a college degree at night school, led a
thriving company. And through his faith, his hard work, his values, he
is now poised to become the next Speaker of the House of
Representatives. He knows firsthand that unlimited opportunity can only
arise from limited constitutional government.
Madam Clerk, as chairman of the Republican Conference, I am directed
by the unanimous vote of that conference to present for election to the
Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 112th
Congress the name of the Honorable John A. Boehner, a Representative-
elect from the State of Ohio.
[[Page H3]]
The CLERK. The Clerk now recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut
(Mr. Larson).
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Clerk, as chairman of the Democratic
Caucus, I am directed by the vote of that caucus to present for
election to the Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives for
the 112th Congress a person who gives me great honor and privilege, who
has led with decency and dignity. I submit on behalf of this caucus the
name of the Honorable Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi, a Representative-elect
from the great State of California.
The CLERK. The names of the Honorable John A. Boehner, a
Representative-elect from the State of Ohio, and the Honorable Nancy
Pelosi, a Representative-elect from the State of California, have been
placed in nomination.
Are there further nominations?
There being no further nominations, the Clerk appoints the following
tellers:
The gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren);
The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady);
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]
BOEHNER--241
Adams
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Amash
Austria
Bachmann
Bachus
Barletta
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Bass (NH)
Benishek
Berg
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Brooks
Broun (GA)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Buerkle
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Canseco
Cantor
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Chabot
Chaffetz
Coble
Coffman (CO)
Cole
Conaway
Cravaack
Crawford
Crenshaw
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Denham
Dent
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Dold
Dreier
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Ellmers
Emerson
Farenthold
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Flake
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Gardner
Garrett
Gerlach
Gibbs
Gibson
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Griffin (AR)
Griffith (VA)
Grimm
Guinta
Guthrie
Hall
Hanna
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings (WA)
Hayworth
Heck
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Herrera Beutler
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurt
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (IL)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan
Kelly
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kinzinger (IL)
Kline
Labrador
Lamborn
Lance
Landry
Lankford
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lee (NY)
Lewis (CA)
LoBiondo
Long
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
Marino
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McCotter
McHenry
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
Meehan
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Mulvaney
Murphy (PA)
Myrick
Neugebauer
Noem
Nugent
Nunes
Nunnelee
Olson
Palazzo
Paul
Paulsen
Pearce
Pence
Petri
Pitts
Platts
Poe (TX)
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Quayle
Reed
Rehberg
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rigell
Rivera
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross (FL)
Royce
Runyan
Ryan (WI)
Scalise
Schilling
Schmidt
Schock
Schweikert
Scott (SC)
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Southerland
Stearns
Stivers
Stutzman
Sullivan
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Turner
Upton
Walberg
Walden
Walsh (IL)
Webster
West
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Womack
Woodall
Yoder
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
Young (IN)
PELOSI--173
Ackerman
Andrews
Baca
Baldwin
Bass (CA)
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Boswell
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brown (FL)
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Carnahan
Carney
Carson (IN)
Castor (FL)
Chandler
Chu
Cicilline
Clarke (MI)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly (VA)
Conyers
Costello
Courtney
Critz
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
DeGette
DeLauro
Deutch
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle
Edwards
Ellison
Engel
Eshoo
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Frank (MA)
Fudge
Garamendi
Gonzalez
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hanabusa
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Heinrich
Higgins
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Holt
Honda
Hoyer
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Jackson Lee (TX)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kaptur
Keating
Kildee
Kucinich
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lujan
Lynch
Maloney
Markey
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Moore
Moran
Murphy (CT)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Olver
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters
Peterson
Pingree (ME)
Polis
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Reyes
Richardson
Richmond
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schwartz
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell
Sherman
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Speier
Stark
Sutton
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Tonko
Towns
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz (MN)
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch
Wilson (FL)
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth
SHULER--11
Altmire
Boren
Cooper
Donnelly (IN)
Holden
Kissell
Matheson
McIntyre
Michaud
Ross (AR)
Shuler
LEWIS (GA)--2
Barrow
Giffords
COSTA--1
Cardoza
CARDOZA--1
Costa
COOPER--1
Kind
KAPTUR--1
Lipinski
HOYER--1
Schrader
ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--1
Bishop (GA)
NOT VOTING--2
Boehner
DeFazio
{time} 1341
The CLERK. The tellers agree in their tallies that the total number
of votes cast by surname is 432, of which the Honorable John A. Boehner
of the State of Ohio has received 241, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi of
the State of California has received 173, the Honorable Dennis Cardoza
of the State of California has received 1, the Honorable Jim Cooper of
the State of Tennessee has received 1, the Honorable Jim Costa of the
State of California has received 1, the Honorable Steny Hoyer of the
State of Maryland has received 1, the Honorable Marcy Kaptur of the
State of Ohio has received 1, the Honorable John Lewis of the State of
Georgia has received 2, the Honorable Heath Shuler of the State of
North Carolina has received 11, with 1 recorded as ``present.''
Therefore, the Honorable John A. Boehner of the State of Ohio, having
received the majority of the votes cast, is duly elected Speaker of the
House of Representatives for the 112th Congress.
The Clerk appoints the following committee to escort the Speaker-
elect to the chair:
The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor)
The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi)
The gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy)
The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer)
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling)
The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn)
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions)
The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson)
[[Page H4]]
The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price)
The gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra)
The gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers)
The gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel)
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter)
The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen)
The gentlewoman from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem)
The gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller)
The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Scott)
The gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro)
The gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden)
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar)
The gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier)
The gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz)
The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam)
The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass)
And the Members of the Ohio delegation:
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. LaTourette
Mr. Kucinich
Mr. Tiberi
Mr. Ryan
Mr. Turner
Mrs. Schmidt
Ms. Sutton
Mr. Latta
Mr. Jordan
Ms. Fudge
Mr. Austria
Mr. Chabot
Mr. Gibbs
Mr. Johnson
Mr. Renacci, and
Mr. Stivers
The committee will retire from the Chamber to escort the Speaker-
elect to the chair.
The Sergeant at Arms announced the Speaker-elect of the House of
Representatives of the 112th Congress, who was escorted to the chair by
the Committee of Escort.
Ms. PELOSI. It is a high honor to welcome all Members of Congress and
their families to the House of Representatives.
To the new Members and their families, a special congratulations and
welcome to you. We all wish you great success. Congratulations to you.
We all come here to represent our constituents. Our respect for each
other is founded in our respect for the people that we represent.
This month, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
inauguration of John F. Kennedy as President of the United States.
As a student, I was there in the freezing cold. For some of you, you
have read about it in the history books, but to Bob and me, it was our
youth.
Right, Bob?
I was there in the freezing cold and heard the stirring address that
inspired generations of Americans to public service.
In his 1962 State of the Union Address, right from here, from this
dais, President Kennedy said to the Congress: the Constitution makes us
all trustees of the American people, custodians of the American
heritage.
Today, as we take the oath of office to support and defend our
Constitution, we do so as trustees of America's best hopes and as
custodians of America's highest values. However we may differ, let us
never lose sight of our common laws for this exceptional Nation and our
shared obligation to the way forward.
I started off by acknowledging and welcoming and congratulating the
Members and their families. Our families have always helped light the
way forward for all of us. With a full and grateful heart, I want to
thank my family: my husband of 47 years, Paul Pelosi; my children,
Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul, and Alexandra; and my
grandchildren. I am proud, too, to be from a large family--the youngest
of seven--and to acknowledge my brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, the
former mayor of Baltimore, Maryland.
Welcome, Thomas.
Let me thank my constituents in San Francisco, whom I am proud to
represent in the spirit of the anthem of our city of Saint Francis--the
song of Saint Francis--and I am so pleased that that was recited by all
of us at the interdenominational service this morning.
I am grateful to my colleagues for their commitment to equality,
which is both our heritage and our hope, giving me the historic honor
of being the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives. Now
more doors are wide open for all of America's daughters and
granddaughters.
I am also honored to be the first Italian-American Speaker. Like many
Americans, our heritage is a source of great pride and of deeply
ingrained patriotism which summons us to build a stronger Nation. We
recognize that the proudest title we will ever hold is not accorded on
this floor. It is the simple dignity of the title ``American''--part of
our great democracy that continues to be the greatest hope of liberty
and progress for the entire world.
When I was first elected Speaker, I called the House to order on
behalf of America's children; and now, as I prepare to hand the gavel
over to Speaker Boehner, I know one thing above all else: Thanks to
you, we have stood with those children and for their families--for
their health, their education, the safety of the air they breathe, the
water they drink, and the food they eat.
Thanks to you, for those children and their families, we have made
the largest ever commitment to making college more affordable, enacted
Wall Street reform with the greatest consumer protections in history,
and passed a strong Patients' Bill of Rights. It means that children
with preexisting conditions can get care; young people can stay on
their parents' policies until they are 26; pregnant women and breast
and prostate cancer patients can no longer be thrown off their
insurance; our seniors are paying less for their medical prescriptions.
Taken together, it will save taxpayers $1.3 trillion.
Thanks to you, thanks to all of us, we advanced the defining American
cause of ``equality for all'' from the first days of the Congress with
the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to the last days with
the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.
And thanks to you, we achieved more for America's veterans than at
any time since the passage of the GI Bill of Rights in 1944. Because of
our courageous troops and our veterans, we will always be the land of
the free and the home of the brave.
Let us now salute our men and women in uniform.
To honor them, we must build a future worthy of their sacrifice,
which includes good-paying jobs when they come home. It is not enough
that we staved off a depression. Much more needs to be done to open up
the American Dream and lift up the American economy. The only
acceptable outcome is to fully and finally restore fair prosperity that
good-paying jobs provide.
{time} 1400
Our most important job is to fight for American jobs, to make it in
America--Steny--and so Democrats will judge what comes before Congress,
from either side of the aisle, as to whether it creates jobs,
strengthens the middle class, and reduces the deficit, not burdening
future generations. When the new Speaker of the House, John Boehner,
and the new Republican majority--and congratulations, again--come
forward with solutions that will address these American challenges, you
will find us a willing partner.
As we congratulate Speaker Boehner and our Republican colleagues, as
we wish them success, we must stand ready to find common ground, to
solve problems, and to build a more secure future for all Americans.
And as we take the oath of office today to support and defend the
Constitution, we must be ever mindful that it makes us trustees for the
American people, with an obligation to do what is right for them, and
custodian of the American heritage--our great values.
Thank you, my colleagues, for the honor of serving in that tradition
as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. I thank you, my
colleagues.
Again, I want to congratulate all of the new Members of Congress, all
of you who have been reelected, but especially the new majority and the
new Speaker of the House, John Boehner.
[[Page H5]]
Now, the House will be led by a proud son of Ohio, a man of
conviction, a public servant of resolve, and a legislative leader of
skill. Speaker Boehner is a leader who has earned the confidence of his
conference and the respect of his colleagues in the Congress. He is a
man of faith: faith in God, faith in our country, and faith in his
family.
It is very important for us, in acknowledging that, for us to
acknowledge his family, his wife, Mrs. Boehner. As we congratulate him,
we congratulate and thank Debbie for sharing him with us and Lindsay
and Trisha and, indeed, the entire Boehner family. Thank you and
congratulations to all of you.
Now, recognizing our roles under the Constitution, united in our love
of our country, we now engage in a strong symbol of American democracy,
the peaceful and respectful exchange of power. I now pass this gavel,
which is larger than most gavels here, but the gavel of choice of
Speaker Boehner--I now pass this gavel and the sacred trust that goes
with it to the new Speaker. God bless you, Speaker Boehner. God bless
this Congress and God bless America.
Mr. BOEHNER. Thank you. It's still just me.
Madam Speaker, thank you for your kind words, and thank you for your
service to this institution.
Secondly, I want to welcome all of our new Members and their families
on what is a very special day. All of us who have been here remember
vividly that first day that we served here, and I think any of us can
tell you that you will never forget today.
My own family is here as well. I think you just met Debbie, and next
to Debbie are Lindsay and Trisha, our two daughters. Welcome. We're
glad that you're here. Ten of my 11 brothers and sisters and sisters-
in-law and brothers-in-law are here as well, and my poor brother Greg
who runs a restaurant down in Georgia was unable to be here, but I
wanted to acknowledge him.
I also want to acknowledge some of my close friends that are here
from the other side of the Capitol: Mitch McConnell, the Senate
Republican leader is here; and two of my best buds, Richard Burr from
North Carolina, Saxby Chambliss from Georgia, along with, you know, my
buddy Latham. Thank you for being here, gentlemen. I appreciate it.
I am honored and humbled to represent a great, hardworking community
in Congress. The people of Ohio's Eighth Congressional District
continue to afford me the privilege to serve, for which I am deeply
grateful.
We gather here today at a time of great challenges, when nearly one
in 10 of our neighbors is out of work. Health care costs are still
rising for American families. Our spending has caught up with us, and
our debt soon will eclipse the entire size of our national economy.
Hard work and tough decisions will be required of the 112th Congress.
No longer can we fall short. No longer can we kick the can down the
road. The people voted to end business as usual; and, today, we begin
to carry out their instructions.
In the Catholic faith, we enter into a season of service by having
ashes marked on our head. The ashes remind us that life, in all of its
forms, is very fragile; our time on this Earth fleeting. But as the
ashes are delivered, we hear those humbling words: remember, you are
dust and to dust you shall return.
The American people have humbled us. They have refreshed our memories
to just how temporary the privilege of serving is. They've reminded us
that everything here is on loan from them. That includes this gavel,
which I accept cheerfully and gratefully, knowing that I am but its
caretaker. After all, this is the people's House. This is their
Congress. It's about them, not about us. What they want is a government
that's honest, accountable, and responsive to their needs, a government
at that respects individual liberty, honors our heritage, and bows
before the public that it serves.
Let's start with the rules package that the House will consider
today. If passed, it will change how this institution operates, with an
emphasis on real transparency, greater accountability, and a renewed
focus on our Constitution. Our aim will be to give the government back
to the American people.
{time} 1410
In seeking this goal, we will part with some of the rituals that have
come to characterize this institution under majorities, both Republican
and Democrat alike. We will dispense with the conventional wisdom that
bigger bills are always better, that fast legislating is good
legislating, that allowing amendments and open debate makes the
legislative process ``less efficient'' than our Forefathers had
intended.
These misconceptions have been the basis for the rituals of modern
Washington. In my opinion, the American people have not been served
well by them. Today, mindful of the lessons of the past, we open a new
chapter.
Legislators and the public will have 3 days to read a bill before it
comes to a vote. Legislation will be more focused, properly
scrutinized, and constitutionally sound. Committees, once bloated, will
be smaller with a renewed mission, including oversight. Old rules that
have made it easy to increase spending will be replaced by new rules
that make it easier to cut spending. And we will start by cutting
Congress' own budget.
Above all else, we will welcome the battle of ideas, encourage it,
and engage in it--openly, honestly, and respectfully. As the Chamber
closest to the people, the House works best when it is allowed to work
its will. And I ask all Members of this body to join me in recognizing
this common truth.
To my colleagues in the majority, my message is this: We will honor
our pledge to America, built through a process of listening to the
American people. We will stand firm on our constitutional principles
that built our party and built a great Nation. We will do these things,
however, in a manner that restores and respects the time-honored right
of the minority to an honest debate and a fair, open process.
And to my friends in the minority, I offer a commitment: Openness,
once a tradition of this institution but increasingly scarce in recent
decades, will be the new standard. There were no open rules in the
House in the last Congress. In this one, there will be many.
But with this restored openness, however, comes a restored
responsibility. You will not have the right to willfully disrupt the
proceedings of the people's House, but you will always have the right
to a robust debate in open process that allows you to represent your
constituents, to make your case, offer alternatives, and be heard.
In time I believe this framework will allow the House to be a place
where the people's will is done. It will also, I hope, rebuild trust
among us and the people we serve and, in so doing, provide a guidepost
for those who follow us in the service of our Nation.
To our new Members, Democrat and Republican alike, as you take the
oath today, I know that you do so mindful of this shared goal and the
trust placed in you by your constituents.
As Speaker, I feel part of my job is to help each of you do your job
well, regardless of your political party. My hope is that every new
Member, and, indeed, every Member, will be comfortable with approaching
me with regard to matters of the House.
We will not always get it right, and we will not always agree on what
is right. There is a great deal of scar tissue that has been built up
on both sides of the aisle. We can't ignore that, nor should we. My
belief has always been that we can disagree without being disagreeable.
That is why it's critical that this institution operate in a manner
that permits a free exchange of ideas and resolves our honest
differences through a fair debate and vote. We may have different,
sometimes very different, ideas about how to go about achieving the
common good. It is why we serve.
Let us now move forward, humble in our demeanor, steady in our
principles, dedicated to proving worthy of the trust and confidence
that has been placed in each of us. If we brace ourselves to do our
duty and do what we say we re going to do, I don't think that,
together, there is anything that we can't accomplish, again, on behalf
of the people we serve.
More than a country, America is an idea; and it's our job to pass
that posterity of blessings that have been bestowed on us to those
generations that follow us.
I want to wish all of you the very best. Welcome to the people's
House. Welcome to the 112th Congress.
[[Page H6]]
I am now ready to take the oath of the office, and I ask the Dean of
the House, the Honorable John Dingell of Michigan, to administer the
oath of office.
Mr. Dingell then administered the oath of office to Mr. Boehner of
Ohio, as follows:
Do you solemnly swear or affirm 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, Mr. Speaker.
____________________