The #116thCongress has now opened. Members are currently voting present to signal they are here. It's needed to establish the quorum of the House.
Singer Tony Bennett is watching from the front row in the House gallery
And former CIA Director and former Rep. Leon Panetta is on the House floor to watch his son @RepJimmyPanetta be sworn in for a second term
A sign of how much younger this Congress is? There’s a lot more baby wrangling going on than usual
House Democratic Caucus Chairman @RepJeffries puts @NancyPelosi’s name into consideration for speaker
.@RepSwalwell’s infant daughter Cricket just clapped along with House Dems for Nancy Pelosi
“House Democrats are down with NDP,” @RepJeffries says of Pelosi to close his nominating speech
Rep. @Liz_Cheney nominates @GOPLeader to be speaker. (Worth noting here that if Pelosi is picked as speaker, it will be the first time in US history when the highest ranking House members both represent the same state)
A few members from each party now go to the dais to act as “tellers,” essentially to verify the count of votes for speaker. The vote happens with every member of the House standing up and saying one at a time who the support.
Members can vote for anyone. It does not have to be Pelosi or McCarthy and doesn’t even have to be a member of the House either
With 431 members present today, this will take awhile
From the House gallery you can see Pelosi’s staff checking off the names as they are called. She has quite the whip operation and probably knows how everyone will vote
Just one deviation among Democrats so far, @ABrindisiNY votes for Joe Biden
.@GilCisnerosCA votes for Pelosi. He was one of the few California Democrats who indicated after the election that he might not. (Though he said weeks ago he would vote for her)
Rep. Cooper votes present, @JasonCrowCO6 votes for Sen. Tammy Duckworth, @JoeCunninghamSC votes for Rep. Bustos
Maine Rep. Jared Golden also votes for Bustos. Pelosi can lose more than 15 Dems and be fine
Wisconsin Dem Ron Kind votes for @repjohnlewis
Pennsylvania’s @ConorLambPA votes for @RepJoeKennedy for speaker. Up to seven Dems not voting for Pelosi so far
Rep. Ben McAdams votes for Rep. Stephanie Murphy
Republicans “ooooo” when @AOC votes for Pelosi
The vote has gone on so long that @DelgadoforNY19 pulled out a book to read his kids on the House floor
Rep. @MaxRose4NY votes for Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Rep. @TimRyan, a frequent Pelosi critic who challenged her in 2016, votes for Pelosi
Rep. Schrader votes for Rep. Fudge, @MikieSherrill and @SpanbergerVA07 vote for @RepCheri, and @ElissaSlotkin votes present
Dem Rep. Van Drew just voted “no” for speaker.
And Rep. Van Drew changed his vote for speaker from “no” to present. (Not sure no was a viable choice)
Pelosi’s grandkids are dancing in the aisle as we await final word on the vote tally. Several of her nine grandkids have been here so much over the years that the House floor must feel like home
No final tally yet, but by my count Pelosi has the votes she needs to be speaker. And her staff must’ve pretty confident too. Her handle has been changed to @SpeakerPelosi already
There were 12 Democratic defections and three Democrats who voted present
Pelosi receives 220 votes. Room is going to wild you can’t hear what McCarthy got
Nancy Pelosi regains the House speaker's gavel as Democrats confront Trump over shutdown - Los Angeles Times latimes.com/politics/la-na…
Final vote for speaker was Pelosi 220, McCarthy 192. Votes were also cast for 10 other people
As all 53 members of California’s delegation follow @SpeakerPelosi into the chamber, @RepJuanVargas and @RepMarkTakano start singing “California here we come”
For those watching, this is a first. The minority leader handing over the gavel and the new speaker both represent the same state.
“Even when we disagree...it is important to remember that we are bounded together by common cause, our love for America,” @GOPLeader says handing Pelosi the gavel.
“Our nation is at an historic moment. Two months ago, the American people spoke, and demanded a new dawn,” @NancyPelosi says.
Pelosi's speech after accepting the gavel touches on Dreamers, the environment, etc. As Pelosi quotes Ronald Reagan on immigration a small child yells out "booooooring!"
Interesting that Pelosi mentions two Republican president’s in her speech
"As we take the oath of office today, we accept responsibility as daunting and demanding as any that previous generations of leadership have faced," Pelosi says
"Guided by the vision and values of our Founders, the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and the aspirations that we have for our children, let us meet that responsibility with courage, wisdom and grace," Pelosi says
Like when she first became speaker, Pelosi invites her grandchildren and the children of members of Congress onto the dais to take the oath of office with her.
Dais is promptly flooded with small children.
Dais is promptly flooded with small children.
“I now call the House to order on behalf of all of America’s children,” Pelosi said surrounding by children.
