What to know about the House speaker race
- Rep. Kevin McCarthy prevailed in the race to be speaker on the 15th ballot after four tension-filled days by whittling away at the opposition from hard-liners who sought to block him.
- McCarthy got the votes by making a series of concessions to far-right rebels, which Democrats say they will make the House ungovernable. Here's how those could haunt him.
- The process to elect McCarthy as the House speaker took over 24 hours from gavel to gavel, according to a tally by NBC News.
- Tensions exploded on the House floor overnight after the 14th ballot failed to elect McCarthy, with one GOP lawmaker appearing to need to be physically restrained from Rep. Matt Gaetz, who consistently opposed McCarthy.
- Gaetz and other detractors voted present, which helped McCarthy over the finish line.
McCarthy thanks Trump, credits him with helping move final votes
McCarthy thanked Trump for his support in an impromptu news conference with reporters following the vote.
"I do want to especially thank President Trump," he said, adding that he spoke to Trump earlier in the evening and that Trump helped move the final votes that got him over the finish line.
"What he's really saying, really for the party, that we have to come together," McCarthy said.
McCarthy gets his sign above the office door
After moving into the office on Tuesday, McCarthy was finally able to call it his own.
Cheers as House adjourns until 5 p.m. Monday
After a contentious week, the House adjourned shortly before 2 a.m. until 5 p.m. ET on Monday — this time gaveled out by Speaker McCarthy amid cheers from lawmakers.
Jeffries formally becomes first Black leader of a political congressional caucus
Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., gave the formal notice on the floor that Rep. Hakeem Jeffries was selected by Democrats to be the minority leader — making him the first Black person to lead a political caucus in Congress.
Members have now been sworn in after days of limbo
The members of the House took the oath of office in masse in the early morning hours of Saturday after waiting four days while the chamber was deadlocked on the speaker vote.
"I hope that was worth the wait," McCarthy said afterward.
Among the new members: George Santos, the 34-year-old New York Republican who has confessed to lying about part of his background. He faces several investigations into his campaign amid calls for him to resign.
Overall, Santos does not appear to have received a warm welcome from his GOP colleagues. During the numerous speaker votes, he was often seen sitting by himself, though on at least one occasion he was photographed chatting with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
McCarthy sworn in
McCarthy has taken his oath as House speaker.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy congratulates McCarthy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised McCarthy for his election to the speakership, adding that American aid has been critical in his country's fight against Russia.
Some Republicans have been critical of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, raising concerns that the GOP-controlled House may decrease the assistance.
"We're counting on your continued support and further U.S. assistance to bring our common victory closer," Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.
McCarthy takes speaker gavel — at last
McCarthy delivered an acceptance speech after finally ascending the dais and taking the speaker's gavel.
"Our system is built on checks and balances and it's time for us to be a check on the president's policies," McCarthy said.
He discussed the border, the national debt, China and ending "woke indoctrination at our schools."
"We will use the power of the purse and the power of the subpoena to get the job done," McCarthy said.
McCarthy said the House's first committee hearing will be held at the southern border.
How long did it take to elect a speaker? 24 hours and 12 minutes
The drawn-out and contentious process to elect McCarthy as the House speaker took over 24 hours from gavel to gavel, according to a tally by NBC News.
From Tuesday at noon when the House first convened until the early hours of Saturday morning when the 15th round concluded, the chamber spent 24 hours and 12 minutes in session trying to elect a speaker.
The longest day was Thursday, when the House took four votes that spanned 8 hours and six minutes.
During the process, each vote took about an hour, plus the time to count and reconfigure between votes.
The second longest day of voting was Friday, into Saturday, which took 6 hours and 17 minutes.
Jeffries thanks Democrats for 'unanimous support'
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered a speech praising Democrats' prior control of the House before ceremoniously handing the gavel to McCarthy.
Jeffries thanked Democrats for unanimously backing him in each successive vote for speaker. "That showing of strength isn't for any one individual, it'll be a showing of strength for the 118th Congress," Jeffries said, seeming to jab at the Republicans for their division.
The late-night speech drew the ire of some Republicans, who began chanting "Kevin."