Our live coverage of the first day of the new Congress has ended. Scroll through the posts below to read more or follow CNN Politics.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi evoked the memory of Ronald Reagan as she vowed to protect Dreamers — undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.
“And when we’re talking about the Dreamers, let us remember what President Reagan said in his last speech as president of the United States,” she said.
Pelosi then urged lawmakers to read the “beautiful speech” before quoting it.
She continued: “Our common cause is to find and forge a way forward for our country. Let us stand for the people to promote liberty and justice for all as we pledge every day. And always, always keep our nation safe from threats old and new, from terrorism and cyber warfare overseas and here at home to protect and defend.”
Watch below:
Holding their right hands up, House members were sworn in together Thursday under the administration of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
They will take part in the ceremonial swearings-in this afternoon.
Watch below:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi just took her oath of office and called the House to order.
“I now call the House to order on behalf of all of America’s children. Go kids!” she said moments after being sworn in.
Before taking the oath, she called up her grandchildren, as well as any other children who wanted to join her.
Watch below:
Nancy Pelosi opened her first speech as speaker of the House by calling for respect among colleagues and the truth.
Pelosi also foreshadowed a Democratic proposal to reopen the government (It has been partially shutdown for 13 days now).
“We will debate in advance good ideas no matter where they come from, and in that spirit, Democrats will be offering the Senate Republican appropriations legislation to reopen government later today,” she said.
During her speech, Pelosi thanked loved ones and friends and welcomed the “transformative freshman class.”
There are a lot of historic firsts in this Congress, including a record number of women.
“When our new members take the oath, our Congress will be refreshed and our democracy will be strengthened by their optimism, idealism and patriotism of this transformative freshman class. Congratulations to all of you in the freshman class. Working together we will redeem the promise of the American dream for every family, advancing progress for every community,” she said.
Watch below:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s name was just put up on a sign in the US Capitol. The plaque replaces one that had former House Speaker Paul Ryan’s name on it, which has already been removed.
Someone could be seen installing the sign as Pelosi spoke on the House floor.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, welcomed lawmakers to the first day of the 116th Congress before introducing newly-elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
After speaking briefly, McCarthy handed Pelosi the gavel.
During his remarks, McCarthy went on to talk about divided government.
“When we work together, we succeed together as one nation. We’re now entering a period of divided government, but that is no excuse for gridlock or inaction,” he said. “We are at our best when we focus not on retribution but on building a more perfect union. But while we seek cooperation, there is one core principle upon which we will not compromise, Republicans will always choose personal freedom over government control.”
Watch below:
Nancy Pelosi was just elected speaker of the House, garnering 220 votes from her colleagues.
Twelve Democrats, however, didn’t vote for her.
Here’s who they voted for instead:
Rep. Nancy Pelosi has officially been elected the speaker of the House.
She defeated GOP nominee Kevin McCarthy, winning 220 votes.
Pelosi previously held the title when she served as the first and so far only female House speaker from 2007 to 2011. After that, she served as the House’s minority leader.
Watch below:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell welcomed the 116th Congress on Thursday, which is also the 13th day of the partial government shutdown.
“I’m glad to be welcoming back my friends and returning colleagues to what I hope will be a productive session,” he said.
McConnell also spoke about the House, which switched from Republican to Democratic control today.
He continued: “It’s a clear choice and will be clear to the American people watching all this at home. Good governance or political performance art? The public interest or political spite? Policymaking or presidential harassment?”
Nancy Pelosi — who has previously served as both House minority leader and speaker of the House — was just nominated for the speakership.
As elections get underway, we’re expecting some Democrats to vote against her.
There are 431 members on the floor today, so Pelosi needs 216 votes — a majority of those present.
Among the incumbent Democrats we expect to see vote against Pelosi today:
It’s unclear how a number of freshmen will vote. These are Democrats to keep an eye on:
Rep. Hakeen Jeffries, the Democratic Caucus chair, officially nominated Rep. Nancy Pelosi to be the next speaker of the House.
Pelosi previously held the title when she served as the first and so far only female House speaker from 2007 to 2011.
“Nancy Pelosi is just getting started. In the 116th Congress, she will continue to fight hard for the people,” Jeffries said.
So what happens now? Members will be called individually, in alphabetical order, to say the name of the person they are voting for.
The current number of members on the floor today is 431, and the magic number needed to win the speakership is 216 — a majority of those present.
We expect to see the vast majority of Democrats vote for Pelosi, with about 15 or so Democrats not voting for her. She can afford to lose 18 Democrats and still get to 217.
Watch below:
Legendary singer Tony Bennett is among several guests at the Capitol today to support Nancy Pelosi, who is poised to become the next speaker of the House.
Bennett performed at a ceremony Wednesday night for Pelosi, CNN’s Phil Mattingly reported.
Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead and Project Runway’s Tim Gunn were also in the House gallery to watch Pelosi’s swearing in.
If elected, Pelosi will the first person to reascend to the speakership in more than 60 years, Mattingly said.
Any moment now we expect to start seeing the roll call for the speaker vote. We expect Nancy Pelosi to secure the speakership — even though some Democrats won’t vote for her.
Here’s how it will work: Unlike most roll call votes, members will be called individually, in alphabetical order, to say the name of the person they are voting for, rather than vote with voting cards.
The numbers: As of now, we’re told there are two vacancies today. (One vacancy is due to the North Carolina race, and one is because Walter Jones is not here today.)
That means the current number of members on the floor today is 431, and the magic number needed to win the speakership is 216 — a majority of those present.
We expect to see the vast majority of Democrats vote for Pelosi, with about 15 or so Democrats not voting for her. She can afford to lose 18 Democrats and still get to 217.
However: Some of those members could very well vote “present,” which would actually help Pelosi because it would lower that majority number down from 217 even further. We won’t really know who will vote present until it happens.
Members who don’t vote for Pelosi or don’t vote present must say another person’s name.
Among the incumbent Democrats we expect to see vote against Pelosi today are…
Note: This post was updated as only 431 members showed up on the floor, so the new majority number is 216, rather than 217.
Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who was the GOP presidential candidate in 2012, was just sworn in as the junior US senator from Utah.
Romney has made a lot of headlines this week. On Tuesday, The Washington Post published an op-ed written by Romney, where he said the Trump presidency “made a deep descent in December” — referencing the several high-profile departures from the administration, including Defense Secretary Mattis and White House chief of staff John Kelly.
The next day, Romney told CNN that while he would not run against President Trump in the 2020 presidential race, he was not yet sure who he would endorse.
Watch the moment:
House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings told CNN that his first priority to investigate as chairman will be over the citizenship question in the census.
He said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will be called to the committee.
“He has to answer for something that he said that I don’t think was accurate,” Cummings said, referring to Ross’ previous testimony before Congress about administration discussions about the citizenship question. “We are going to be in search for the truth.”
He added that it’s “premature” to be talking impeachment, saying he wants to give Mueller space to do his work.
Vice President Mike Pence, who also serves as the President of the Senate, is swearing in senators on the floor now.
The senators are being sworn in groups of four.
Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, was in the first group. She’s the first female senator from Tennessee.
Watch the first group below:
It’s noon in Washington, DC, which means that the 116th Congress has officially convened. In this new Congress, Democrats have taken control of the House, while Republicans continue to hold their majority in the Senate.
The new senators and representatives will be sworn in later today.
Here are the historic firsts this Congress will make…
Watch the moment:
Rep. Jerry Nadler, new chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told CNN’s Manu Raju that acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker and the Justice Department have not yet agreed to a date to come before the committee. Nadler has wanted Whitaker to be the first witness.
When asked if the committee will subpoena Whitaker, Nadler said: “We will if we have to.”
Nadler also was non-committal about moving on articles of impeachment; when asked about a new measure being introduced today by Rep. Brad Sherman Nadler responded, “to each his own.”
Democrat Deb Haaland, one of the first Native American women elected to Congress, expressed excitement this morning for her new role.
“I’m so excited. I’m super excited,” she said, surrounded by family members in her new congressional office. “Really happy that my mom and my family were able to make the trip.”
When asked about her being a historic first, Haaland replied: “It’s hard for me to grasp that yet. I’m super proud to be representing New Mexico.”
