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McCarthy secures House speaker after 15th vote

By Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

McCarthy secures House speaker after 15th vote (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

By Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

A House speaker has been selected early Saturday morning.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy has officially secured the role of House speaker after a 15th vote.

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According to The Washington Post, McCarthy becomes the country’s 55th speaker.

McCarthy received 216 votes. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., received 212 votes. Six representatives voted “present,” according to CNN.

“I hope one thing is clear after this week: I will never give up. And I will never give up for you, the American people,” McCarthy said on Twitter Saturday morning.

McCarthy was sworn in Saturday at 1:40 a.m. EST. All members were sworn in shortly after.

The House voted to adjourn until Monday.

President Joe Biden issued a statement Saturday morning congratulating McCarthy.

“Jill and I congratulate Kevin McCarthy on his election as Speaker of the House. The American people expect their leaders to govern in a way that puts their needs above all else, and that is what we need to do now,” Biden said. “As I said after the midterms, I am prepared to work with Republicans when I can and voters made clear that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well. Now that the leadership of the House of Representatives has been decided it is time for that process to begin.”

McCarthy reportedly flipped over a dozen conservative holdouts and was able to make them supporters, including the chairman of the chamber’s Freedom Caucus, according to The Associated Press.

Now that there is a speaker, the House can conduct its work.

The House adjourned earlier in the day Friday after a 220-212 until 10 p.m. The House failed the motion to adjourn after the 14th vote, which led to the 15th vote just after midnight Saturday, according to CNN.

Saturday marked the fifth day since the start of the 118th Congress.

Jeffries still made history, becoming the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress, according to CNN. Jeffries will lead the Democrats in the house, succeeding Nancy Pelosi.

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