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McCarthy About To Be Sworn In As House Speaker; Kevin McCarthy Delivers Speech After Winning Speakership; Source: Rep. Mike Rogers Told Rep. Matt Gaetz He Was Going To Be Finished During Heated Moment; Kevin McCarthy Elected House Speaker On 15th Ballot; Aired 1-2p ET

Aired January 07, 2023 - 01:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[1:00:00]

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Before I proceed any further, let me begin by acknowledging the distinguished gentlelady from the great state of California, the iconic, the heroic, the legendary speaker, emerita, Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi.

And without question in my mind, Speaker Emerita Pelosi will go down in history as the greatest speaker of all-time. Throughout her time -- throughout her time in Congress, she's been a legendary legislator, a fabulous facilitator, and a no nonsense negotiator.

We know that Nancy Pelosi is a woman of faith, a loving wife, a mother of five, a grandmother of nine, a defender of democracy, a voice for the voiceless, and a powerful champion for the children, the climate, Charm City, California, the caucus, the Congress, the country, and the Constitution.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, for all that you have done. It's an honor to stand on your broad shoulders.

As well -- as well as the shoulders of the great Steny Hoyer and the great, Jim Clyburn, two consequential leaders in their own right.

Now, Scripture says in Galatians, let us not become weary in doing good. For at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Over the last few years, House Democrats, in partnership with President Biden and our colleagues in the Senate, have been hard at work on behalf of the American people, getting big things done.

We passed the American rescue plan, save the economy from a deep recession, put shots in arms, money in pockets, and kids back in school. We passed the Infrastructure Investment And Jobs Act to create millions of good paying jobs, fix our crumbling bridges, roads, tunnels, our airports, our sewer, and water system, our mass transportation systems, and ensure high-speed internet access in every single community.

We pass gun safety legislation for the first time in 30 years that will save lives and make our communities safer. We pass the CHIPS and Science Act to bring domestic manufacturing jobs back home to the United States of America and ensure that our workforce has the skills to succeed in the 21st century economy. And we passed the Inflation Reduction Act to strike a dramatic blow against the climate crisis, set our planet on a sustainable trajectory forward, lower energy costs, strengthen the Affordable Care Act, lower health care costs and drive down the high price of life-saving prescription drugs for millions of Americans.

It was one of the most consequential Congresses in American history. President Biden gets the job done and the D in Democrat stands for deliver.

So over the next two years -- over the -- over the next two years, as we begin this 118th Congress, let us continue to fight for lower cost. Let us continue to fight in this Congress for better paying job. Let us continue to fight in this Congress for safer communities. Let us continue to fight in this Congress to the defend democracy. Let us continue to fight in this Congress to put and protect the public interest. Let us continue to fight in this Congress for economic opportunity in every single ZIP code and let us continue to fight in this Congress for reproductive freedom.

[1:05:29]

Because as Democrats, we do believe in a country for everyone. We do believe in a country for everyone. A country that provides for the poor, works for working families, make sense for the middle class, stands up for senior citizens, innovates in the inner city, strengthened suburban communities, helps out the heartland and revitalizes rural America. We believe in a country with liberty and justice for all, equal protection under the law, free and fair elections. And, yes, we believe in a country with a peaceful transfer of power.

We believe that in America, our diversity is a strength. It is not a weakness, an economic strength, a competitive strength, a cultural strength. Our diversity is a strength, it is not a weakness. We are a gorgeous mosaic of people from throughout the world.

As John Lewis would sometimes remind us on this floor, we may have come over on different ships, but we're all in the same boat now. We are white, we are black, we are Latino, we are Asian, we Are Native American, we are Christian, we are Jewish, we are Muslim, we are Hindu, we are religious, we are secular, we are gay, we are straight, we are young, we are older, we are women. We are men, we are citizens, we are dreamers, out of many, we are one, that's what makes America a great country.

And no matter what kind of haters are trying to divide us, we're not going to let anyone take that away from us, not now, not ever. This is the United States of America. A land of opportunity. The fact that I'm able to stand up here today is another data point in that narrative.

I was born in Brooklyn hospital. We're raised in a working class neighborhood in Crown Heights. Grew up in the Cornerstone Baptist Church, started off in the cradle roll department. Somehow survived the violence of the crack cocaine epidemic and wound up here in the United States Congress as the highest ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. America, truly a land of opportunity. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people. So on this first day, let us commit to the American dream, a dream that promises that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to provide a comfortable living for yourself and for your family. Educate your children, purchase a home, and one day retire with grace and dignity. Let us commit on this first day to lift up the American dream for every single person in this nation.

Now, I recognize that this is a moment of transition. As we transition from one Congress to the next, from one majority to the next, from a year of -- from a year of accomplishment -- a year of accomplishment to a year of ambiguity, a moment of transition. The American people understandably after the events of this week, recognize that the Congress is at a fork in the road and are asking the question, what direction will we choose?

[1:10:23]

On this first day, I do not pretend to answer that question on behalf of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, but we do extend our hand of partnership to you. And want to make clear that we extend and intend to try to find common ground whenever and wherever possible on behalf of the American people.

Not as Democrats, not as Republicans, not as independents, but as Americans.

But I also want to make clear that we will never compromise our principles. House Democrats will always put American values over autocracy, benevolence over bigotry, the Constitution over the call, democracy over demagogues, economic opportunity over extremism, freedom over fascism, governing over gas-lighting, hopefulness over hatred, inclusion over isolation, justice over judicial overreach, knowledge over kangaroo courts, liberty over limitation, maturity over Mar-a-Lago, normalcy over negativity, opportunity over obstruction, people over politics, quality of life issues over QAnon, reason over racism, substance over slander, triumph over tyranny, understanding over ugliness, voting rights over voter suppression, working families over the well-connected, xeno [ph] over xenophobia, yes, we can over you can't do it and zealous representation over zero self- confrontation.

We will always do the right thing by the American people. So let us not grow weary of doing good for the American people will reap the benefit of the harvest if we do not give up. God bless you. God bless the House, and God bless the United States of America.

TAPPER: The Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries after a rousing speech, about to give the gavel to Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

JEFFRIES: It is now my solemn responsibility to hand over the people's gavel to a son of Bakersfield, a former small business owner, a proud product of a firefighter's household, the gentleman from the great state of California, and the next Speaker of the 118th, Kevin McCarthy. TAPPER: In the history of this country, Kevin Owen McCarthy. First elected in 2006. Finally elected on 15th ballot here. Let's listen in his first speech to the country as Speaker of the House, second in line to the presidency.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): That was easy, huh? I never thought we'd get up here. Thank you Minority Leader Jeffries.

Hakeem, I've got to warn you, two years ago, I got 100 percent of the vote from my conference.

[1:15:14]

There's somebody else I want to thank, the gentlelady who served as our presiding officer this week, our clerk, Cheryl Johnson. Thank you.

You know, my father always told me it's not how you start, it's how you finish. And now we need to finish strong for the American people.

You know, a son of a fireman and a grandchild of immigrants can rise to the highest position in the most important legislative body in our country. And if my colleague, Hakeem Jeffries, with his life story can rise to lead his party, then opportunity and democracy still thrive in America.

To Leader Jeffries, there will be times we agree, and many times we will differ. I promise our debates will be passionate, but they will never be personal. That's my commitment to you.

Now, the hard work begins. What we do here today, next week, next month, next year, will set the tone for everything that follows.

Tonight, I want to talk directly to the American people. As Speaker of the House, my ultimate responsibility is not to my party, my conference, or even our Congress, my responsibility, our responsibility is to our country.

Two months ago, you voted for a new direction for our country. You embraced our commitment to America. And now we're going to keep our commitment to you.

It's a commitment for an economy that's strong. We could fill up your tank of gas and feed your family where paychecks grow and not shrink. It's a commitment for a nation that's safe, where communities are protected, law enforcement is respected and criminals are prosecuted.

A commitment for the future that's built on freedom where children come first, and are taught to dream big. Because in America, dreams can still come true. A commitment for a government that is held accountable, where Americans get the answers they want, need, and deserve.

Our system is built on checks and balances. It's time for us to be a check and provide some balance, the president's policies.

There's nothing more important than making it possible for American families to live and enjoy the lives they deserve. That is why we commit to stop wasteful Washington spending to lower the price of groceries, gas, cars, housing, and stop the rising national debt.

[1:20:09]

We pledge to cut the regulatory burden, lower energy costs for families, and create good paying jobs for workers by unleashing reliable, abundant American made energy.

I know the night is late. But when we come back, our very first bill, really peel the funding for 87,000 new --

You see, we believe government should be to help you, not go after you. We're going to pass bills to fix the nation's urgent challenges from wide open southern borders to American last energy policies to woke indoctrination in our schools.

We'll also address America's long-term challenges, the debt and the rise of the Chinese Communist Party. Congress must speak with one voice on both of these issues. This is why we will end wasteful Washington spending.

From now on, if a federal bureaucrat wants to spend it, they will come before us to defend it.

As for the Chinese Communist Party, we will create a bipartisan Select Committee on China to investigate how to bring back the hundreds, thousands of jobs that went to China and then we will win this economic competition.

Now speaking of committees, we will hold the swamp accountable from the withdrawal of Afghanistan to the origins of COVID into the weaponization of the FBI.

Let me be very clear, we will use the power of the purse and the power of the subpoena to get the job done.

This is something we should all agree upon. We will stand up and speak out for the backbone of our economy, the hard working taxpayer.

It's nighttime here in Washington, but in some ways, it's also like a new beginning. A fresh start. My friends, this chamber is now fully open for all Americans to visit.

I want to give all Americans a personal invitation. You are welcome to see this body at work. No longer will the doors be closed, but the debates will be open for you to witness what happens in the People's House.

From the committee rooms to this floor, we commit to pursue the truth passionately and embrace debate no more one-sided inquiries. Competing ideas will be put to the test in public so that the best ideas win.

[1:25:25]

But we also pledge to bring Congress to the people because answers have not and will not always be found in Washington.

That's why one of our very first hearings will be held on the southern border. No more ignoring of crisis, of safety, and sovereignty. We must secure our border.

We must get America back on track. Now on a personal note, to my family, here and at home, to Judy, Megan, Connor, Emily, my brother Mark, Monica, Zach. And yes, my mom Berta. I am where I am because you are who you are. You can stand.

Also, I'd like to thank my constituents in California, Central Valley, and especially my hometown of Bakersfield. I don't know if you're familiar with music, but as Buck Owens sings, how many of you that sit and judge me have ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?

Well, I've walked those streets my entire life. I know its people. They're hardworking and relentless, optimistic about our future. And I am very honored to have the opportunity to represent them.

I am a son of a firefighter. I saw firsthand what it means to have hard work, leadership, and service to others can change people's lives. And that is exactly why we are here today to serve you, the people. We come here with the support of our families and the faith of our neighbors to be their voice in Washington. For all the wives and husbands, children and parents, who are watching a loved one to be sworn in, I knew it took a couple extra days. I'll be honest, it's not how I had it planned.

I want you to remember this moment. Take it in. Your loved ones are about to make history. My colleagues and I thank you for your understanding and your sacrifice. And we will work every day to make you proud.

My most favorite spot in this building is not in this chamber. Soon that chamber they met before in Statuary Hall. It's my favorite place to take people on a tour. You see, it's where Abraham Lincoln served. He's just a one-term congressman sat in the back. I like to go to that spot and I like to stand where he stood. I like to do it at night when people aren't around. I like to look over and look at the clock because that's the same clock and same view that Abraham Lincoln saw.

I've watched Lincoln serve in the greatest challenge to our Constitution, the Civil War. I watched him take peoples who are rivals and put them together. I watched in a time that he did not know if a nation could sustain itself, but he dreamt of a future and built a railroad across the nation.

[1:30:16]

I want us to all take a moment, one time that you were here. I want you to stand there. I want you to look. And I want you to think if America could do it, then we can do it now, one more time.

You know, Abraham Lincoln gave his life and service to this country. One of his most important observations about America applies today, as much as it did 160 years ago. He said, we are striving to maintain the government and institutions of our fathers and to transmit them to our children, and our children's children forever. Now, fellow Americans, that is still our mission today.

This moment calls for restoring trust within our country, and with each other. In that spirit, I will work with anyone and everyone who shares our passion to deliver a better future for the nation. I hope you'll join me.

As a Congress, we can only operate if we cooperate. My door will be open. I'd like you to come by. I want you to see, as you walk down the hall, a large portrait of Lincoln wants you to go into that conference room. And I want you to see another portrait. My members know of this. It's of Washington crossing the Delaware. You all know the story. It happened on Christmas 1776.

There was no iPhone to take a picture. People wonder when it was painted. It wasn't painted by someone who was there. It was painted in 1850 and 1851. He was an immigrant who lived in America, Emanuel Leutze. You know why he painted it? Because he knew America was more than a country, America was an idea.

He went home to Germany. And he wanted Germany to have a revolution based upon the values and freedoms that we defend every day. His talent was art. So he believed if he painted this painting, he could inspire his countrymen to rise up for the idea of freedom. But many historians will tell you he didn't get it correct. They'll tell you Washington crossed on a Durham boat, but he paints it with Washington in a rowboat.

You see 13 people but only 12 faces. You see Washington standing up in a rowboat in the middle of winter wearing a ceremonial uniform with his hand on his chest. He looks so stoic. You would look at that man, you'd say I follow him anywhere. You probably believe that he never lost the battle. But history would tell us at that moment, at that time, he had only lost. We had never won.

You see, that was the night of our first victory as a nation when we surprise the Hessians. But when you look at that painting, don't look at Washington. I want you to look at who's in the boat. You see the second row or in the Barrett [ph], he's Scottish. The person directly across from him, the green rowing in the exact same cadence, is an African-American. You come down right to the middle, in the red, the person who's rowing the strongest is a woman. And in the very back is a Native American.

I don't know from a historic fact if they were in the boat that night, but to this young immigrant who had lived in America, that's who he believed would be in the boat.

[1:35:08]

The second to last person is a farmer. He could be from Bakersfield, not sure. His hand goes across his face, people will debate this part. But what I see is a hand of the 13th person nobody sees. See, what I believe Emanuel was saying is, here we are battling for the creation of the idea of freedom, that every individual is equal, not a perfect nation, but striving to be a more perfect union.

Having lost every battle against the greatest challenge with the strongest nation, having lost them all, but willing to do it on our holiest of nights, with a hand reached out and asking if you would join us. That's as true today as it was then. If we let everybody in the boat, if we row in the same canes together, there is no obstacle this body can overcome for this nation.

It is time for us to be the voice and worthy of their vote. Let me close with this. I may not know all of you, some of you are new, but I hope one thing is clear after this week. I never give up.

I make this promise. I'll never give up for you, the American people. And I will never give up on keeping our commitment to America. Our nation is worth fighting for. Our rights are worth fighting for, our dreams are worth fighting for. Our future is worth fighting for.

Therefore with love for this country and charity for each other, let us now take our oath and be worthy of the office on which we are about to enter. God bless everybody in this chamber, and God bless America.

Not so fast. I have to get sworn in first. Sit down.

I am now ready to take the oath of office. I want to ask the Dean of the house, the Honorable Hal Rogers of Kentucky, one of my first mentors to administer the oath of the office.

REP. HAROLD ROGERS (R-KY): First, we want to offer a bipartisan congratulations to the gentleman from California.

Now, will the speaker designate raise his right hand? Do you solemnly swear 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're about to enter, so help you God?

MCCARTHY: Yes, I do.

ROGERS: Congratulations and God speed.

[1:40:07]

MCCARTHY: Thank you.

According to president, the chair will swear in the members elected mass. The members elects will rise. The chair will now administer the oath of the office. All members elect will raise their right hand. 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? ("I DO")

MCCARTHY: Congratulations, you are now members of the 118th Congress.

All right. We got a little more business. I hope that was worth the wait. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York, Ms. Stefanik.

REP. ELISE STEFANIK (R-NY): It is my humbled honor to be the first to address you from the floor of the people's House as Mr. Speaker.

(APPLAUSE)

Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Republican Conference, I am directed by that conference to notify the House, officially, that the Republican members have selected as Majority Leader, the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Steve Scalise.

(APPLAUSE)

MCCARTHY: The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. Aguilar.

REP. PETE AGUILAR (D-CA): Mr. Speaker, as the chair of the Democratic Caucus, I've been directed to report to the House that the Democratic members have selected as minority leader the gentleman from New York, Mr. Hakeem Jeffries.

MCCARTHY: The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York, Ms. Stefanik.

STEFANIK: Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Republican Conference, I am directed by that conference to notify the House officially that the Republican members have selected as Majority Whip, the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Tom Emmer.

MCCARTHY: The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. Aguilar.

AGUILAR: Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Democratic Caucus, I have been directed to report to the House that the Democratic members have selected as minority whip, the distinguished gentlewoman from Massachusetts, the Honorable, Katherine Clark.

MCCARTHY: The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York, Ms. Stefanik.

STEFANIK: Mr. Speaker, I offer a privilege resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

MCCARTHY: The Clerk will report the resolution.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: House Resolution 1, resolved that Cheryl L. Johnson of the state of Louisiana, be and is hereby chosen Clerk of the House of Representatives, that Catherine Szpindor of the Commonwealth of Virginia be in is hereby chosen Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.

And that Reverend Dr. Grun -- Reverend Dr. Margaret Grun Kibben of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, be in his hereby chosen Chaplain of the House of Representatives.

[1:45:23]

MCCARTHY: The gentlewoman from New York.

STEFANIK: Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California, Mr. Aguilar, for the purpose of offering an amendment.

AGUILAR: Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment to the resolution. But before offering the amendment, I request that there be a division of the question on the resolution so that we may have a separate vote on the chaplain.

MCCARTHY: The question will be divided. The question is on agreeing to that portion of the resolution providing for the election of the chaplain. Those in favor say aye.

("AYE")

MCCARTHY: Those opposed?

The ayes have it. This portion of the resolution is agreed to. And without objection, the motion to consider is laid on the table.

Now, if we could just have all votes like that. Don't blame me for hoping.

The gentleman from California.

AGUILAR: Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment to the resolution offered by the gentlewoman from New York.

MCCARTHY: The clerk will report the amendment.

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: You just heard Kevin McCarthy's first speech officially now as Speaker of the House.

Good evening, or should I say good early morning, everyone. I'm Laura Coates.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: And I'm Dana Bash. It is early in the morning. And it is now an end to an extraordinary saga, a drama that we have seen play out for the past week. Fourteen defeats and now a late-night near rumble. Kevin McCarthy has that past him and he is now Speaker of the House.

COATES: Did you hear him say when he got up there? You know, I never thought I would get up here? I mean, there was that moment. And you contrast that to the confidence that he exuded all day long all week. Maybe it was sort of a feigned appearance to just kind of have a stiff upper lip. But in reality, he, until that moment, I think we were all thinking, will he actually become the Speaker of the House, including, of course, a brawl. Almost.

BASH: Almost, almost, almost a brawl. I mean, the quickness with which he was elated, and then he was defeated and deflated, and then he was angry. And then all of a sudden, they convinced the -- at least Matt Gaetz and four others to change their votes to vote present to lower the threshold so that he could actually become speaker.

And to see him run down to the well and say, hold on, we don't want to adjourn --

COATES: All the red cards are coming out. Yes.

BASH: -- we've got the votes. I mean, it was -- it was truly, truly dramatic.

COATES: I mean, we talked about this being a historic once in a century occurrence. I think this will go down in history for so many reasons, the least of which the 15 rounds it took to become the Speaker of the House, the idea of all of the negotiating and the jockeying behind the scenes, but immediately it was as if the, of course, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, all of whom now are congresspersons officially longer elect, they knew where to pick up just as McCarthy did, which is the -- to contrast what the Democrats and the Republicans would now do going forward.

BASH: Yes. And it also went from chaos to the typical pageantry and protocol that we used -- or used to seeing when a new Congress begins. It just isn't usually at 1:45 in the morning. East Coast.

COATES: Although it is -- it is January 7th, and this is a round -- I mean, East small hours the morning, right of what happened when two years ago on that silver anniversary, they were -- all Americans are really watching what would happen in these very chambers.

I want to go right now to Melanie Zanona who was on Capitol Hill. Melanie, you have been holding down before over there. What happens next tonight if you can predict anything at this point?

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Yes. Members are going to go home and get a lot of sleep, myself included, hopefully.

Look, what's happening next is they need to organize the House, so they need to pass what's known as a rules package. But we are hearing that they're going to wait until Monday to do that. They've had agreement now after all this resolution with the speaker standoff.

And I just want to step back for a moment because for Kevin McCarthy, this has been a lifelong dream. He was working in politics his entire adult life. He was denied the speakership in 2015. He worked to court the conservative wing, ever since then, he immediately got to work strategizing is, how can I get the speakership one day? And that is the moment we are in after this messy, ugly confrontation today. All week, it was a rollercoaster. He finally got there. But this is going to be a position that is significantly weaker than the one he probably envisioned because in order to get the gavel, he had to negotiate away so much of his power, and we still don't know the full scope of the concessions that he gave away.

[1:50:05]

I did catch up with Matt Gaetz briefly to ask him what made him change his vote, all he said is I ran out of things to ask for. You know, there's -- there were swirling -- rumors swirling around that he may have been given a subcommittee gavel. Kevin McCarthy denied that.

And Kevin McCarthy did already gave us so much away, including this tool known as the motion to vacate the speaker's chair, which means any single member can call for a vote to oust the sitting speaker.

So going forward, yes, Kevin McCarthy has gotten the speakership. But the task, the tough task now begins, and that's governing. And as we saw, it is going to be messy, it is going to be difficult. He has these warring wings of his party that he is going to have to contend with every single day. Every single vote is going to be a battle and a fight. And so that is what we can expect for the next two years as Speaker Kevin McCarthy takes the gavel.

COATES: I mean, Melanie, I'm pretty sure that you've won the negotiation when you literally have run out of things to ask for, and the other person is just giving you the yeses. I do wonder what the scope of everything they've actually been able to concede and get what that will ultimately be.

But as we're waiting to hear again from the new Speaker of the House, when he'll address reporters outside of his office, we're getting some new reporting in about what happened during that very -- we'll just call it a heated moment that everyone leaned in through television screens to watch during that failed 14th vote. What can you tell us about that moment?

ZANONA: That was just such an incredible moment. I've been covering the Congress for 10 years. I have never seen anything like that on the House floor before, but we are learning new details, thanks to my colleague, Annie Grayer, who is in the chamber, and was also working her sources to figure out what happened.

And in this moment, that moment is when Kevin McCarthy realized that he wasn't going to have the votes because Rosendale had voted present. And so Kevin McCarthy was completely dejected. You saw him walk up the aisle towards where Boebert and Gaetz were sitting and pleading with them to vote for him. He was in a moment of desperation.

And then you saw Mike Rogers coming up from behind the well, coming down the aisle, and this is someone -- he is a chairman. He is a close McCarthy ally. He has been growing more frustrated and more frustrated with the holdouts all week. So that is important context.

In fact, we were told that he had threatened to kick some of the holdouts off of their committee assignments if they didn't fall in line. So he was so frustrated. He came down the aisle and sources told Annie Grayer that he basically said, Matt, you're finished to him. And at that point, Hudson, another member came up behind him sort of muzzled him and tried to hold him back. So he wasn't able to speak anymore.

But it really spoke to the moment of just how tense things were and how it looked like it was all falling apart for Kevin McCarthy, but only -- almost as quickly as it fell apart, things then came together. We were told that leadership was then informed that Gaetz was a yes, and then they were instead of motioning to adjourn, there was another mode of chaos where they switch their votes and they were deciding to do another speaker vote.

And then what ended up happening is every single one of those remaining holdouts voted present. So just a complete roller coaster of a vote of a day, of a week really ever since the midterms. This has been a roller coaster for Kevin McCarthy, so a huge sigh of relief for him and his allies tonight.

COATES: Hey, listen, they are adjourning right now, Melanie. We're watching them -- is there emotion there too, in favor of the 118th Congress now sworn into office going home tonight. Here with us in the studio -- let's listen in.

Well, here with us right now in the studio, we got CNN chief White House correspondent, Phil Mattingly. Tia Mitchell of Washington correspondent for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. And Liam Donovan, former National Republican Senatorial Committee aide.

This is pretty amazing right now, just the idea of being muzzled on the -- on the actual House of the floor, the threats. What do you guys make of it?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I mean, that's just a good friend, right? And knowing where that was going ahead.

The beauty of Mel's breakdown is how eloquently she was going through very complex details of what we've seen over the last four days. I'll try and simplify it to some degree. And I think at this table, we probably have several decades of experience covering Capitol Hill and covering that chamber in particular, nothing about the last four days was normal. Everything about the last 10 hours was extraordinary.

And the biggest question now is, is this just the way it's going to be every single day for the next two years? Or is this a moment where there's not going to be a kumbaya unity type thing, but people start to sit down and realize, all right, we're going to have to start to govern, as Mel was saying, and we're going to have to start to figure out a way to make this work.

How do you define making this work, I think is a pretty open question right now, because I can just tell you that nobody -- I don't want to speak to the people disabled, but literally nobody thinks this is going to go well -- COATES: Everyone's nodding.

MATTINGLY: -- based on what we've seen. And so I just think there's a lot of questions that come out of it.

TIA MITCHELL, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: And I think that's right. We can break down, you know, all the intricacies of the procedural things that happen, but at the bottom line, people have been watching from home all week. And to them, it looks like chaos. To them, it looks like a complete mess. And to them, it looks like, you know, another symbol of government dysfunction.

[1:55:14]

And it doesn't bode well for the next two years. Again, what Melanie said about Speaker McCarthy now giving away a lot of his power, further empowering those far right members to really be obstructionist anytime they want to be, how is he going to get anything done?

BASH: Stan by for one second, because we have Congressman David Joyce, a Republican from Ohio, who just came off of the floor.

First of all, congratulations on being sworn in to another term. Appreciate it, especially at this wee, wee hour of the morning.

First, I want to ask about things going forward. But I have to ask about what it was like on the House floor over this evening, particularly the moment when it fell apart for Kevin McCarthy and it was very, very tense.

REP. DAVID JOYCE (R-OH): Well, you know, like, I always joke about Ohio's motto, it's quality, eventually. We're going to get there. It's just a matter of time. And so we just continue to work with the folks and try to work through their problems and their issues, and try to get where they needed to go.

And as Kevin said, he never gives up, God bless him. And we continue to push forward and eventually got people to either understand and resolve their issues, or at least say, hey, it's time to move on and get us all back to work. So we first start to work so we can start doing the things that are necessary to fix our problems in our country.

BASH: Congressman, how did that happen? How did they get to -- I can't even say get to yes, get to present?

JOYCE: Well, you know, it's -- there comes a point in time when you realize that maybe you're not a mission, maybe you think you're part of a team, crazy enough, you know, we're all one team, and that you want to work towards getting some resolution.

And, you know, there was momentum building, obviously, starting today, when some of the people started -- weren't going Kevin's direction. Obviously, it was a lot of negotiation going back and forth. And the terms of which you're talking about are nothing that is in the -- that's going to hamper how we do our business here on the House floor. And I look forward to working with everybody in our -- not only in our Republican Conference, but in the Democratic Party to finally start putting some bills forward and getting things to happen.

BASH: Are you confident of that, that nothing that Kevin McCarthy, now Speaker McCarthy, agreed to that he acquiesced to, is going to hamper his leadership? Because there are a lot of changes, including the fact that all they need, the people who are -- who were holding out would need is one member to call for a vote to oust the speaker, to vacate the chair.

It -- based on what we saw tonight, it looks like that could happen kind of any time.

JOYCE: Tomorrow?

BASH: I mean, seriously, you think that's true?

JOYCE: No, no. You know, it's not something for it. The theory behind that motion to vacate, and it's always been the one person thing.

BASH: Yes.

JOYCE: But the theory behind it was back when you go to somebody's, like, Speaker Hastert, and you found about the issues about him, and he says he's not leaving. It's like, oh, no, you're going. And there was a process in which you could take somebody out when they had, you know, perhaps mental difficulties or criminal difficulties that he had, or other things. It's not meant because you don't agree with one single policy decision to eliminate the speaker, there has to be some room to move.

And I got to thank my friends on the Democratic side who also appreciate the fact that tough decisions don't necessarily mean that the speaker should be removed. It means we all have to work together to try to do what's in the best interest of our country.

BASH: As we were going through the week, you came on our air and you voiced your concern about what this process means for governing in the Republican majority, do you still have those concerns? Or are those concerns even more heightened now, since we've seen this messiness to get to this point?

JOYCE: Well, you know, I've always said various negotiations, that -- we have to trust each other. Then at some point, we all have to hold hands and jump off the cliff together. And either trust the people that we're going to put in place on the committees and the committee chairs to do their jobs and doing correctly or you don't.

And so, hopefully, through this resolution of all these issues as we're moving forward, we built that bond of trust in which we can continue to do the things that are in the best interest of our country and move forward.

BASH: Do you -- do you have trust in the people who were the holdouts until the end? JOYCE: You know, Dana, I give you everybody the opportunity to earn trust, yes, until they lose that opportunity, until they lose that -- my trust.