Pelosi re-elected House speaker as new Congress prepares to be sworn in

Washington – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was re-elected as head of the chamber as the 117th Congress met on Sunday, with the California Democrat set to guide his party through a new Congress with the thinnest majority in years .

MPs voted for the president before taking the oath on Sunday night, with Pelosi gaining the support of 216 Democrats and crossing the threshold of 214 to secure the House’s top position. The debates at the Capitol were marked by the Coronavirus pandemic, which led to a change in procedures to ensure that the new Congress can meet safely.

Two Democrats – Jared Golden of Maine and Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania – voted for Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York, respectively. Three members of the Democratic House voted “present”. Notably, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, and other members of “The Squad” supported Pelosi in his run for president. Minority House Leader Kevin McCarthy won 209 Republicans votes.

The new session comes days before lawmakers meet to count the votes of the Electoral College and finalize the results of the presidential election. Nearly a dozen GOP senators said on Saturday they planned to object to Wednesday’s results, citing false allegations of widespread electoral fraud pushed by President Trump and his allies.

Ahead of Sunday’s business, the House Sergeant-at-Arms and the Capitol attending physician sent instructions to new and returning House members, according to Roll Call. The traditional quorum call, the swearing-in of new members and the election of the president are done in seven groups, which considerably lengthens the events of the day.

The House met at noon, with the election of a new Speaker as the first order of business. Members will be sworn in after the election, which could extend until Sunday evening. Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, nominated Pelosi as president, calling her a “resilient leader.”

“Nancy Pelosi believes that our sacred mission is to continue America’s long, necessary and majestic march towards a more perfect union,” he said in a speech in the House before the vote began.

In a striking symbol of how the virus has complicated proceedings, a special section of the House chamber has been enclosed in plexiglass so that three lawmakers who are in “quarantine” can vote. Congressional attending physician Dr Brian Monahan said “the highest possible safeguards have been implemented, including separate and improved ventilation in this space and separate detention facilities for all members using” the separate space. Members using this space must have tested negative for the virus.

The special accommodations also reflected the razor’s tiny margin when voting for the speaker. Democrats will start the 117th Congress with 222 members, just four above the 218 threshold required for a majority, with a race in New York still undecided.

Proxy voting, which allowed members to vote without being physically present on Capitol Hill, expired with the end of the last Congress. The new House will have to vote on whether to extend proxy voting. This means that anyone absent on Sunday will not be able to vote in the election of the president.

In the Senate, which also met at noon for the start of the 117th Congress, Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office to pairs of new and re-elected members, nudging each.

“To say that the 117th Congress is meeting at a difficult time would indeed be an understatement,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said after members were sworn in. “From political division to a deadly pandemic to adversaries around the world, the obstacles that lie ahead are many and they are serious. But there are also many reasons for hope. An optimistic and dynamic spirit has been one of the our country’s most distinctive business cards since our very beginnings, and with safe and effective vaccines being rolled out across the country today, I’d say 2021 already looks bright. “

The Senate begins its new session with Republicans holding a slim majority, but whether the GOP retains control will be determined by a pair of polls in Georgia on Tuesday.

Ahead of Sunday’s business start, Pelosi noted the challenges the new Congress will face as it seeks to deal with the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic as well as the ongoing public health crisis, and thanked the Democratic caucus for name her to lead the House for another term.

“I am confident that today’s election of President will show a united Democratic caucus ready to meet the challenges ahead, and that we are ready to put our country on a new path, starting with the Electoral College meeting. Wednesday, “she said in a statement. letter to his fellow Democrats.

The House and Senate will meet again on January 6 to count the votes of the electoral college and reaffirm the president-elect Joe bidenvictory.