Mon 04 January 2021:
Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was re-elected speaker of the House on Sunday despite a shrinking Democratic majority in the House.
With Democrats holding a smaller majority than in the previous Congress, Pelosi could afford to have only a handful of lawmakers peel off and opt to write in someone else. The final count was 216 to 209, with just two Democrats — Jared Golden of Maine and Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania — choosing someone other than Pelosi and three others voting present.
Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California received 209 votes.
The 80-year-old lawmaker has been leading House Democrats since 2003 and is the only woman to serve as speaker on the floor.
During the vote, three Democrats defected, voting present: Reps. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.
“In a time marked by historically low trust in our government, new voices are necessary to moving forward and achieving real progress,” said Spanberger in a statement, according to CNN.
After her win, Pelosi expressed her gratitude to her fellow Democrats.
“I thank my Democratic colleagues in the Congress for the confidence you have placed in me by electing me Speaker, and will endeavor to meet the moment with courage, unity and grace,” she said.
She pledged that with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, the House will continue to work “to save lives and livelihoods, to build back better in a way that advances justice in America.”
The vice president-elect said she was looking forward to working with Pelosi to “build a brighter future” for Americans.
“Congratulations to fellow Californian, @SpeakerPelosi, for being reelected as Speaker of the House. I look forward to working together on behalf of the American people to move our nation forward and build a brighter future for generations to come,” Harris wrote.
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