Nomination of Rep. Kevin McCarthy for Speaker of the House - Jan. 3, 2023

Stefanik nominated Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House of Representatives in the first ballot.

Madam Clerk, on behalf of the House Republican conference, I rise today to nominate the gentleman from California, Kevin McCarthy, as speaker of the House to lead America’s new Republican majority. [applause]

In just two years of failed one-party Democrat rule, the American people have suffered from a historic border crisis, rampant crime, crippling inflation, rising energy costs, runaway debt, unconstitutional attacks on our fundamental freedoms, and weakness at home and abroad. The people across this great nation spoke loudly and clearly that they wanted a new direction. They wanted a new direction to stop this radical far-left agenda, to hold Joe Biden accountable, and to save the United States of America.

Under Kevin McCarthy's leadership, House Republicans drafted a bold vision to put our nation back on track. Our commitment to America is a promise to the American people that this new Republican majority will stand up for an economy that's strong, a nation that's safe, a future that's built upon freedom, and a government that's accountable to the people. [applause]

Kevin McCarthy is the proud son of a firefighter and -generation Californian from Kern County, home to wildcatters, frontiersmen and the right stuff, Bakersfield embodies the American spirit to work hard and dream big. This spirit that built our great nation is what we need in our next speaker.

Kevin McCarthy is a strong conservative. He is proudly pro-life, a supporter of our Second Amendment rights, and he is committed to stopping wasteful government spending and shrinking the size of government. When Republicans last held the majority, Kevin helped to reduce domestic spending and lower the tax burden on hardworking American families. And as our Republican leader over the past several years, Kevin has taken the fight to one-party Democrat rule on behalf of the American people. He helped bring this historic border crisis to the national consciousness, a crisis Kevin made sure Democrats could no longer ignore. He fought for and succeeded in repealing the ill-advised military COVID vaccine mandate and he stood on this very floor and spoke for a record eight hours and 35 minutes to not only delay the vote in the House but to make the case that ultimately defeated Joe Biden and House Democrats' dangerous Built Back “Broke” legislation. No one, no one in this body has worked harder for this Republican majority than Kevin McCarthy. [applause]

Since the day Kevin was elected as our leader, House Republicans have only gained seats and won. While Republicans in the Senate and state legislatures lost seats, House Republicans are the only ones who have consistently won. Because Kevin knows what we stand for. He knows when we should engage in the fight, and he knows how to build consensus.

Importantly, Kevin has done the work of listening to all Americans. Traveling to nearly every district in this country, fighting for conservative values and fighting for the people that are committed to upholding them. Kevin has shown up in these communities of every member in our conference, and I can guarantee he has shown up in the districts of many of our colleagues across the aisle as well. His relentless effort has yielded an extraordinary new house Republican majority that represents our country's greatness from all walks of life.

When the last Congress gaveled in two years ago, every new Republican welcomed to our conference was a woman, veteran, or minority. Today's House Republican conference is the most diverse Republican conference in our nation's history. [applause]

A seasoned legislator, an experienced leader, a friend to so many of us, a proud conservative with a tireless work ethic – Kevin McCarthy has earned the speakership of the people's house.

Madam Clerk, as chair of the Republican conference, it's my high honor to present our conference’s nomination to the office speaker of the people's House, the honorable Kevin McCarthy from the state of California. And I yield back. [applause]

"Opening Day of the 118th Congress." C-SPAN video, 5:28:42. Jan. 3, 2023. https://www.c-span.org/video/?525065-1/house-adjourns-electing-speaker.