McCarthy makes first speech as House speaker: One thing is clear, I never give up
the gentleman from the great state of California and the next speaker of the 118th Congress Kevin McCarthy foreign 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 a hundred percent of the vote from my conference 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 foreign 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 an opportunity in democracy still thrive in America thank you 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 and now the hard work begins what we do here today next week next month next year we'll set the tone for everything that follows tonight I want to talk directly to the American people a 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 time for us to be a check and provide some balance to the president's policies there is 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 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 [Applause] I know the night is late but when we come back our very first bill will appeal the funding for 87 000 new items foreign We Believe government should be to help you not go after you we're going to pass bills to fix the nation's earns 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 [Applause] as for the Chinese Communist Party we will create a bipartisan select committee on China to investigate how to bring back the hundreds of 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 and to 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 [Music] it's night time 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 foreign 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 foreign 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 [Applause] 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 a crisis a 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 Bert I am where I am because you are who you are you can stand foreign I'd also like to thank my constituents in California Central Valley yes 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 [Applause] her life I know it's people they're hard-working and Relentless optimistic about our future and I'm 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 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 it's in the 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 it'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 people's who were rivals and put them together I watched in a time that he did not know if a nation could sustain itself but he dreamed of a future and built a railroad Across the Nation 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 in service to this country one is 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's forever my 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 I want you to go into that conference room I want you to see another portrait my members know of this 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 Emmanuel lens you know why he painted it because he knew America was more than a country America was an idea and Freedoms that we defend every day his talent with art so he believed if he painted this painting he could Inspire his countrymen to rise up for the idea of freedom how 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 surprised 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 were in the Beret he's Scottish the person directly across from him the green rowing in the exact same Cadence it's 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 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 you see what I believe Emmanuel is 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 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 rode in the same Cadence 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 foreign 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 foreign 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 first we want to offer a bipartisan congratulations to the gentleman from California [Applause] well they the speaker designate praise 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 happy God yes I do congratulations and God's space foreign [Music]
2023-01-16 08:44
