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AT THIS HOUR WITH BERMAN AND MICHAELA

Paul Ryan Elected New House Speaker, John Boehner Steps Down. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired October 29, 2015 - 11:00   ET

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


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[11:01:54] REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: My dear colleagues of the 114th Congress of the United States, today as every day we come to this floor, strengthened and inspired by the support of our colleagues, the trust of our constituents and the love of our families.

My special thanks to my husband, Paul, our five children, nine grandchildren and the entire Pelosi and Delansandro (ph) families for their support.

My deep gratitude to the people of San Francisco for the continued honor they give me to represent them here.

And my heartfelt thanks to my Democratic colleagues for extending to me the honor of being nominated to be speaker of the House.

Thank you, my colleagues.

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PELOSI: Today we bid farewell to a speaker who has served his constituents and this Congress with honor for 25 years, Speaker John Boehner.

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PELOSI: In his story, we are reminded of the enduring exceptional promise of America, this hard-working son of an Ohio bartender and owner, who grew up to be the speaker of the House of Representatives. John Boehner talked about the American dream.

John Boehner, you are the personification of the American dream.

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PELOSI: As you all know, Speaker Boehner was a formidable spokesman for the Republican agenda. My Republican colleagues, I'm sure you know, and I can attest to the fact that he was always true and loyal to the members of his caucus in any negotiations we ever had. Although we had our differences, and often, I always respected his dedication to this House and his commitment to his values.

Thank you, John, for your leadership and courage as speaker. Your graciousness as speaker extended and was reflected in your staff under the leadership of Mike Summers, whom we all respect.

Thank you to John Boehner's staff.

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PELOSI: And I know I speak for everyone here, Democrats and Republicans, when I thank you for making the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis such a beautiful and meaningful experience for all of us.

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[11:05:04] PELOSI: Today we extend our thanks and congratulations to Debbie, your daughters, Lindsey (ph) and Tricia, and the entire Boehner family, now including grandson, Alistair (ph).

Let's hear it for the family of John Boehner.

(LAUGHTER)

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PELOSI: On behalf of House Democrats, and personally, I wish you and your family all of God's blessings in the glorious years ahead.

Last month, we witnessed something truly special when Pope Francis made history addressing a joint session of Congress. Standing right here, Pope Francis called on us to seek hope, peace and dialogue for all people, and reminded us of our duty to find a way forward for everyone. A good political leader, His Holiness said, is one who with the interest of all in mind, seizes the moment in a spirit of openness and pragmatism with the interest in mind of all. Pope Francis echoed the principle of our founders that placed at the heart of our democracy the saying, "From many one." The founders could never have imagined how vast our country would become, how diverse, and many we would be, ethnically, gender identities, beliefs and priorities. But they knew we had to be one. Every day in this House, and across the country, we pledge allegiance to one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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PELOSI: This is the beauty of America, that for all of our honest differences, perspectives and priorities, aired and argued so passionately on this floor, we are committed to being one nation.

Despite our differences, in fact, respecting them, I look forward to a clear debate in this marketplace of ideas, the people's House of Representatives. And so, my fellow colleagues, we have a responsibility to act upon our shared faith and the greatness of our country. We have a responsibility to be worthy of the sacrifices of our troops, our veterans and our military families. We have responsibility to make real the promise of the American dream for all. There is important work before the Congress. We must do more to promote growth, decrease the deficit, create good-paying jobs and increase the paychecks of America's working families. Today, in this House, a page is turned. A new chapter has begun.

Today the gavel passes to a proud son of Wisconsin, the first speaker from Wisconsin.

(LAUGHTER)

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PELOSI: Paul Ryan has had the full breadth of experience on Capitol Hill from young staffer to tortilla coast waiter -- should I say that again --tortilla coast waiter, to Congressman, to being a sincere and proud advocate for his point of view as chairman of the Budget Committee, as a respected leader and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and in a minute, he will be the speaker of the House of Representatives.

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PELOSI: On behalf -- Mr. Speaker, on behalf of House Democrats, I extend the hand of friendship to you.

Congratulations to you, Paul, to Janna, your children, Liza, Charlie and Sam. Your mother is here. How proud she must be. The entire Ryan family, whom we all know means so much to you.

Mr. Speaker, God bless you and your family, and God bless the United States of America.

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PAUL RYAN, (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Thank you.

PELOSI: (INAUDIBLE)

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PELOSI: This is the speaker's House. This is the speaker's -- this is the people's House. This is the people's gavel. In the people's name, it is my privilege to hand this gavel to the speaker of the House, Congressman and Honorable Paul Ryan.

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[11:10:16] RYAN: Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, Nancy. Appreciate it.

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RYAN: Thank you.

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RYAN: Thank you very much.

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RYAN: Thank you.

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Thank you.

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RYAN: Thank you, Madame Leader.

Before I begin, I would like to thank all of my family and friends who flew in from Wisconsin and from all over for being here today. In the gallery, I have my mom, Betty, my sister, Janet, my brothers, Stan and Tobin, and more cousins than I can count on a few hands.

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RYAN: Most important, I want to recognize my wife, Janna, and our children, Liza, Charlie and Sam.

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RYAN: I also want to thank Speaker Boehner. For almost five years he led this House. For nearly 25 years he served it. Not many people can match his accomplishments, the offices he held, the laws he passed. But what really sets John apart is he's a man of character, a true class act. He is, without a question, the gentleman from Ohio. So, please join me in saying one last time, thank you, Speaker Boehner.

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RYAN: Now I know how he felt.

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It's not until you hold this gavel, stand in this spot, look out and see all 435 members of this House, as if all America is sitting right in front of you. It's not until then that you feel it, the weight of responsibility, the gravity of the moment.

You know, as I stand here, I can't help but think of something Harry Truman once said. The day after Franklin Roosevelt died, Truman became president, and he told a group of reporters, "If you ever pray, pray for me now." When they told me yesterday what had happened, I felt like the moon, the stars and all the planets had fallen on me. We should all feel that way. A lot is on our shoulders. So, if you ever pray, let's pray for each other, Republicans for Democrats, and Democrats for Republicans.

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[11:15:00] RYAN: And I don't mean pray for a conversion.

(LAUGHTER) Pray for a deeper understanding because when you're up here, you

see it so clearly. Wherever you come from, whatever you believe, we are all in the same boat.

I never thought I'd be speaker. But early in my life, I wanted to serve this House. I thought this place was exhilarating, because here you can make a difference. If you had a good idea, if you worked hard, you could make it happen. You could improve people's lives. To me, the House of Representatives represents what's best of America, the boundless opportunity to do good. But let's be frank, the House is broken. We're not solving problems. We're adding to them. And I am not interested in laying blame. We are not settling scores. We are wiping the slate clean.

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RYAN: Neither the members nor the people are satisfied with how things are going. We need to make some changes, starting with how the House does business. We need to let every member contribute, not once they've earned their stripes, but now.

I come at this job as a two-time committee chair. The committees should retake the lead in drafting all major legislation.

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RYAN: If you know the issue, you should write the bill. Let's open up the process. Let people participate. And they might change their mind. A neglected minority will gum up the works. A respected minority will work in good faith. Instead of trying to stop the majority, they might try to become the majority. In other words, we need to return to regular order.

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RYAN: Now, I know this sounds like process. It's actually a matter of principle. We are the body closest to the people. Every two years we face the voters and sometimes face the music. But we do not echo the people. We represent the people. We are supposed to study up and do the homework that they cannot do. So, when we do not follow regular order, when we rush to pass bills that a lot of us don't understand, we are not doing our job. Only a fully functioning House can truly represent the people. And if there were ever a time for us to step up, this would be that time.

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RYAN: America does not feel strong anymore because the working people of America do not feel strong anymore. I'm talking about the people who mind the store and grow the food and walk the beat and pay the taxes and raise the family. They do not sit in this House. They do not have fancy titles. But they are the people who make this country work and this House should work for them.

(APPLAUSE) RYAN: Here's the problem. They're working hard, they're paying

a lot, they're trying to do right by their families, and they're going nowhere fast. They never get a raise. They never get a break. The bills keep piling up and the taxes and the debt. They're working harder than ever before to get ahead. And yet they're falling further behind. They feel robbed. They feel cheated by their birthright, of their birthright. They're not asking for any favors. They just want a fair chance. And they are losing faith that they will ever get it. Then they look at Washington, and all they see is chaos. What a relief to them it would be if we finally got our acts together. What a weight off of their shoulders. How reassuring it would be if we actually fixed the tax code, put patients in charge of their health care, grew our economy, strengthened our military, lifted people out of poverty and paid down our debt.

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[11:20:57] RYAN: At this point, nothing could be more inspiring than a job well done. Nothing could stir the heart more than real, concrete results. The cynics will scoff. They'll say it's not possible. You better believe we're going to try. We will not duck the tough issues. We will take them head on. We are going to do all we can do so that working people get their strength back and people not working get their lives back. No more favors for the few. Opportunity for all. That is our motto.

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RYAN: You know, I often -- I often talk about a need for a vision. I'm not sure I ever really said what I meant. We saw problems here, yes. We create a lot of them, too. But at bottom, we vindicate a way of life. We show by our work that free people can govern themselves. They can solve their own problems. They can make their own decisions. They can deliberate, collaborate, and get the job done. We show that self-government is not only more efficient and more effective, it's more fulfilling. In fact, we show it as that struggle, that hard work, that very achievement itself that makes us free. That is what we do here. And we will not always agree, not all of us, not all of the time. But we should not hide our disagreements. We should embrace them. We have nothing to fear from honest differences honestly stated.

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RYAN: If you have ideas, let's hear them. I believe that a greater clarity between us can lead to greater charity among us. And there's every reason to have hope. When the first speaker took the gavel, he looked out at a room of 30 people, representing a nation of three million. Today, as I look out at each and every one of you, we represent a nation of 300 million. So when I hear people say that America doesn't have it, we're done, we're spent, I don't believe it. I believe with every fiber of my being that we can renew the American idea.

(APPLAUSE) RYAN: Now, our task, our task is to make us all believe. My

friends, you have done me a great honor. The people of this country, they have done all of us a great honor. Now let's prove ourselves worthy of it. Let's seize the moment. Let's rise to the occasion. And when we are done, let us say that we left the people, all the people, more united, happy and free.

Thank you.

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[11:25:22] RYAN: I am now ready to take the oath of office. I ask that the dean of the House of Representatives, the Honorable John Conyers Jr, of Michigan, to administer the oath of office.

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REP. JOHN CONYERS, (D), MICHIGAN: If the gentleman from Wisconsin would please raise his right hand? Do you, sir, 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?

RYAN: I do.

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RYAN: Thank you.

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RYAN: Thank you.

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RYAN: Thank you.

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RYAN: Thank you.

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RYAN: Thank you.

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RYAN: Thank you.

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RYAN: For what purpose does the gentleman from California, Mr. McCarthy, seek recognition? REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, (R), CALIFORNIA: Mr. Speaker, I offer a

privilege resolution and ask for its immediate resolution.

RYAN: The clerk will report the resolution. The clerk will first number the resolution.

UNIDENTIFIED HOUSE CLERK: House Resolution 503, resolved that the clerk be instructed to inform the president of the United States that the House of Representatives has elected Paul D. Ryan, a representative from the state of Wisconsin, speaker of the House of Representatives.

RYAN: Without objection the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

(CHEERING)

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RYAN: For what purpose does the gentleman from California, Mr. McCarthy, seek recognition?

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

RYAN: The clerk will report the resolution.

UNIDENTIFIED HOUSE CLERK: House Resolution 504, resolved, that a message be sent to the Senate to inform that body that Paul D. Ryan, a representative from the state of Wisconsin, has been elected speaker of the House of Representatives.

RYAN: Without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The chairlady is before the House of Communication.

UNIDENTIFIED HOUSE CLERK: The Honorable, the clerk, House of Representatives, Madame, as a result of my elections today as speaker, this letter is to inform you that I resign as chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, and from further service on that committee. I also resign as chairman and a member of the Joint Committee on Taxation. Signed, sincerely, Paul D. Ryan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Without objection the resignation is accepted.

The chair would take this occasion to note the speaker's announced policies with respect to particular aspects of the legislative process placed in the record on January 6, 2015, will continue in effect for the remainder of the 114th Congress.

The chair announces that the speaker has delivered to the clerk a letter dated October 29, 2015, listing members in the order in which each shall act as speaker pro tem under clause 8B-3 of Rule I.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Paul Ryan of Wisconsin is now the 54th speaker of the House, elected with 236 votes. Nine Republican votes against him. Addressing the people's House, he said a lot is on our shoulders. Let's pray for each other, he says. Let's be frank, the House is broken but, he says, he's beginning by wiping the slate clean.

[11:30:08] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: You have to love the formalities of the House of Representatives and how this all happened today. And it was a strange --