It finally happened —Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California is now Speaker McCarthy.
Shortly after midnight on Saturday, GOP frontrunner Kevin McCarthy finally grabbed the gavel after 15 rounds of ballots and GOP infighting; McCarthy won with 216 votes over Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-NY) 211.
“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,” McCarthy said in his remarks. “And now the hard work begins. What we do here today, next week, next month, and next year will set the tone for everything that follows.”
“As 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,” he continued. “Two months ago, you voted for a new direction for our country. You embraced our Commitment to America. And now, we are going to keep our commitment to you.”
Watch the clip above.