Democrat Nancy Pelosi on Sunday was re-elected as the United States Speaker of the House of Representatives with a slim majority in a deeply divided new Congress that convened in the final weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The final count of the vote 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.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy got 209 votes from his own party. Pelosi won the previous vote for speaker by 220-192 over McCarthy.
Sunday marked the swearing in of the 117th Congress. In a letter to colleagues Sunday morning, Pelosi said the new Congress will convene “during a time of extraordinary difficulty.”
“Each of our communities has been drastically affected by the pandemic and economic crisis: 350,000 tragic deaths, over 20 million infections, millions without jobs — a toll almost beyond comprehension,” she said. “Thank you for your generosity of spirit and patriotism to take on this challenge For The People.”
“I am enormously grateful for the trust that Members have placed in me,” she added. “I am confident that the Speaker’s election today will show a united Democratic Caucus ready to meet the challenges ahead.”
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