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Boehner Survives Challenge; New House Members Sworn In

Aired January 06, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Wolf, thank you so much. I'll take it.

Great to be with all of you on this Tuesday. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Lot going on in Washington. You know, despite some drama, John Boehner, still speaker of the House, about to get that gavel back. On the verge here, Republicans taking control of Capitol Hill. In fact, we know right now, he is getting ready to address the now 114th Congress. Live pictures there on Capitol Hill.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Republican Party is in charge of both the House and the Senate. So, just because we love numbers, here is the new balance of power in the Senate. You have 54 Republicans, 44 Democrats, and two Independents. O the House side, 246 Republicans, 188 Democrats, and one vacancy.

Now, despite those numbers, we know that Boehner did face a bit of pushback from members within his own party. We've got our chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash. She's standing by on Capitol Hill. She will join me in just a moment.

But first, Rachel Smolkin, she's our executive editor of CNN politics, is with me.

And so, Rachel, great to have you on. You know, listen, now that we've just heard from Dana and our folks like you on Capitol Hill that, you know, Boehner will be re-handed the gavel. He will be speaker of the House once again. I mean, no big surprise. But it is a bit embarrassing.

RACHEL SMOLKIN, CNN EXECUTIVE EDITOR, POLITICS DIGITAL: No big surprise, but a dramatic moment in the House as we waited for the votes to be counted. And for Speaker Boehner, the rest of Republicans, it's just a fact of life. This time he had about double the number of Republicans not vote for him for speaker as he did the last time around when he had a challenge. So it got a little bit more dramatic than expected right there at the end, but he did survive.

BALDWIN: Dana Bash, I hear we have you now. I know you've been running around and trying to follow all this that's going on. So, just also bring us up to speed - I mean I know you're there. You're just down the hall from the speaker's office. You see all these guys and gals, you know, brushing past one another, those who, you know, maybe wanted the speakership over Boehner. Give me a little bit of color as far as what you've seen in the last few minutes.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And as you came to me, I was just talking to somebody, trying to get the exact final number of Republicans who rebelled against the speaker to vote against him. We don't have the exact number yet but north of 20, which given the fact that there are 246 Republicans is not that many. But given the fact that he has been their leader for -- the speaker for four years and their leader in the minority before that and he spent a lot of time, a lot of money traveling the country, getting people elected and reelected and helping to get the Republicans to this majority, the biggest majority in the House for Republicans since 1928, since Harry Truman was in office.

BALDWIN: Wow.

BASH: So - excuse me, before Truman was in office, I should say, 1928. But the bottom line is, Boehner and his allies felt that, from the beginning, that he was going to be OK and that they would be able to beat back this rebellion, but they know that this is - they don't sugar coat it. This is not the way they wanted to start this Congress, having full Republican control. They didn't want to do it this way because it's been very messy.

Knowing John Boehner, he's going to get up and give a speech and he's going to move on and not look -- try not to look back. But it has not been the kind of unified Republican message that they wanted to put forward as they try to make clear that they can govern now that they're in charge of all of Congress.

BALDWIN: So, you know, certainly one of the issues that Speaker Boehner will address will be this Keystone XL pipeline. And as we await Speaker Boehner speaking there on Capitol Hill, let me just play some sound we just heard from Josh Earnest, sort of in anticipation of what the Republicans plan to do with regard to Keystone XL because he says no way Jose will the president sign this. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The fact is the, you know, this piece of legislation is not altogether different than legislation that was introduced in the last Congress. And you'll recall that we put out a statement of administration position indicating that the president would have vetoed had that bill passes the previous Congress. And I can confirm for you that if this bill passes this Congress, the president wouldn't sign it either.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, Dana, just back to you. And here we go. Speaker Boehner -- to either of you ladies, you know, Speaker Boehner shaking some hands. Congratulating. Dana, go ahead.

BASH: Well, I just want to tell you that from my vantage point I can see the backside. I see where the leadership, both of the Republican and Democratic Party, are going on to the floor. So I have kind of the reverse perspective of what you can see on the House floor. But you can see John Boehner coming down. This is the image that you usually see during the State of the Union with the leaders coming down after the -- before the president.

And now he is coming down. He is shaking hands with not just Republicans, but with Democrats, the brand new 114th Congress. And he is now the leader. And I think this is an important thing to keep in mind. You have leadership of both parties in both chambers. But the speaker of the House is a unique constitutional role. The speaker of the House is the speaker of the House of Representatives, which is why you see the vote play out on the floor of the House, as you just did. You don't see that for any other leadership role in either chamber. And so that's why this is -- has been - there has been so much formality.

One member of Congress just came out and joked that back in the chamber it's 1789 because they did everything by hand. They didn't do it the modern way, as they normally do. This is very much a traditional, historically based moment for the House of Representatives and for the -- for the Constitution.

BALDWIN: But as you point out, unique because he's elected constitutionally, not by the caucuses whereas the other leaders are.

Rachel, as I'm watching, you know, I'm seeing -- and it is sort of reminiscent of a State of the Union and seeing the families and kids on the floor. Before we hear the speaker speak, Rachel, just give me some color. I mean this is kind of like the first day of school for a lot of these people.

SMOLKIN: It absolutely is. And you mentioned State of the Union. In some ways there is more drama here. We thought we knew the outcome today, but we weren't 100 percent sure. There's always that question, especially when you see the opposition begin to build. So in some ways a more real moment. And as Dana said, something that we're still watching play out in real time.

So much of Washington is completely scripted these days. We know what the Democrats are going to say and what the Republicans are going to say. And here's a moment when you can actually see events unfold as Boehner's folks make calls to shore up that support, make sure they have the support, and we really are watching an event happen before our eyes.

BALDWIN: As we're - oh, let's -- shall we go ahead and listen to Leader Pelosi?

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), MARYLAND: High honor to welcome you and your families to the 114th Congress. To our newest members, it is a special pleasure to give you an exceptional welcome and congratulations. Welcome to our newest member.

As was indicated by the vote, many of our colleagues from the state of New York are not with us because they're attending the funeral of Governor Mario Cuomo. I extend condolences to our colleagues from the state of New York and have extended the sympathies of many in this body to Governor Cuomo's widow, Matilda, and to his family. As an Italian-American, I'm especially proud of his leadership and send -- extend sympathies to his family. Thank you, the Cuomo family. Thank you, New York delegation.

None of us would be standing here without the support and the strength of our families. Today, I'm going to thank my dear husband of 51 years, Paul Pelosi, and my five children and nine grandchildren. All the Pelosis and D'Alesandros.

But as we are standing, let all of us applaud all of our families.

To my constituents and my Democratic colleagues, my constituents in San Francisco, I thank you for the privilege of serving in the House. But to my colleagues, I thank you for the honor of serving as leader.

But all of us should applaud all of our constituents for sending us here. So let us, again, applaud our constituents.

Each one of us, Mr. Speaker, each one of us, as you know, represents Republicans, represents Democrats, Independents, and others. And we should always pay tribute to the American people. The American people have called upon each of them, each of us to serve them. They have entrusted us with their hopes, their dreams. They have asked us to address their challenges. The financial stability and strong middle class - of the strong middle class and those who aspire to it is the bedrock of our economy and the backbone of our American democracy. We have a moral imperative to ensure that working men and women enjoy the bounty of their unprecedented productivity and to expand purchasing families -- the purchasing power of families.

To that end, today, Democrats will put forward a legislative package to put Americans back to work building our roads and bridges and meeting the needs of the American people, paid for by bringing our tax dollars back home and to increase the paycheck of America's working families. We invite our Republican colleagues to join us in supporting the Stop Corporate Expatriation and to invest in America's infrastructure. It's time to stop rewarding companies to move overseas and instead use those dollars to create good-paying jobs here at home.

We ask for Republican support and action on the CEO-Employee Pay Fairness Act, legislation to ensure that workers share in the fruit of their productivity, denying CEOs the ability to claim tax deductions on annual income over $1 million unless they give their employees a well-deserved raise. We must have an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few, and we hope Republicans will join us to achieve a better infrastructure and bigger paychecks for the working people of our country. Better infrastructure, bigger paychecks.

We open this 114th Congress in the year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. One of the most consequential pieces of legislation in our history. President Lyndon Johnson and Congress passed it. The president signed it. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and others, along with our own John Lewis, fought for it and inspired it. We must continue to inspire the engagement of every American. It is the vote that preserves our democracy, ends injustice, advances dreams and sustains our freedom. And in terms of protecting our freedoms, let us recognize and salute

and thank all of those brave Americans who protect our rights, indeed protect all of our liberty, our men and women in uniform, our veterans and our military families.

Mr. Speaker, today we're at the start of a new year and a new Congress, with fresh opportunity for the American people. Today is the feast of the epiphany, the visit of the magi. So let us have our own epiphany. For this moment, on this day, we are not just Republicans or Democrats, we are Americans. Not just in name, but in spirit, standing on the higher ground than the last election. And my hope is that in the inevitable exchanges and clashes that may happen in the months ahead, we will not lose sight of the truth. This that is as fresh as this ceremony is today and as historic as our republic, that the ideals that unite us are stronger than the issues that divide us in this House.

That does not mean that we are dispensing with all disagreements and debates. Our democracy is robust precisely because we have beliefs and we stand proudly, even persistently, for them. And our democracy endures and prevails because, in the end, we are humble enough to find a way forward together.

So my fellow colleagues of the 114th Congress, let us uphold our deep and different convictions, but let us honor our common obligation to our country. In this Congress, we will do that -- do so under the leadership of Speaker John Boehner.

This House will continue to be led by a proud son of Ohio and a happy fan of the Ohio State football team.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: Yes!

PELOSI: A man of abiding faith, great heart and deep dedication, John Boehner is truly a gentleman from Ohio. Congratulations to you, John, to Mr. Speaker, to Debbie, to your daughters, Lindsay and Trisha, and the entire Boehner family. Thank you for sharing John Boehner with us.

God bless you and your family, Mr. Speaker. May God continue to bless the members of this House of Representatives. This is the people's house. This is the people's gavel. In the people's name, it is my privilege to hand it to the speaker of the House for the 114th Congress, the Honorable John Boehner.

Mr. Speaker. God bless you, Mr. Speaker. God bless America. Thank you.

BOEHNER: Thank you. Thank you!

Friends, colleagues, countrymen, and especially to people of Ohio's eighth congressional district, thank you for sending me here. And let's today welcome all of the new members and all of their families to what we all know to be a truly historic day.

And we welcome all of the members back who were re-elected. And we want to welcome your families, as well. And I want to thank my family. You know, I was doing pretty good on the walk over here from my

ceremonial office until I ran into Devon Nunez' three little girls. My three biggest fans. And one of them had to come running over to give me a kiss and I was a mess.

This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad. We rejoice that our new members and families are here. We welcome them. We're glad and humbled to begin anew by service (ph) of the people's house. Here it is our duty and our privilege to lend a willing ear to the people, to make laws in tune with their priorities, and within the limits of their Constitution.

In recent months, our economy has shown signs of improvement. And after difficult years, it may be a temptation to accept what I'll call the new normal. But America did not become exceptional by ease. Far too many Americans remain out of work and too many are working harder only to lose ground to stagnant wages and rising costs. We can do better. We can build an economy that furthers better paying jobs, more growth and more opportunity for the nation's middle class. This is our vital task.

We'll begin this endeavor on common ground, both in letter and in spirit. It was actually my predecessor and Nicholas Longworth of Cincinnati who changed the order of things so that all members now take the oath of office at the same time. He called this innovation a time-saving device. Sounds like my kind of guy. But this shared ritual is no passing formality. It's a frontier where words end and where deeds begin.

Now, the pessimists don't see us crossing this channel. They say nothing's going to be accomplished here, that the vision is wider than ever, and so gridlock will be even greater. Frankly, fair enough. The skepticism of our government is healthy, and, in our time, quite understandable. But one problem with saying it can't be done is that it already has been done, or at least started.

In the last Congress, this House passed a number of jobs bills with broad support from the majority and the minority. And we'll begin our work on this common ground, taking up measures to develop North American energy, restore the hours of middle class workers, and help small businesses hire more of our veterans.

Then we'll invite the president to support and sign these bipartisan initiatives into law. It'll be a good start and more. It'll be a sign that the logjam is breaking and it will be a foundation on which to address the bigger challenges in the pursuit of freedom and security.

No, this won't be done in a tidy way. The battle of ideas never ends and, frankly, never should. As speaker, all I ask, and frankly expect, is that we disagree without being disagreeable. In return, I pledge to help each of you carry out your duties. My door, of course, is always open. Now, don't get carried away with it, all right, but it's always open.

My colleagues, some treat (ph) what we do here is shadow boxing and show business. But let me tell you, and the American people, it is real work. It's a grind, as it should be, in striving to preserve the things that we all hold dear.

Every day you and I come out here, try to plant good seeds, cultivate the ground and take care of the pests. And then, with patience and some sacrifice and God's grace, there will be a harvest. And along the way, we may falter. But we Americans do not fall away from the task. We do not quit. So let's stand tall and prove the skeptics wrong. Let's make this a time of harvest and may the fruits of our labors be ladders our children can use to climb the stairs to the stars.

Thank you all and God bless the United States of America. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's still just me.

I'm ready to take the oath of office and I'd like to ask the dean of the House, the Honorable John Conyers from Michigan, to administer the oath of office.

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

BOEHNER: I do.

CONYERS: Thank you very much. I pronounce you speaker of the House.

BOEHNER: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

According to precedent, the chair will swear in the members-elect en masse. So the members of -- all members will please rise. The chair will now administer the oath of office. All members will raise their right hands.

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 would 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?

HOUSE MEMBERS: I do.

BOEHNER: Congratulations, you're now members of the 114th Congress.

BALDWIN: Oh, days -- days like today, it's kind of funny (INAUDIBLE) politics, isn't it? This is the 114th Congress here. Day one, ladies and gentlemen, of the U.S. House of Representatives, being sworn in. And most importantly there, the speaker of the House, once again, John Boehner, Republican of Ohio.

I've got Dana Bash and I've got Rachel Smolkin standing by.

Just a couple more questions for you ladies as we watch all of this. Dana, to you. You know, he -- Speaker Boehner did not mention really any specific issues, didn't mention Keystone pipeline. What was your read on his address?

BASH: It was vintage Boehner. He kept it lofty. He kept it big picture. He tried to keep it together because he is known to shed a tear or a thousand. In fact, he joked about - in fact, he joked about that. About the fact that he was keeping it together until he saw one of his colleague's kids and then he lost it. Doesn't take a lot to set John Boehner off.

But it really was, like I said, sort of classic kind of speech from him. Did not -- was trying to grasp the moment, understanding that he is the leader of the Republican Party, but he is the speaker of the entire House of Representatives.

And also would note that there was a gracious speech right before he got the gavel from Nancy Pelosi, his Democratic counterpart, who -- and that is the tradition for the leader of the minority to hand the speaker the gavel. Roles were reversed when Nancy Pelosi was the speaker. But there was certainly a moment of bipartisanship, dare I say, nonpartisanship in that time. And it was certainly nice to see given the intensity that we always see around here and the toxic nature that we had seen. Don't hold your breath that that's going to last very long.

BALDWIN: OK, I won't do that at all. But, yes, gracious speech. Big kiss. Handing of the gavel.

And, Rachel, final question to you. I think it's also just worth noting, we know that the president will be meeting with leaders of Congress next Tuesday. And one of those leaders, and I need to get used to saying this, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid was, you know, in a bit of an accident over the weekend. There was a picture we want to throw up here of a banged up Harry Reid. Can you tell all of us what happened to him?

SMOLKIN: Well, he was exercising. It really is enough to make us all pause when we've decided to spend the New Year, make those resolutions to get some exercise. That's what happened to Harry Reid. But working through it anyway and showing the country that he is getting back to work.

BALDWIN: All right. Rachel Smolkin and Dana Bash, thank you both very, very much. But stay right here with me. We have a lot more in the next two hours, including breaking news in the hunt for the people who shot two New York police officers just last night. Hear what happened to a suspect inside the hospital.

Plus, in the search for AirAsia Flight 8501, the daughter of the pilot makes an emotional plea to everyone criticizing her dad.

And CNN retraces the steps of that little girl, seven years of age, who survived that plane crash that killed her family. Walked nearly a mile through these woods in the fog and the muck and the rain and the dark to safety. We tried to see what she endured. Stay with me.

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