In the weeks leading up to the 118th session of the United States Congress, which is set to convene on Tuesday (December 3) at noon (local time), the attention has been focused on Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy whose bid to become the speaker of the House of Representatives has been uncertain at best.&nbsp;

Notably, this is not the first time that the California lawmaker has sought to lead the 435-member House. In 2015, he faced similar opposition from a small section of the Republican party (GOP) after he entered the race when House Speaker John Boehner, (R-Ohio) resigned.&nbsp;

Last year, following the midterm elections the GOP, took over the House with a narrow majority of 222-213 from the Democrats and the outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi. However, given the opposition against McCarthy so far, from people of his own caucus, Tuesday might become the first time ever in nearly 100 years that a majority is garnered to elect a speaker of the chamber. &nbsp;

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Importance of a House speaker

The role of a speaker is critical for the government in Washington to function since not only will the lawmaker preside over the lower chamber of Congress they would also be next in line for the presidency. Typically, a speaker is elected at the beginning of a new Congress, however, the House can elect a new one if the incumbent dies, resigns or is removed from office, said a report by Associated Press. &nbsp;

Additionally, the chamber cannot be organised until a speaker who is to preside over it is chosen, therefore, the vote to choose a speaker will be the first one taken once the lawmakers convene for the session on January 3 even before the new and returning members of both parties are sworn in.&nbsp;

The speaker has “massive influence over what sorts of bills and amendments get voted on in Congress”, said Christian Fong, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, to Al Jazeera. He added that this also gives them a significant amount of control over what becomes a law in the upcoming session.&nbsp;

Who will lead the house from both parties in the upcoming session?

After the midterm elections, both the GOP conference and Democratic caucus held an informal vote where they selected the lawmaker they want to lead their party for the upcoming session. Therefore, by mid-November, following a close-door vote with Republicans, McCarthy emerged as the leader of the House for his party. Subsequently, by the end of the month, Democrats chose Representative Hakeem Jeffries from New York to lead the party in the House. &nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-midterms-republicans-win-the-us-house-kevin-mccarthy-to-become-the-house-speaker-535052">US Midterms: Republicans win the U.S. House; Kevin McCarthy to become the House Speaker</a>

How does the voting take place?

Once the House has the minimum number of members present to proceed or quorum, leaders of the house will read out the names of the speaker nominee from their respective party before the roll call vote for the election. Subsequently, the clerk appoints lawmakers from each party as tellers to tally the votes.&nbsp;

Notably, once the Congress begins on January 3, the members are not obligated to vote for the party’s chosen candidate, in fact, while the person typically is a member of the House it is not required. Therefore, any lawmaker including the incumbent President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and Senators, can be nominated and have previously received votes for speaker’s office, in the past, but not gained the majority, reported AP.&nbsp;

This is because lawmakers in the House call out the name of their choice from the floor in a time-consuming roll call. So far, the number to reach a majority in the 435-member chamber has been 218 votes, however, many speakers including the outgoing speaker Pelosi have taken the gavel with less than that. &nbsp;

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This is because some members vote present instead of calling out a name, therefore, according to AP, every lawmaker that votes “present” lowers the total tally needed to reach a majority. In case a majority is not reached on the first ballot, as many have speculated would happen in McCarthy’s case, the clerk will repeat the roll call vote several times until a majority is garnered.&nbsp;

The passing of the gavel

Once the speaker nominee has won a majority of the vote the clear announces the results. Subsequently, a bipartisan committee typically one consisting of the members of the candidate’s home state escorts the speaker-elect to the dais for the oath-taking ceremony, where the outgoing speaker, in this case, speaker and California Democrat Pelosi, joins their successor and passes the gavel in a peaceful transition of power.&nbsp;

Why do many people McCarthy would not be able to garner a majority to become the speaker?

The last time a speaker for the House of Representatives was not elected in the first round of votes was exactly a century ago in 1923 when a speaker was selected after nearly nine rounds of voting. “It’s a very thin (GOP majority), so it only takes a small group of determined representatives to really get together and pose a credible threat to prevent the Speaker from being elected”, said Fong to Al Jazeera. The professor also spoke about how despite growing bipartisan opposition to the power of the Speaker, the path to the gavel will be particularly difficult for McCarthy.&nbsp;

The situation that&nbsp;the&nbsp;Republican lawmaker faces&nbsp;is not entirely unique, as&nbsp;the outgoing speaker Pelosi who held the position for nearly four years witnessed similar internal opposition during her reelection in 2021. However,&nbsp;despite protests from five members of her caucus she managed to retain her position with&nbsp;Dems'&nbsp;slim majority in the chamber, at the time.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/kevin-mccarthy-struggles-to-clinch-support-to-be-us-house-speaker-amid-hardline-opposition-549139">Kevin McCarthy struggles to clinch support to be U.S. House speaker amid hardline opposition</a> 
 
According to Fong, Republicans who are opposing McCarthy’s bid for the gavel&nbsp;are from the so-called “safe-districts”, where they did not face much competition in the elections&nbsp;or had trouble raising funds due to their strong political base. Therefore, they do not value the power a speaker holds over what would otherwise be “valuable resources” for the House members which include committee assignments and campaign funding.&nbsp;

Additionally, the California Republican faces a number of critics who want change in the way the House operates and have long complained that the structure gives too much power to leaders and argued for changes which would make small groups of dissenters obstruct and change legislation, reported the New York Times.&nbsp;

McCarthy currently faces at least a dozen lawmakers who would choose anyone else but him which has left him scrambling for votes at the last minute&nbsp;and negotiating with the opposing lawmakers on concessions which may dilute his powers, should he take the office of the speaker,&nbsp;in the upcoming session. This mix also includes&nbsp;a group of newly elected lawmakers who are still weighing their options, said the NYT.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

What will happen if McCarthy fails?

As mentioned earlier, the speaker is an important part of not only the House but also the functioning of the US government, therefore with&nbsp;no one to preside over the chamber, it cannot fully form, name its committee chairmen, or even hold floor proceedings. In one word, chaos,&nbsp;"One thing to stress about this whole process, nothing else happens in the House of Representatives until a speaker is elected. It's the only leadership position specifically mentioned in the Constitution," said NPR's&nbsp;congressional correspondent, Deirdre Walsh.

She added, "Members of Congress cannot even be sworn in to start a new session of Congress without a speaker first being elected. So opening day could be very chaotic."&nbsp;

Additionally, the GOP is holding on to a majority in the lower chamber by just a couple of&nbsp;votes which&nbsp;makes McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker all the more critical given that members with outsized power can threaten to effectively dilute if not wipe out the&nbsp;power Republicans would otherwise enjoy as a majority in the chamber,&nbsp;affecting potentially every upcoming legislation the dissenters&nbsp;they do not get their way.&nbsp;

“One reason why you don’t see more opposition to the Speaker in the modern era is that the Speaker controls all kinds of valuable resources that members of the House of Representatives really want,” said Fong to Al Jazeera.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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In the weeks leading up to the 118th session of the United States Congress, which is set to convene on Tuesday (December 3) at noon (local time), the attention has been focused on Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy whose bid to become the speaker of the House of Representatives has been uncertain at best.

In the weeks leading up to the 118th session of the United States Congress, which is set to convene on Tuesday (December 3) at noon (local time), the attention has been focused on Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy whose bid to become the speaker of the House of Representatives has been uncertain at best. Notably, this is not the first time that the California lawmaker has sought to lead the 435-member House. In 2015, he faced similar opposition from a small section of the Republican party (GOP) after he entered the race when House Speaker John Boehner, (R-Ohio) resigned. Last year, following the midterm elections the GOP, took over the House with a narrow majority of 222-213 from the Democrats and the outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi. However, given the opposition against McCarthy so far, from people of his own caucus, Tuesday might become the first time ever in nearly 100 years that a majority is garnered to elect a speaker of the chamber. ALSO READ | US, South Korea plan 'coordinated response' against North Korea's nuclear threat Importance of a House speaker The role of a speaker is critical for the government in Washington to function since not only will the lawmaker preside over the lower chamber of Congress they would also be next in line for the presidency. Typically, a speaker is elected at the beginning of a new Congress, however, the House can elect a new one if the incumbent dies, resigns or is removed from office, said a report by Associated Press. Additionally, the chamber cannot be organised until a speaker who is to preside over it is chosen, therefore, the vote to choose a speaker will be the first one taken once the lawmakers convene for the session on January 3 even before the new and returning members of both parties are sworn in. The speaker has “massive influence over what sorts of bills and amendments get voted on in Congress”, said Christian Fong, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, to Al Jazeera. He added that this also gives them a significant amount of control over what becomes a law in the upcoming session. Who will lead the house from both parties in the upcoming session? After the midterm elections, both the GOP conference and Democratic caucus held an informal vote where they selected the lawmaker they want to lead their party for the upcoming session. Therefore, by mid-November, following a close-door vote with Republicans, McCarthy emerged as the leader of the House for his party. Subsequently, by the end of the month, Democrats chose Representative Hakeem Jeffries from New York to lead the party in the House. ALSO WATCH | US Midterms: Republicans win the U.S. House; Kevin McCarthy to become the House Speaker How does the voting take place? Once the House has the minimum number of members present to proceed or quorum, leaders of the house will read out the names of the speaker nominee from their respective party before the roll call vote for the election. Subsequently, the clerk appoints lawmakers from each party as tellers to tally the votes. Notably, once the Congress begins on January 3, the members are not obligated to vote for the party’s chosen candidate, in fact, while the person typically is a member of the House it is not required. Therefore, any lawmaker including the incumbent President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and Senators, can be nominated and have previously received votes for speaker’s office, in the past, but not gained the majority, reported AP. This is because lawmakers in the House call out the name of their choice from the floor in a time-consuming roll call. So far, the number to reach a majority in the 435-member chamber has been 218 votes, however, many speakers including the outgoing speaker Pelosi have taken the gavel with less than that. ALSO READ | Twitter slams Kevin McCarthy for saying he would hit Nancy Pelosi with gavel This is because some members vote present instead of calling out a name, therefore, according to AP, every lawmaker that votes “present” lowers the total tally needed to reach a majority. In case a majority is not reached on the first ballot, as many have speculated would happen in McCarthy’s case, the clerk will repeat the roll call vote several times until a majority is garnered. The passing of the gavel Once the speaker nominee has won a majority of the vote the clear announces the results. Subsequently, a bipartisan committee typically one consisting of the members of the candidate’s home state escorts the speaker-elect to the dais for the oath-taking ceremony, where the outgoing speaker, in this case, speaker and California Democrat Pelosi, joins their successor and passes the gavel in a peaceful transition of power. Why do many people McCarthy would not be able to garner a majority to become the speaker? The last time a speaker for the House of Representatives was not elected in the first round of votes was exactly a century ago in 1923 when a speaker was selected after nearly nine rounds of voting. “It’s a very thin (GOP majority), so it only takes a small group of determined representatives to really get together and pose a credible threat to prevent the Speaker from being elected”, said Fong to Al Jazeera. The professor also spoke about how despite growing bipartisan opposition to the power of the Speaker, the path to the gavel will be particularly difficult for McCarthy. The situation that the Republican lawmaker faces is not entirely unique, as the outgoing speaker Pelosi who held the position for nearly four years witnessed similar internal opposition during her reelection in 2021. However, despite protests from five members of her caucus she managed to retain her position with Dems' slim majority in the chamber, at the time. ALSO WATCH | Kevin McCarthy struggles to clinch support to be U.S. House speaker amid hardline opposition According to Fong, Republicans who are opposing McCarthy’s bid for the gavel are from the so-called “safe-districts”, where they did not face much competition in the elections or had trouble raising funds due to their strong political base. Therefore, they do not value the power a speaker holds over what would otherwise be “valuable resources” for the House members which include committee assignments and campaign funding. Additionally, the California Republican faces a number of critics who want change in the way the House operates and have long complained that the structure gives too much power to leaders and argued for changes which would make small groups of dissenters obstruct and change legislation, reported the New York Times. McCarthy currently faces at least a dozen lawmakers who would choose anyone else but him which has left him scrambling for votes at the last minute and negotiating with the opposing lawmakers on concessions which may dilute his powers, should he take the office of the speaker, in the upcoming session. This mix also includes a group of newly elected lawmakers who are still weighing their options, said the NYT. ALSO READ | TikTok banned from all US House of Representatives-managed devices What will happen if McCarthy fails? As mentioned earlier, the speaker is an important part of not only the House but also the functioning of the US government, therefore with no one to preside over the chamber, it cannot fully form, name its committee chairmen, or even hold floor proceedings. In one word, chaos, "One thing to stress about this whole process, nothing else happens in the House of Representatives until a speaker is elected. It's the only leadership position specifically mentioned in the Constitution," said NPR's congressional correspondent, Deirdre Walsh. She added, "Members of Congress cannot even be sworn in to start a new session of Congress without a speaker first being elected. So opening day could be very chaotic." Additionally, the GOP is holding on to a majority in the lower chamber by just a couple of votes which makes McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker all the more critical given that members with outsized power can threaten to effectively dilute if not wipe out the power Republicans would otherwise enjoy as a majority in the chamber, affecting potentially every upcoming legislation the dissenters they do not get their way. “One reason why you don’t see more opposition to the Speaker in the modern era is that the Speaker controls all kinds of valuable resources that members of the House of Representatives really want,” said Fong to Al Jazeera. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained: Will the US House of Representatives have a speaker when it convenes?

An increasingly isolated President Donald Trump sought on Friday to stave off a new drive to impeach him, two days after his supporters stormed the US Capitol in an assault on American democracy.

Trump quite apparently exhorted thousands of supporters to march on the Capitol as Congress met to certify his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, prompting chaos in which crowds breached the building, forced the evacuation of both chambers and left a police officer and four others dead in their wake.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that if Trump did not resign, she had instructed the House Rules Committee to move ahead with a motion for impeachment and legislation on the US Constitution's 25th Amendment, which provides for removal of a president who is unable to discharge his official duties.

Democrats, who said a House vote on impeachment could come next week, hope the impeachment threat will intensify pressure on Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment before Trump's term ends in less than two weeks.

"Impeaching President Donald Trump with 12 days remaining in his presidency would only serve to further divide the country," said White House spokesman Judd Deere.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Thursday and Friday found 57 per cent of Americans want Trump to be removed immediately from office following the violence. Nearly 70 per cent also disapproved of Trump's actions in the run-up to the Capitol rampage.

Trump's role in encouraging Wednesday's chaos has opened a growing rift within the Republican Party too.

Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a frequent Trump critic, told CBS News he would "definitely consider" impeachment because the president "disregarded his oath of office." 
'I WANT HIM OUT'

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said Friday Trump should resign immediately and that if the party cannot separate itself from him, she is not certain she has a future with it. 
"I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage," the Alaska Senator told the Anchorage Daily News.

It is unclear whether lawmakers would be able to remove Trump from office, as any impeachment would prompt a trial in the Senate, where his fellow Republicans still hold power and two-thirds of the 100 members must vote to convict for his removal.

Articles of impeachment, which are formal charges of misconduct, have been crafted by Democratic Representatives David Cicilline, Ted Lieu and Jamie Raskin.

A copy circulating among members of Congress charges Trump with "inciting violence against the government of the United States" in a bid to overturn his loss to Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Pelosi said she had spoken with the nation's top general, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, about preventing Trump from initiating military hostilities or launching a nuclear weapon.

Pelosi told members on a Democratic conference call that she had gotten assurances from Milley that there are safeguards in place.

"Sadly the person that's running executive branch is a deranged, unhinged, dangerous president of the United States," she said in an excerpt of an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" programme.

(with inputs)

An increasingly isolated President Donald Trump sought on Friday to stave off a new drive to impeach him, two days after his supporters stormed the US Capitol in an assault on American democracy.

An increasingly isolated President Donald Trump sought on Friday to stave off a new drive to impeach him, two days after his supporters stormed the US Capitol in an assault on American democracy. Trump quite apparently exhorted thousands of supporters to march on the Capitol as Congress met to certify his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, prompting chaos in which crowds breached the building, forced the evacuation of both chambers and left a police officer and four others dead in their wake. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that if Trump did not resign, she had instructed the House Rules Committee to move ahead with a motion for impeachment and legislation on the US Constitution's 25th Amendment, which provides for removal of a president who is unable to discharge his official duties. Democrats, who said a House vote on impeachment could come next week, hope the impeachment threat will intensify pressure on Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment before Trump's term ends in less than two weeks. "Impeaching President Donald Trump with 12 days remaining in his presidency would only serve to further divide the country," said White House spokesman Judd Deere. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Thursday and Friday found 57 per cent of Americans want Trump to be removed immediately from office following the violence. Nearly 70 per cent also disapproved of Trump's actions in the run-up to the Capitol rampage. Trump's role in encouraging Wednesday's chaos has opened a growing rift within the Republican Party too. Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a frequent Trump critic, told CBS News he would "definitely consider" impeachment because the president "disregarded his oath of office." 'I WANT HIM OUT' Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said Friday Trump should resign immediately and that if the party cannot separate itself from him, she is not certain she has a future with it. "I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage," the Alaska Senator told the Anchorage Daily News. It is unclear whether lawmakers would be able to remove Trump from office, as any impeachment would prompt a trial in the Senate, where his fellow Republicans still hold power and two-thirds of the 100 members must vote to convict for his removal. Articles of impeachment, which are formal charges of misconduct, have been crafted by Democratic Representatives David Cicilline, Ted Lieu and Jamie Raskin. A copy circulating among members of Congress charges Trump with "inciting violence against the government of the United States" in a bid to overturn his loss to Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Pelosi said she had spoken with the nation's top general, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, about preventing Trump from initiating military hostilities or launching a nuclear weapon. Pelosi told members on a Democratic conference call that she had gotten assurances from Milley that there are safeguards in place. "Sadly the person that's running executive branch is a deranged, unhinged, dangerous president of the United States," she said in an excerpt of an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" programme. (with inputs)

US Speaker says House can move to impeach Trump if he doesn’t resign

Democrat Nancy Pelosi on Sunday was&nbsp;re-elected as the&nbsp;United States Speaker of the House with a slim majority in a deeply divided new Congress that convened in the final weeks of Donald Trump's presidency.

Pelosi was&nbsp;reinstated after the House&nbsp;voted 216-209&nbsp;after Democrats lost 11 seats in the November elections to command a narrower 222-212 majority.

She&nbsp;faced a scare when five fellow Democrats defected and voted "present" or for someone else during the floor vote.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nancy-pelosis-house-vandalised-with-graffiti-and-pigs-head-353988">Nancy Pelosi's house vandalised with graffiti and pig's head</a>

"As we are sworn in today, we accept responsibility as daunting and demanding as any that previous generations of leadership have faced. We begin the new Congress during a time of extraordinary difficulty,"&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;said in a floor speech that noted the deaths of more than 350,000 Americans from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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As we are sworn in today, we accept a responsibility as daunting and demanding as any that previous generations of leadership have faced. 
 
Our most urgent priority will continue to be defeating the coronavirus - and defeat it, we will! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/117thCongress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#117thCongress</a> <a href="https://t.co/HD5w1OUfx3">pic.twitter.com/HD5w1OUfx3</a>
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1345893278500212742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"Our most urgent priority will continue to be defeating the coronavirus. And defeat it, we will," she added, pledging that further aid would follow the latest $892 billion package that Congress passed in December.

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Our work <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForThePeople?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForThePeople</a> continues, even in the face of this unprecedented national crisis. Tune in as I swear in Members of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/117thCongress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#117thCongress</a>. <a href="https://t.co/ATx5aPEaWa">https://t.co/ATx5aPEaWa</a>
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1345857232437727234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The Senate remains Republican-run ahead of twin elections in Georgia on Tuesday, giving its members a platform to again air President Donald Trump's baseless claims that his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden was the result of fraud.

Multiple state and federal reviews have found no evidence of the sort of widespread fraud Trump claims, but Republican senators and House members plan to challenge the election result when Congress certifies it on Wednesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nancy-pelosi-wants-a-commission-to-evaluate-trumps-mental-and-physical-health-333817">Nancy Pelosi wants a commission to evaluate Trump's mental and physical health</a>

Pelosi, 80, the only woman to serve as US Speaker of the House,&nbsp;has been Trump's chief nemesis in Congress, and the two clashed bitterly over the past two years, particularly as she levelled impeachment charges against the president.

Trump was impeached in December 2019, but the Senate acquitted him early in 2020. His successor, Joe Biden, takes office on January 20.

With Pelosi scrambling to keep her post, it was a handful of progressive lawmakers and members-elect who have been critical of her leadership but ultimately voted for her on Sunday.

Among them was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most high-profile Democrats in Washington, and incoming lawmaker Cori Bush, who is the first African-American woman to represent Missouri in Congress.

There are normally 435 members of the House, but just 427 votes were cast Sunday as a few congressmen-elect are in quarantine due to Covid-19 and a tight House race in New York has yet to be formally decided.

One congressman-elect from Louisiana, Luke Letlow, died of complications from Covid-19 last week, days before he was due to be sworn in.

That leaves Democrats with one of the slimmest House majorities in two decades, 222 to 211 with two vacancies, as they navigate the remaining few weeks of Trump and carry into the Biden presidency.

On a day that was anything but conventional, Republican Chip Roy interrupted the swearing-in process to ask that the delegations from the six swing states where Trump has contested the election results not be seated Sunday as House members.

Pelosi dispensed with the effort by holding a vote that affirmed her right to swear in all members.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi on Sunday was re-elected as the United States Speaker of the House with a slim majority in a deeply divided new Congress that convened in the final weeks of Donald Trump's presidency.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi on Sunday was re-elected as the United States Speaker of the House with a slim majority in a deeply divided new Congress that convened in the final weeks of Donald Trump's presidency. Pelosi was reinstated after the House voted 216-209 after Democrats lost 11 seats in the November elections to command a narrower 222-212 majority. She faced a scare when five fellow Democrats defected and voted "present" or for someone else during the floor vote. Also read: Nancy Pelosi's house vandalised with graffiti and pig's head "As we are sworn in today, we accept responsibility as daunting and demanding as any that previous generations of leadership have faced. We begin the new Congress during a time of extraordinary difficulty," Pelosi said in a floor speech that noted the deaths of more than 350,000 Americans from the COVID-19 pandemic. As we are sworn in today, we accept a responsibility as daunting and demanding as any that previous generations of leadership have faced. Our most urgent priority will continue to be defeating the coronavirus - and defeat it, we will! #117thCongress pic.twitter.com/HD5w1OUfx3 — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 4, 2021 × "Our most urgent priority will continue to be defeating the coronavirus. And defeat it, we will," she added, pledging that further aid would follow the latest $892 billion package that Congress passed in December. Our work #ForThePeople continues, even in the face of this unprecedented national crisis. Tune in as I swear in Members of the #117thCongress. https://t.co/ATx5aPEaWa — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 3, 2021 × The Senate remains Republican-run ahead of twin elections in Georgia on Tuesday, giving its members a platform to again air President Donald Trump's baseless claims that his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden was the result of fraud. Multiple state and federal reviews have found no evidence of the sort of widespread fraud Trump claims, but Republican senators and House members plan to challenge the election result when Congress certifies it on Wednesday. Also read: Nancy Pelosi wants a commission to evaluate Trump's mental and physical health Pelosi, 80, the only woman to serve as US Speaker of the House, has been Trump's chief nemesis in Congress, and the two clashed bitterly over the past two years, particularly as she levelled impeachment charges against the president. Trump was impeached in December 2019, but the Senate acquitted him early in 2020. His successor, Joe Biden, takes office on January 20. With Pelosi scrambling to keep her post, it was a handful of progressive lawmakers and members-elect who have been critical of her leadership but ultimately voted for her on Sunday. Among them was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most high-profile Democrats in Washington, and incoming lawmaker Cori Bush, who is the first African-American woman to represent Missouri in Congress. There are normally 435 members of the House, but just 427 votes were cast Sunday as a few congressmen-elect are in quarantine due to Covid-19 and a tight House race in New York has yet to be formally decided. One congressman-elect from Louisiana, Luke Letlow, died of complications from Covid-19 last week, days before he was due to be sworn in. That leaves Democrats with one of the slimmest House majorities in two decades, 222 to 211 with two vacancies, as they navigate the remaining few weeks of Trump and carry into the Biden presidency. On a day that was anything but conventional, Republican Chip Roy interrupted the swearing-in process to ask that the delegations from the six swing states where Trump has contested the election results not be seated Sunday as House members. Pelosi dispensed with the effort by holding a vote that affirmed her right to swear in all members.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi wins re-election as US Speaker of the House with slim majority