Your telephone provider. Earlier today, House Republicans held a briefing with reporters following their leadership Election Results for the upcoming 117th congress. We begin with current minority leader, kevin mccarthy, who was show thed so stay on in that position next january. Mr. Mccarthy thank you all very much. Its an honor to stand here today with this team. Supported by our colleagues, to lead the republican conference in the 117th congress. I want to congratulate mike johnson and richard hudson, who is new to our team, and representing with the rest of our colleagues. Over the past two years our country has faced unbelievable challenges. Through every obstacle i couldnt be prouder of the priorities of this conference. I can say without a doubt this is the most united and energized republican conference ive been associated with. We made a commitment to america that we would work to restore our way of life, rebuild the greatest economy, and renew the american dream. Weve also worked to keep america safe. After democrat leadership failed and bailed on our ability to work on the china t. S. A. , we wented for whelm task force, we went forward without them. To be a comprehensive blueprint to make sure we continue that america to the next century is ours, that we bring back the work, the jobs and the infrastructure into america. These efforts, contrasted with the dangerous democrat agenda, delivered a historic political upset. Fueled by conservative women, minorities and veterans. As you all know, everybody predicted that the republicans would lose 15 to 20 seats. Not one incumbent lost. On the democrat side, more than a dozen lost. Much of that could be caused by nancy pelosi holding up any covid relief bill, simply for playing politics, or spending their time Defunding Police or wasting their entire majority on an impeachment. Republicans always focused on putting the people first, before politics. And we will continue to do that work. And this next congress, we might not be able to schedule the floor, but we are going to run the floor. With that, id like to turn it over to our whip, steve scalise. Mr. Scalise thank you, kevin i also want to congratulate our leadership team, it truly is an honor to be going into this next congress with such a great kevin, our Leader Conference chair, liz. Of course gary coming back as policy and for richard coming in as well, welcome to you. Tom emmer is also going to be joining our team again, as the nrcc chair. I think hes probably out recruiting right now for the 2022 class thats going to get us back into the majority. Its been a battle the last two years to fight for the hardworking families of this country, that felt left behind by washington for so long. And we delivered a lot of wins for them. But there are still big issues left unresolved. Id like to see us in these next few months get another relief package in these next few days, really, get another leaf package for those hardworking businesses that are literally hanging on by a vine. Those Small Businesses that weve been trying to help get another round of p. P. E. , for giveable loans so, we can save millions more jobs and Speaker Pelosi for whatever reason chose not to bring a bill to the floor that has wide bipartisan support. Hopefully she reconsiders and does that. Really over the next two years, we know what this fight for the future direction of our country is going to be about. Its truly a battle between freedom and socialism. And you saw voters across the country and all kinds of districts reject the socialist agenda that Speaker Pelosi pushed for these last two years. Shes going to have a tough decision to make. Does she continue catering to the most radical far left elements of her conference, or does she work with republicans to get things done for hardworking families . Its going to be a choice shell have to make as speaker, but were not going to stop fighting for those hardworking families that make america work, that still are counting on us to Work Together for them. So were going to continue battling for those hardworking families and fighting for those free market ideas that has always made america the greatest country in the world. Ill turn it over now to our newly reelected conference chair, liz cheney. Ms. Cheney thank you, steve. Its really an honor to be here with our leader and our whip, with mike johnson, our newly elected vice chair, gary palmer, reelected as policy chair. And richard hudson, who is going to be our conference secretary. Weve just come from our leadership elections and the feeling in the room and the enthusiasm and the excitement about where we are and about the hard work ahead of us, the momentum and the energy to get that work done has been really remarkable. We have a tremendous class of incoming members, many of whom themselves have fought these challenges that were fighting now. Weve got four members of the incoming class who were born, whose families came to the United States from socialist countries, who have lived firsthand what it means when the government takes power away from the people. And when people lose their freedom. We are all absolutely committed to continue to fight against that and to make sure that the kinds of results that we saw in the house across this country are replicated and expanded in 2024. We also are committed to making sure that we do the work the American People sent us here to do. As the leader and the whip said, the speaker time and time again has proven that shes more concerned with placating the far left of her party than she is with actually getting things done for the American People. Whether youre talking about covid, whether youre talking about health care generally, the extent to which theyve embraced socialism across the board. So were committed to doing the work our constituents sent us here to do, to diagnose it together in a unified way to doing it together in a unified way so we can deliver, again, in a majority in 2022. With that, im going to turn things back over to our leader. Mr. Mccarthy gary, want to say a few words . Im really looking forward to the opportunity to serve as policy chair. Kevin provided great leadership in working with us to develop the commitment to america. And its resulted in historic gains in the house for us. Incredible diversity. We really reflect america. Theres one part thats not part of our conference and thats the socialists. We have a conference that represents what most americans want to see. A conference thats committed to putting American Families and workers first. m proud to be a part of it. Thank you. Richard hudson from north carolina. Housing and urban Development Im honored to be mr. Hudson im honored to be part of this leadership team. I represent someone who had to win a tough election to come back. I understand what it takes to win back this majority. And ill be a voice for all the folks in our conference. Im very excited about working together in one unified message about what conservative principles can do to make america better for all americans and i believe that message is whats going to put us back in the majority in two years. Thank you. Mr. Johnson thanks. Mike johnson of louisiana. We have a strong leadership team. We had a very encouraging meeting with all the new republican members. We filled the whole ballroom over at the hyatt. This is a really exciting time for us. We know we have a fateful two years ahead of us and were ready for the challenge. I mentioned to my colleagues just a simple thought that comes from Ronald Reagan and he is the one that reminded our party that its time for us to raise a banner. He said of no pale pastels but of bold colors. We need to make sure that the people know, we need to be unmistakeably clear where we stand on issues that are troubling all the people. We live in troubling times. But were very confident in our answers and were going to paint with bold colors and were going to lead this country out of this. Were going to get the majority back and we think our best days are ahead of us. Grateful to be a part of the team. Thanks, kevin. Mr. Mccarthy thank you all. As you can see, our party, especially the incoming class, is more diverse than weve ever been. Thats what makes us only stronger. E won from miami to new york to defeating a Committee Chair in minnesota, to iowa, to california. Even the speakers home state. But im proud to say its my home state too. We still have a couple more seats out there. Gaining in new jersey. I think our numbers are going to be well in the way to over 210. Thats going to be an exciting next two years. But we have work to do now as well. Hopefully Speaker Pelosi has put aside her partisanship and will put the American Public first. When we departed last, we have a discharge petition on the floor, for all those people who work for a small business, the billions of dollars that are sitting there that can still be used or billions of dollars sitting there for the states. I know Speaker Pelosi had held a number of her democrats not to sign that discharge petition. If she wont act, we still should. All they have to do is sign the discharge petition. The bill can come to the floor. They want to vote against it, vote against it. But i watched what they said in their rhetoric back home. Nows the opportunity for them to keep their word. So with that, let me open it up for questions, comments . Reporter how do you square the impressive gains that House Republicans have made in states all over the place with the president s claims of all these widespread voter fraud irregular larities and so forth . I assume the same elections that were useful for you in california and minnesota and florida werent also, you know, fraudinfested pits of illegality. Mr. Mccarthy i think from one aspect, ive always believed that every legal vote should be recounted. Every recount should be finished, just as theyre going to do in iowa. Just as were watching in new jersey, new jersey seven, where the a. P. Had called the race and now they had to pull it back. I think what the president s saying, the same exact thing. Let every legal vote be counted. Weve watched races that were ahead on in pennsylvania all of a sudden sean parnell come from behind, when he was ahead by thousands of votes. Weve watched races on the recount, lets finish them all. We have two in california still going forward. So it takes time. I think all the president is saying is, lets make sure we take the time that these races arest and accurate in the process. Thats all. Reporter will you do anything differently in the future as regards to encouraging republicans to vote by mail if they think thats the safest way to do it . I mean, weve seen these shifts as votes have been counted that came in late. Mr. Mccarthy as we sit back and look, i think we need some uniform when it comes to elections. Absentee ballots have some protection to it. When you mail everybody a ballot thats on the rolls, we know theres problems. We watched in l. A. More than a Million People on the rolls that dont even live there in that process. I watched in my own community the number of ballots that were sent to people who were dead, who no longer live there. You want the accuracy. I think thats something we have to be able to work through. Some states mailed to everybody. I actually vote by absentee. But i have to apply for it. They check my signature. They second me the ballot after i have applied for it. When i send my ballot back in, my signatures on it, they check the signature before they open. I thank those i think those type of measures are very important. And the process of voting in person. In california, you dont have to show an. I d. But i have to show an i. D. To get on an airplane. I think theres a number of things after this election, not based upon a republican or democrat, just from an accuracy point of view, i think we should sit down with a number of secretary of states and people across this nation and find a way that we can make sure we do this in a more secure and accurate way, theyre vote is counted. Reporter what do you see your role as, as a minority, a large minority, with the president of the opposite party . Is it similar to you what saw it as in 2009 . Mr. Mccarthy i think it makes no difference. Our role is to make sure americas stronger. Make sure americas secure. Our first and foremost, we have what we need to do in the commitment to america. We need to defeat this virus. Thats why we voted for operation warp speed. This is why we have two vaccines already in the process and more coming onboard. We want to make sure we secure and make our streets safer. So dont defund the police but add to it. We have an infrastructure bill, we have a bill that actually builds on our economy, to add 10 million new jobs. The challenge will be, well work with anybody who is in that office, but if they have a difference of opinion, weve got to were going to have to find common ground. Were not for socialism or higher taxes. We will fight every step of the way. Reporter joe biden has positioned himself as somebody who is uniquely qualified to break a log jam that he sees existed on capitol hill. Im curious what your reaction so that. Mr. Mccarthy well reporter thats the calling card of his campaign pretty much. Right . Mr. Mccarthy well. His calling card of the campaign, if i listened to what former President Joe Biden said former president obama said is, theres no difference between joe biden and bernie sanders. Ify watched what joe biden as a candidate said, he probably pretty much vendored to the socialist, letting them write the Green New Deal and others. Im not sure. He was against fracking, then he said he was for it. Im not sure which one showed up in the process. And if the election gets called in the manner of the way its driving, well have to have that question. Answered. Yes. Reporter could you characterize how you see the party being different, moving beyond President Trump in february, and if i could ask a followup, on serious negotiations, [indiscernible] planning on being in a room with Speaker Pelosi negotiating, either before or after january . Mr. Mccarthy we would negotiate with anyone. The challenge is, ive been through more than four of these negotiations, which ended in getting legislation from the cares act and forward. Every time when all the leaders were in the room, we were able to make an agreement. The only time it has failed is when Speaker Pelosi has taken control. Did it fail on purpose . I would say yes, that was her plan from the start. To harm the economy in the hopes that the hopes of feeting President Trump. The election is over. I now would hope they would put the American Public first. That would be the critical part. I think the four leaders were in the room, we could probably get to an agreement. The difficulty, you watched the administration themselves prior offering her more than 1. 5 trillion and she declined it. Why . She said, when you want to quote her back, i might not got get the quote right, she doesnt want any checks going out with President Trumps name on it. She doesnt want the president to get any credit. Shouldnt you foremost think if youre a speaker of the house, not about who gets the credit, but about what help will go to the American Public . For those who are unemployed, for those Small Businesses that have a dream and watching it collapse simply because government is shutting them down. Or to those employees that they strive to want to pay when you have p. P. P. Money already sitting here appropriated but youre holding it up time and again. Those are the real challenges should end. Well work with anybody to make that happen. But the unique part is, even if the speaker continues to play games, theres an opportunity because everybody in congress is elected by their own constituency, they can sign a discharge petition and make something happen. The question is, would we work with them . 39 times from this summer forward we put bills on the floor with an opportunity to vote, when it came to relief packages. 39 times the democrats have defeated it. So the question really probably isnt to us. The question is to them. Reporter the first question, if you could characterize how you think the party may look different moving beyond President Trump. Mr. Mccarthy youre assuming President Trump is moving on. I think the president , regardless of whether hes president again or citizen trump, i think he will continue to play a part in this nation. I look at the number of members who got elected. They got elected under President Trump. The president helped them get elected in the process as well. And we expanded the party. So how is the party going to look different . Its going to look broader. Its going to reach more people than it reached before. Its going to expand like we havent seen. From new americans to first generations, to the expansion throughout. I think youre going to continue to see a desire to put america on a path where the next centuries is ours, that we have rebuilt our military, to continue that, to make it stronger. Despite what the progressives would want to do on the opposite side. Weve watched that weve looked forward in making our streets safe and secure, despite what the other side will want to do about defunding of the police. We watch what had weve been able to do with criminal justice, despite what joe biden had done as a senator, by locking more people up, just based upon the color of their skin. So, yeah, well continue to build on all those things that we believe in. Yes. Reporter at what point do you think its appropriate for President Trump to concede the election . Mr. Mccarthy i think when the election gets called in the process of the states. Just as we have a number of seats inside the house that are still counting. So if you ask my opinion, i think every legal vote needs to be counted. I think every recall needs to be finished and every legal challenge needs to be heard. When those are all done, yeah, thats the appropriate time that youll know the outcome of the election. Reporter a followup as well. Do you have any comment on the president s recent decision today on troop withdrawal from the middle east . Mr. Mccarthy we want to make sure that we honor those who have fought and we honor our sacrifices but also our victories within at the same time. We want to make sure there are enough individuals still there that can protect the embassies, protect the games that we have made gains that we have made. Were just coming through a part, this is something the president had planned to do. I think at the end of the time, youll still see a number of american troops there. For security. Youll see others from nato participate as well. We want to see democracy continue to grow. So thank you very much. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National able satellite corp. 2020] House Democrats also held a News Conference today. This runs half an hour. Mr. Jeffries good morning, everyone. Thank you for your patience. Its great to be back here in the United States capitol. We had our first caucus meeting this morning. We did it virtually. Subsequent to the november elections