Ryan reelected Speaker in near-unanimous GOP vote

Updated 1:44

Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi are both basically winners today.

Ryan is the bigger winner. While the Speaker certainly would prefer to have not had a single defection, losing just one vote is a huge victory since just last year he lost nine votes in the House Speaker election from his own party.

Before Donald Trump’s win in the presidential election, members of Ryan’s own conference were at least talking about voting against him. That talk completely died down after the election, and only Rep. Thomas Massie cast a GOP ballot against Ryan on Tuesday.

Pelosi lost only four votes, which suggests that she retains an iron grip on her caucus — despite terrible results in last year’s election for Democrats up and down the ballot. 

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) ran a relatively strong challenge against Pelosi in the internal Democratic caucus vote last year, but it appeared most Democrats wanted to rally around their longtime leader in Tuesday’s vote.

Big day for Ryan

Updated 1:40 p.m.

With the vote closing up, there’s only one GOP defection from Paul Ryan as Speaker.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is the only Republican who voted against Ryan in 2015 to vote against him again on Tuesday.

Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) just backed Ryan.

Fourth Pelosi defection

Updated 1:34

Rep. Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.) is the fourth Democrat to cast a vote against Pelosi. She votes for Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)

It doesn’t look like Pelosi’s total defections will reach the total of nine Republicans who voted against Ryan in 2015, however.

Third Pelosi defection

Updated 1:29 p.m.

Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) is the third Democrat to vote against Pelosi and the second to cast a vote for Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). 

Kids for Pelosi

Updated 1:29 p.m.

Pelosi, seated in the chamber with a pair of kids on her lap, called a third child seated across the aisle on the lap of Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) as she stood to vote. The four said “Pelosi” in unison.”

Updated 1:26 p.m.

A number of Democrats who had backed Tim Ryan in his unsuccessful challenge of Pelosi in December rallied behind her in Tuesday’s Speaker vote. Those lawmakers included Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Beto O’Rourke (Texas) and Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.). 

Updated 1:21

And there you have it.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) becomes the first Republican to vote for someone as Speaker other than Paul Ryan.

He casts his ballot for former Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), who also received votes for Speaker in the last Speakership election.

Massie’s vote is not a surprise, but could deprive Ryan of what looked like it might be a unanimous vote from his conference. 

Second Pelosi defection

Updated 1:14

So far it is two Pelosi defections and zero Paul Ryan defections. 

Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) just became the second member of his party to defect. He voted for Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), who earlier voted Rep. Tim Ryan.

Meanwhile, frequent leadership critic Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) backed Paul Ryan.

 

Gohmert backs Ryan

Updated 1:08

Another key vote for Ryan as Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) backs him.

Scott Wong @scottwongDC 1m We’re in the Gs and there are still no GOP defections against Ryan. Even Gohmert voted for Ryan

Cooper backs Tim Ryan

Updated 1:00 p.m.

And we’ve got our first defection. 

Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), one of the last conservative Blue Dog Democrats standing, casts his vote for Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who ran against Pelosi for Democratic leader in the caucus vote last year.

Cooper in the past has voted for former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican, for Speaker, as well as former Rep. Heath Shuler. 

Scott Wong @scottwongDC 42s Jim Cooper is first Dem to defect from Pelosi. Votes for Tim Ryan of Ohio instead

Brat backs Ryan

Updated 12:57

Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.), a frequent critic of leadership who unseated former GOP Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a primary, just voted for Ryan. 

It’s looking like a very good vote for the Speaker, who will be voted into his first full term today. Brat was one of just nine Republicans who voted for Rep. Daniel Webster (Fla.) instead of Ryan for Speaker in 2015.

 

Dems make ethics part of Speakership vote

Updated 12:52

Republicans stumbled on the first day of Congress by having to pull back on a proposal to gut an independent ethics office that investigates members of Congress.

Democrats are forcing them to hear about it.

Amash backs Ryan

Updated 12:50

Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), a frequent Ryan critic, backs the Wisconsin Republican for Speaker.

 

Vote begins

Updated 12:49

The election for House Speaker is done alphabetically and begins with Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.), who votes for Ryan.

Crowley, McMorris Rodgers offer nominating speeches

Updated: 12:46

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) gave the speech nominating Paul Ryan for Speaker, while Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) nominated Nancy Pelosi. 

Ex-VP Cheney attends Speakership vote

Updated: 12:09 p.m.

Families of new and current members of Congress frequently attend its first day.

On Tuesday, the onlookers included former Vice President Dick Cheney. He’s on hand to see his daughter Liz become a member of Congress. 

First order of business: Picking a Speaker

The House’s first order of business in the new 115th Congress is picking a Speaker.

The outcome of Tuesday’s vote is already largely decided. The public roll call on the House floor will hand Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan his first full, two-year term as Speaker of the House.

{mosads}Republicans, poised to control the entire federal government for the first time in a decade, are in no mood for the intraparty warfare that defined recent Congresses.

But some questions remain.

Will Ryan be able to keep his GOP defections below the 10 he experienced during his 2015 Speaker’s bid? And how many disgruntled Democrats will defect from Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) following her party’s disastrous showing at the polls?

Reporters for The Hill will answer these and other questions on this live blog as members cast their vote for Speaker.