Democrats had every reason to be proud of their party on Friday night during the Republicans' slap-fight for Speaker of the House. Democrats remained united while Republicans fought each other, so much so that a fight almost broke out on the House floor.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the first Black leader of either major US political party, made his first speech as a part of the opening of the 118th Congress, and it was a doozy. It was inspiring, and it was riveting.
Jeffries honored Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi and touted Democratic legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act.
"We will never compromise on our principles," Jeffries said before listing an A through Z rundown of what Democrats support. When Jeffries got to the letter M, he said that Democrats believe in "maturity over Mar-a-Lago" and "quality of life over QAnon," taking a shot at the former President.
In total, it took an exhausting four days and 15 voting rounds before McCarthy secured the support needed to elevate him to the Speakership, despite the hard-line opposition from the far-right, including Reps. Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz.
It was a circus, and now that circus has a ringleader: Speaker McCarthy.
