New Congress Re-Elects John Boehner as Speaker

Despite a mini-revolt among Republicans, Boehner begins his next term focusing on the U.S. debt.

Republican John Boehner was re-elected as speaker, as the new 113^th Congress convened at noon EST Thursday. Before the vote, Boehner appeased angry Northeast lawmakers with the promise of a vote on $9 billion in Hurricane Sandy storm relief on Friday and another vote on a remaining $51 billion in aid to take place on Jan. 15. He won a second, two-year term as leader with 220 votes.

In his speech before members of the House, Boehner affirmed that tackling the nation’s burden of debt is his first priority. “We have to be willing—truly willing—to make this right,” he said. President Barack Obama, however, has been addressing immigration and is expected to highlight the issue in the first State of the Union address of his new term. While neither Boehner nor Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D.-Nev., mentioned immigration in their opening speeches, many politicians are watching the president closely—after witnessing him receive 71 percent of the Hispanic vote in winning his re-election to the Oval Office. (AP)

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