It was a little too close for comfort, but John Boehner will remain Speaker of the House.

In today's (Thursday) vote, Boehner got 220 votes -- eight fewer than he received two years ago. The defectors were generally fiscal conservatives unhappy with the compromise "fiscal cliff" bill. Boehner had also been under fire for canceling a vote on superstorm Sandy relief, though no Republicans from the Northeast voted against him.

After accepting the position, Boehner urged Congress to focus on the deficit, saying "Our government has built up too much debt. Our economy is not producing enough jobs. These are not separate problems."