Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy lost a historic 11th round of voting in his bid to become speaker of the House Thursday night, after his efforts to offer new concessions to members of his own party fell on deaf ears and the ‘impasse in Washington continued for some time. third day.
Despite McCarthy’s latest attempts to quell opposition and secure the votes he needs to be elected House speaker, 20 Republicans voted against him repeatedly on Thursday, depriving him of the simple majority needed to take the gavel.
The enduring gridlock exposed long-standing tensions in the Republican party and raised questions about how lawmakers might chart a path forward. McCarthy has resisted calls to step down in favor of another Republican, and Democrats have resisted suggestions that they might support McCarthy or work with Republicans to select a different speaker.
At the same time, most lawmakers opposed the adjournment on Thursday afternoon, setting the stage for the possibility of failed votes continuing throughout the night.
The lower house of Congress is constitutionally required to select a speaker and cannot pass legislation until someone gets the gavel.
McCarthy has made history with the relentless succession of votes, becoming the first presidential candidate to require more than one round of voting in 100 years. In 1923, nine rounds of voting were required.
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Some of the rebels have personal grievances with McCarthy, while others have demanded rule changes that would make it easier to impeach the president.
After months of negotiations, McCarthy appeared Thursday to have capitulated to those demands, agreeing to change the rules so that only one member of the House could call a vote of no confidence. But the changes did little to move the dial closer to getting the 218 votes needed for a simple majority in the chamber.
Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections. But McCarthy is in such a tough position because the “red tide” he predicted failed to materialize and Republicans control the chamber by a slim margin, leaving him indebted to a small number of rebels.
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Late Wednesday, the Club for Growth, the ultra-low-tax group, and the Congressional Leadership Fund, a fundraising vehicle aligned with McCarthy, said they had reached an agreement under which McCarthy would not spend money on Republican primaries open in safe seats. . The deal was seen as a victory for right-wing Republicans who have rejected McCarthy’s efforts to support more centrist candidates in the past.
McCarthy had received an apparent boost earlier Wednesday when Donald Trump, the former US president, issued a full endorsement of her candidacy, saying: “Now is the time for all of our great Republican members of the House to VOTE FOR KEVIN, LET’S CLOSE THE DEAL, PRESENT THE VICTORY.”
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But Trump’s push did little to sway dissidents, in the latest sign that his influence over the party is waning. Lauren Boebert, one of the Republican rebels, called Trump her “favorite president” but said she should urge McCarthy to step down.
Some of McCarthy’s allies have also quietly called for the California congressman to step aside in favor of a consensus candidate who can unite the party’s warring factions. Many members have publicly and privately suggested Steve Scalise, a congressman from Louisiana and McCarthy’s deputy, as an alternative.
At the same time, Democratic leaders have shown little willingness to help end the gridlock, despite suggestions that Democrats could join with a group of Republicans to support an alternative presidential candidate. Instead, Democrats have come together to vote for Hakeem Jeffries, who took over as House leader after Nancy Pelosi said she would step down as leader.