The House Adjourned Without Electing A Speaker As Kevin McCarthy Failed To Convice GOP Representatives
On a day with a lot of political drama, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy tried many times but failed to become Speaker of the US House of Representatives. On Tuesday evening, the house adjourned without electing a speaker, the first time this had happened since the first round of elections in 1923.
Author:Hajra ShannonReviewer:Paula M. GrahamJan 04, 20231.1K Shares96.9K Views
On a day with a lot of political drama, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy tried many times but failed to become Speaker of the US House of Representatives.
On Tuesday evening, the House adjourned without electing a speaker, the first time this had happened since the first round of elections in 1923.
The beginning of a new Congress was meant to be the Republican Party's victory lap after winning control of the lower chamber in the elections held in November. Instead, he encountered an internal uprising and made history for all the wrong reasons.
Why Is Kevin McCarthy Failing To Achieve The Votes?
The California congressman has so far lost three consecutive votes for speaker, and it's uncertain how he might succeed when the House reconvenes on Wednesday. They will keep voting until a majority is reached.
Analysts caution that even if Mr. McCarthy finds a way, the unrest on the House floor portends a turbulent two years of conflict between moderate and right-wing Republicans.
If the Republicans can't run the House well, the House may not be able to do some of its most important jobs, like pass spending bills or raise the debt ceiling.
Negotiations gave him a weak appearance.Republicans narrowly took control of the House in November; therefore, Mr. McCarthy's campaign to become Speaker was successful with a small margin of victory. That made it possible for a group of staunch conservatives to unite and reject his nomination.
Republicans who follow politics claim that the gap has been building for a while.
McCarthy engaged in conversations with those who oppose him because they believe he is too mainstream and power-hungry, making concessions in an effort to earn their support. He apparently agreed to amend the House rules at one time to make it simpler to remove a Speaker who is in office, giving his rivals a significant check on his authority.
His Adversaries Grow More Confident
On Tuesday, it became apparent that the strategy was fruitless.
Mr. McCarthy failed to receive the necessary 218 votes in three consecutive votes. Republicans currently command 222 seats, but a group of 19 hard-right Republicans have united to oppose him. They disagree with Mr. McCarthy on intellectual and personal grounds, but they also see a chance to take advantage of the Republican Party's slim majority to compel him to make further compromises.
Representative Bob Good, a Republican from Virginia, assured reporters on Tuesday that they will "never back down."
Even after the on-the-floor action was over, the fists continued to fly.
Matt Gaetz, one of the rebels, fired back at a Republican colleague who referred to the right-wing group as the "Taliban 20."
Just moments after Representative Jim Jordan proposed Mr. McCarthy for Speaker, they even nominated Mr. Jordan's challenger, Rep. Jim Jordan, in one of the day's most dramatic moments.
In the third round of voting, even though Mr. Jordan, a prominent member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, asked Republicans to "unite around" Mr. McCarthy, 20 Republicans still voted for Mr. Jordan, denying Mr. McCarthy the victory.
In the meantime, Democrats stuck together behind their party's new leader, New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries.
A few couldn't resist publicly making fun of their Republican counterparts' trying afternoon. Democrats were "breaking the popcorn out," claimed one congressman, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, in a tweet that included a picture of the snack as proof.
McCarthy Seems To Lose The Sixth Vote For House Speaker
Kevin McCarthy, the leader of the House GOP, suffered his sixth defeat in his campaign to become speaker, capping off two exhausting days that did not go well for him.
Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida compared his sixth nomination to "Groundhog Day" and urged other Republicans to get together and advance the interests of the American people.
But some members of his own party who didn't agree with him fought back, led by conservative Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.
Without a speaker, the House can't choose committee chairs, swear in new members, or move forward with bills.
What Choices Does McCarthy Currently Have?
Theoretical speculation about how this could all turn out has started among political analysts in Washington. Their forecasts to the BBC ranged from the realistic (Mr. McCarthy fights through and prevails, but leaves the contest very depleted) to the completely improbable (he bows out and backs his second-in-command, Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana). One suggestion was almost fantastical (five Republicans decide to vote for Mr. Jeffries, a Democrat, and give him control of the House).
Right now, according to Ruth Bloch Rubin, a political scientist at the University of Chicago who specializes in polarization, Mr. McCarthy is "basically prisoner to one wing of his party."
Although Mr. McCarthy has vowed to stop making concessions, he might not have a choice. In order to get lawmakers to change their minds, he might offer them good committee jobs or new leadership positions.
Aaron Cutler, a lobbyist who had worked for former congressman Eric Cantor, another politician who was overthrown by conservative opposition, said, "He's got to give the people who are against him something to hang their hat on." However, the second Republican lobbyist was of the opinion that there was "absolutely no path to victory, period."
On Wednesday, members will meet once more, although it's uncertain whether the impasse will end.
Hajra Shannon
Author
Paula M. Graham
Reviewer
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