Kevin McCarthy was in a battle for his political life after nearly losing the first vote to be elected Speaker of the House on Tuesday.
With the votes still being tallied on Tuesday afternoon, at least 15 Republicans were voting against McCarthy’s bid for the presidency, and will likely grab the gavel if lawmakers don’t change sides. It was mathematically impossible for McCarthy to get the 218 votes needed for
A subsequent vote was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, but it remained unclear whether McCarthy could improve his turnout and achieve the simple majority needed to become Speaker. is obligated to elect a chairman and cannot begin to govern until a chairman has been elected.
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill ahead of the vote after a “fierce” meeting Tuesday morning, McCarthy lashed out at Republican lawmakers who have so far refused to support his bid to become Speaker of the House. did. Prioritize individual interests over political parties or nations.
“There [are] Just an hour before the House was scheduled to vote to elect a new Speaker, McCarthy said: “We are not giving certain members more power than others.”
A 57-year-old Congressman from California, McCarthy is the highest-ranking Republican in the House and has long been touted as the House’s most likely successor. Nancy Pelosithe Democratic Speaker of the House giving away the gavel after her party lost a majority in last year’s midterm elections.
While an overwhelming majority of House Republicans backed McCarthy’s bid, a vocal minority voted against McCarthy after the relatively disappointing results of the November midterm elections. Threatening to ruin ambitions.
The Republicans won enough to regain control of the House of Representatives, but the “red wave” McCarthy predicted did not materialize. At the same time, Democrats expanded their majority in the Senate of Congress after taking seats in Pennsylvania.
All 435 members of the House of Representatives will participate in the first session of the new legislature, voting for the Speaker. A simple majority, or at least 218 votes if the entire House is present, is required to elect a Speaker.
McCarthy has struggled for months to bolster his support amid opposition from various factions within the GOP caucus, including ultraconservatives and lawmakers who are unflinchingly loyal to former President Donald Trump. I’ve been
McCarthy’s relationship with Trump has been openly loyal over the years, with Trump frequently referring to the congressman as “my Kevin.” McCarthy reportedly said, “I hung out with this guy” after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, and weeks later, met Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump endorsed McCarthy’s run for chairman last year.
In recent weeks, McCarthy has sought to strengthen his position within the party by brokering deals aimed at meeting the demands of various opponents.
Over the weekend, he released a package of proposed rules to change House procedures. But on Sunday night, a group of nine Republican lawmakers released an open letter saying the changes hadn’t gone far enough. They want more concessions to make it easier to vote no confidence in future speakers.
Many in Congress are prepared for the process to continue for days until McCarthy either gains enough support or eventually resigns in favor of another candidate. Steve Scalise supports his boss’s proposal, but he is seen as the most likely alternative to secure 218 votes should McCarthy fail.
Democratic House leaders have so far rejected suggestions to move in support of McCarthy or to rally support around another Republican candidate. California congressman Ted Liu tweeted a picture of himself holding a bag of popcorn. Posted.
