After Kevin McCarthy continued to be defeated in numerous rounds of votes on Thursday, the House adjourned for the third consecutive day without having elected a new speaker.
History Made
As the weekend approaches, we can no longer refer to this as the longest House Speaker election in a century. Now that nine ballots have been cast, tying the procedure of 1923, this is the longest election in 164 years.
McCarthy’s campaign for speaker was thwarted by around 20 fellow Republicans when he lost 11 House votes during the course of this week. McCarthy remarked that he has the longest floor address given. Based on that, he likes to make history books.
He was referring to an 8-hour-and-32-minute statement he delivered in November 2021 to block President Biden’s proposal to broaden the social safety net. He then continued by saying he was fine with proceedings taking longer than usual.
McCarthy also explained why disagreements were not settled by Tuesday, stating they attempted to fix it by January 3rd.
'IS THIS A GAME SHOW?': @seanhannity spars with Rep. Lauren Boebert over House speaker chaos as she defends her refusal to back Kevin McCarthy. https://t.co/C9Mvuxfb2s pic.twitter.com/hrpELKCkbi
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 5, 2023
McCarthy stated he is not worried about providing a single member the ability to call for a vote to unseat the speaker, based on the concessions he has made thus far. McCarthy responded by saying he is not afraid and would not be a weak speaker.
McCarthy further refuted that any members will forfeit committee assignments and stated there have not been any conversations involving the appointment of dissidents as subcommittee chairmembers.
Each lost vote raises the pressure on McCarthy to break the stalemate, but it is uncertain whether or not he will able to do so as his political future becomes progressively bleak.
.@RepChipRoy on the refusal to elect Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House:
"This is not personal…this is about the future of the country…"pic.twitter.com/uJuURkRHOV
— Tea Party Patriots (@TPPatriots) January 4, 2023
Even after offering significant concessions to his ultra-conservative opponents late on Wednesday, the California Republican has not yet secured the 218 votes necessary to win the gavel.
McCarthy’s status becomes increasingly precarious as the fight drags on due to the prospect of additional defections and a lack of faith in the Republican leader.
The GOP majority has maintained discussions in an effort to find a way ahead. As stated by a source familiar with the negotiations, McCarthy’s supporters and adversaries are pressing for a settlement by Thursday night in an effort to demonstrate progress.
They feel they have made substantial progress, but some issues are still being negotiated. Adding to the confusion is the reality that at least four Republican lawmakers will be leaving the city on Friday for various family-related reasons.
Voting Continues to Weekend
Several sources indicate that Roy and McCarthy’s allies, headed by Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, are close to coming to an understanding.
If they can reach a consensus, they would have enough votes to dismiss the chamber for the evening. However, McCarthy would still fall short of the required 218 votes, as other members’ objections remain unaddressed.
Legislators’ patience is growing thin and moderate Republicans have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the compromises.
