McCarthy, GOP hope to break House speaker logjam after whiffing on Tuesday
Three times Tuesday, Republicans failed to elect a House Speaker. However, they will convene the House at noon Wednesday to try again.
Tuesday’s failure was the first time that the House had failed to elect a speaker since 1923. This was the only instance since before the Civil War.
It was much more than an historical anomaly. It caused a quick adjournment to give GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy’s group and members of House Freedom Caucus an opportunity to see if they could find a way forward.
Late Tuesday night, McCarthy received more than 12 pizzas to his office. This is a sign that McCarthy continues to strategize on how to get at least 218 votes.
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The speaker-aspirant reached 203 votes during the day, which was a significant increase from the 19 and 20 votes that were collected by Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio.
In the hope of reaching an agreement, the House GOP caucus met Wednesday morning.
If a path forward is to be found, agreement between the GOP camps could prove to be a crucial ingredient. Tuesday’s results showed just how much progress was possible when both sides wanted to force the other side into a series votes and hope that they would make some progress. Early Tuesday showed that it was not enough to turn the vote into a game.
McCarthy stated to reporters before the Tuesday morning meeting that “we’re going to have an excellent day.” However, the meeting was the beginning of a conflict within the party. Fox News Digital was informed by a spokesperson for Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) that McCarthy mumbled “this is bulls–” as McCarthy explained why he was the best candidate to lead the caucus.
McCarthy realized that he would not win the election on the first attempt, but he said that he was still in it for long-term.
McCarthy stated to reporters, “I’m going nowhere,” before the first vote. “We had an intense conference, but it was intense for a purpose.”
Reporters were also told by him that he was happy to set a record for how many votes are needed to win the givenl. This prediction was fulfilled shortly after noon.
Stefanik stated that “Under Kevin McCarthy’s leadership, House Republicans crafted an bold vision to get America back on track.” Kevin McCarthy is the only person in this body who has done more for the Republican majority than anyone else.”
However, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) was nominated in the second round as an alternative Republican candidate for McCarthy. This followed McCarthy’s challenge at a GOP conference meeting in late last year.
Nineteen Republicans voted in favor of a member other than McCarthy in the first round. Ten for Biggs, six to Jordan, and three for other members.
In solidarity, Jordan nominated McCarthy for the second round. However, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) nominated Jordan.
Gaetz stated that “Maybe the right person to be the speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants the job so badly.” “Maybe the right person to be the speaker of the House is not someone who has sold shares for more than a decade in order to obtain it.
In the second round, nineteen Republicans voted in favor of Jordan.
Rep. Steve Scalise (Republican from Louisiana) nominated McCarthy in third round votes. However, the outcome was slightly less favorable for McCarthy. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) joined the 19 Republicans for Jordan in the third round. He said that McCarthy doesn’t have enough votes to flip the election.
Donalds tweeted, “The truth is Rep. Kevin McCarthy does not have the votes.” “I pledged my support to him publicly, and for two votes in the House floor. Two hundred eighteen is the number and no one is currently there. The conference must pause and regroup to find someone or determine the next steps.
McCarthy’s opposition faces the same problem. McCarthy’s supporters appear to be firm, but they have not won more than 20 votes.
Fox News was informed that there is no precedent in House history where a nominee for speaker could withdraw. History shows that McCarthy and his allies must find the right combination to win over 15 reluctant Republicans or lose to a candidate who can emerge from the infighting as the consensus candidate.
Democrats seemed to enjoy the spectacle, and they unanimously supported Rep. Hakeem Jeffreys, D-N.Y. three times in succession. When Jeffries was nominated, Democrats were chanting “Hakeem!” over and over again, demonstrating a unity that has so far been lacking in the GOP.
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