Kevin McCarthy is in the midst of a battle over his political life on Tuesday after it appeared he would lose in the first vote to be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, putting him on the path to becoming the majority party leader. the first number to lose the early voting in a primaries. century.
With ballots still being counted Tuesday afternoon, at least 15 Republicans voted against McCarthy’s bid for the speaker job, leaving him mathematically unable to win 218 votes. votes needed to win the Speaker’s hammer unless the legislators switched sides.
Further votes are scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, though it remains unclear whether McCarthy will be able to improve his count and achieve the simple majority needed to become Speaker. According to the constitution, the House of Representatives must elect a Speaker and cannot begin running until one is chosen.
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill ahead of the vote after what he described as a “tense” meeting on Tuesday morning, McCarthy lashed out at Republican lawmakers who have so far rejected refused to support his bid to become Speaker of the House of Representatives, accusing them of putting personal interests above the party and the country.
“Over there [are] McCarthy said it was just an hour before the House was due to vote on a new Speaker. “We don’t empower some members over others.”
McCarthy, a 57-year-old congressman from California, is the highest-ranking Republican in the House, and has long been considered the most likely successor. Nancy PelosiSpeaker of the House of Representatives, who is making concessions after her party lost a majority in last year’s midterm elections.
While the vast majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives supported McCarthy’s bid, a vocal minority threatened to scupper his ambitions by voting against him after a relatable performance. disappointing in the midterm elections in November.
While the GOP won enough victories to regain control of the lower house of Congress, the “red wave” McCarthy predicted did not materialize. At the same time, Democrats expanded their majority in the Senate, the upper house of Congress, after ousting a seat in Pennsylvania.
All 435 members of the House participated in the vote for Speaker, the first business sequence for a new Parliament. A Speaker needs a simple majority, or at least 218 votes if the entire House is in attendance, to be elected.
McCarthy has for months struggled to gain support amid opposition from various factions in the Republican caucus, including ultraconservatives and lawmakers. loyal to former President Donald Trump.
McCarthy’s relationship with Trump has for years oscillated between public allegiance – Trump often refers to the congressman as “my Kevin” – and acrimony. McCarthy is said to have said “I had that with this guy” after the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, before posing for a photo with Trump smiling at his Mar-a resort- His Lago just a few weeks later. Trump last year endorsed McCarthy’s bid for Speaker.
In recent weeks, McCarthy has sought to strengthen his position in the party by crafting deals to meet the needs of many dissidents.
Over the weekend, he released a package of proposed rules to change House procedure. But on Sunday night, a group of nine Republican lawmakers released an open letter saying the changes haven’t gone far enough. They wanted more concessions so they could easily call a vote of no confidence in any future Speaker.
Many on Capitol Hill are bracing themselves for the possibility that the process could drag on for days, until McCarthy can garner enough support or eventually step aside to support a candidate. other member. While his deputy, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, backed his boss’ bid, he was seen as the most likely replacement to win 218 votes should McCarthy fail.
Democratic House of Representatives leaders have so far rejected any suggestions that they would move to help McCarthy, or rally their support around an alternative Republican candidate. Many Democratic lawmakers appeared to revel in the relative unity of their party on Tuesday, with some openly mocking Republican discord. Ted Lieu, the California congressman, posted a photo on Twitter of him holding a bag of popcorn.
