Hardline Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives repeatedly blocked fellow Republican Kevin McCarthy's bid to become the chamber's powerful speaker, leaving the chamber leaderless and plunging their new majority into turmoil, Reuters reports.
In the first day of what could prove to be a brutal showdown between about 20 hardliners and the other 202 members of the Republican caucus, McCarthy failed in three ballots to achieve the 218 votes needed to become speaker, a role second in line to the Oval Office after the vice president.
It was a disconcerting start for the new Republican majority and highlights the challenges the party could face over the next two years, heading into the 2024 presidential election. Their slim 222-212 majority gives greater clout to a small group of hardliners, who want to focus on dealing defeat to Democrats and pushing investigations of President Joe Biden's administration and family.
Louisiana representative Steve Scalise nominated McCarthy to stand in the third round of voting, making an impassioned speech for action on issues important to working Americans.
“We've attempted to bring bills on this floor to address inflation, to lower the cost of goods,” Scalise said. “Those bills were rejected by the previous majority. And I use that term for a reason. Previous majority, because we won a majority talking about fixing those problems. But we can't start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy as our next speaker.”
McCarthy, 57, from California, knew he faced an uphill climb heading into Tuesday's vote and had vowed to continue to force votes, but the chamber on Tuesday evening voted to adjourn until noon ET (1700 GMT) on Wednesday (January 04), a move that would give Republicans time to discuss other candidates.
Popular conservative Representative Jim Jordan, 58, from Ohio, won 20 votes in the last ballot of the day, far from the 218 threshold to become speaker but enough to stop McCarthy.
A protracted speaker election could undermine House Republicans' hopes of moving forward quickly on investigations and legislative priorities that include the economy, U.S. energy independence and border security.
The chamber's top Democrat, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, bested McCarthy in all three votes. In the day's final tally, Jeffries led McCarthy 212 to 202 votes. A majority of those voting, not a plurality, is needed to determine a speaker.
A standoff would leave the House largely paralyzed and could force lawmakers to consider another Republican candidate. In addition to Jordan, incoming Majority Leader Scalise, 57, was seen as a possibility.
The last time the House failed to elect a speaker on the first ballot was 1923.
