Congress’ House Speaker vote continues to stall. What will happen next?

Nearly the third day has passed and the US Congress remains undecided on the speaker of the House, making Republican Kevin McCarthy now losing the seventh round for even more votes.

Republicans remained unable to agree on the votes necessary to elect McCarthy or any other candidate. Democrats, on the other hand, have unanimously voted in New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. As Vox’s Ben Jacobs points out, there are four ways to settle in the current stymied situation: McCarthy makes concessions or concedes, the stalemate continues, or the Republicans and Democrats decide on a “unity candidate” – the latter seems far from possible.

This is the first time in 100 years that Congress has required it more than one ballot to elect a speaker. With McCarthy now losing on the seventh ballot, more important issues may remain.

“The speakership chaos can presage the catastrophic collapse of American governance through the debt ceiling and funding problems of the year – or at least a very tense situation until a deal can come out,” writes Vox’s Andrew Prokop.

On Thursday evening, McCarthy offered concessions that looked promising, but it was unclear whether the Republicans holding the vote were actually considering any alternatives.

In an effort to gain influence over legislation and undermine the speaker’s office, a small group of right-leaning GOP House members are keying the party’s ability to complete its first task as a newly GOP-led House.