The contest for the next Speaker of the US House of Representatives will drag into a fourth day after lawmakers voted to suspend proceedings on Thursday evening following the 11th electoral defeat for Republican Kevin McCarthy amid a grueling impasse in Washington.
Despite a last-ditch effort by McCarthy to quell the opposition and secure the necessary votes to become Speaker of the House, 20 Republicans voted for him, short of the majority needed to hold the Speaker’s gavel.
The ongoing gridlock has exposed long-standing tensions within the Republican party and raised questions about how lawmakers can forge a path forward. McCarthy has rejected calls for him to resign in favor of another Republican, and Democrats have rejected suggestions that they could support McCarthy or work with Republicans to elect a different Speaker.
A majority of lawmakers agreed to adjourn late Thursday, setting the stage for a new round of elections when they resume at noon on Friday. House members began voting on Tuesday but failed to reach a consensus.
The lower house of Congress is constitutionally required to elect a Speaker and cannot proceed with making laws until someone is given the gavel.
McCarthy has made history with a succession of consecutive votes, becoming the first Speaker candidate to require more than one round of elections in 100 years. In 1923, nine rounds of voting were required.
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Some of the rebels have personal grievances with McCarthy, while others have demanded a change in the rules that would make it easier to oust the Speaker.
After months of negotiations, it appeared on Thursday that McCarthy had given in to those demands, agreeing to change the rules so that only one member of the House could vote a vote of no confidence. But the changes could not move the dial and get him closer to securing the 218 votes needed to win a simple majority in the chamber.
Republicans took back control of the House of Representatives in the November midterm elections. But McCarthy found himself in a difficult position as the predicted “red wave” did not materialize and the Republicans controlled the chamber by a slim margin, and he could not see some rebels.
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Late Wednesday, the Club for Growth, an ultra-low tax group, and the Congressional Leadership Fund, a fundraising vehicle aligned with McCarthy, said they had made a deal with the latter not to spend money on an open Republican primary in a safe seat. . The agreement is seen as a victory for right-wing Republicans who have taken issue with McCarthy’s efforts to support more centrist candidates in the past.
McCarthy got a real boost on Wednesday when Donald Trump, the former US president, issued a full endorsement of his candidacy, saying: “Now is the time for all GREAT Republican members of the House of Representatives to vote for KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, GIVE VICTORY.”
But Trump’s push has failed to sway his supporters, with the latest signal that his influence within the party is waning. Lauren Boebert, one of the Republican rebels, called Trump her “favorite president” but said she should call for McCarthy to resign.
Some of McCarthy’s allies also quietly urged the California congressman to get rid of a consensus candidate who could unify the party’s warring factions. Many public and private members suggested Steve Scalise, congressman from Louisiana and McCarthy’s representative, as an alternative.
At the same time, Democratic leaders have shown a willingness to end the stalemate, despite suggestions that Democrats may join a group of Republicans in support of an alternative Speaker candidate. However, Democrats have been united in their vote for Hakeem Jeffries, who took over as the party’s leader in the House after Nancy Pelosi said she would step down as leader.