WASHINGTON — On 5th ballot in 2 days, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (R, CA) again failed to gain enough support to win the Presidency of the House, with Congress on its 6th ballot. and threw the party into further turmoil. .
A core group of 20 Republicans voted for Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican sophomore from Florida. Rep. Byron Donalds publicly shifted his support from Mr. McCarthy on Tuesday.
Another Republican, Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, voted “now” after supporting McCarthy on the first three ballots. After his first two roll call votes he received 203 votes, McCarthy’s total came to his 201 votes.
With 222 Republicans in the House, McCarthy can afford to lose only a handful of Republicans to get the 218 votes he needs to take the gavel.
All 212 Democrats voted for their party’s incoming leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.).
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) renominated Donalds in the fifth ballot before asking McCarthy to withdraw the name.
Referring to former President Donald Trump in the House, Boubert said, “You got a call from my favorite president and he said you need to stop this.” I think the president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy, ‘Your Excellency, you don’t have the right to vote.
U.S. Representative Lauren Boubert (Republican-Colorado) addresses the House of Representatives on Day 2 of the House Speaker election at the Capitol in Washington, DC, January 4, 2023.
Wynn McNamee | Getty Images
Donalds and Jeffries were the first two black Americans to be nominated Speaker of the House.
Democrats can help McCarthy by withholding votes by reducing the number of votes McCarthy needs to win House Speaker. According to interceptBut former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrats, and others reportedly dismissed it as out of hand.
Pelosi told reporters outside the House floor on Wednesday that the Republican turmoil revealed “a lack of respect for this institution.”
“There is a lack of respect for the oath duty that we all have to uphold the Constitution and get the job done for the American people,” she told reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) is seen at the Capitol on December 21, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Mandel Gunn | AFP | Getty Images
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, there seemed to be little change, both publicly and privately. Both McCarthy supporters and opponents in Wednesday’s interview effectively conveyed the same message they’ve been doing for weeks.
One exception to the stalemate was renewed support for McCarthy from Trump, who first sounded an uncertain note in Congress Tuesday afternoon about the political future of one of his most loyal allies.
“Republicans, don’t turn a great victory into a huge and embarrassing defeat,” Trump posted on his Truth Social website Wednesday morning. “It’s time to celebrate. You deserve it.” Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and he might do a great job, just watch!”
Despite Trump’s widespread support among conservative Republican voters, it wasn’t clear whether Trump’s newfound support would be a game changer for any of the congressional resistance. The group of 20 far-right Republicans are all close allies of Trump, but the former president’s name and his “America First” message were particularly absent from the raging intraparty GOP debate behind closed doors.
McCarthy himself remained tight-lipped Tuesday through Wednesday, refusing to give interviews or deliver messages on airwaves or social media.
When asked about his plans Wednesday morning, NBC News reported that McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol that he had “the same game plan as yesterday.”
When journalists asked how he could get more votes, McCarthy replied:
Instead, he allowed a handful of allies to negotiate with the Holdout. Much of it stems from his loosely organized Liberal caucuses of more than 40 members, led by Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Scott Perry, one of his most outspoken opponents of McCarthy’s speech bid. I see them as the same. .
This is a developing story. Please check the latest information.
