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WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (AP) Republican leader Kevin McCarthy appeared headed for a historic first-round defeat Tuesday to become speaker of the House of Representatives, throwing the new Congress into turmoil as conservative colleagues opposed his leadership .
McCarthy had promised a “court battle” if he could win over fellow right-wing Republicans who refused to vote for him. But it’s unclear how the embattled Republican leader can avoid becoming the first House speaker candidate in 100 years to fail to win the gavel from his party peers on the initial vote.
With dozens of votes left, 19 fellow Republicans dropped McCarthy.
McCarthy strode into the chamber, posed for photos and received a standing ovation from many on his side after being nominated by the No. 3 Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik, who said he ” Capable” to lead House Republicans.
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“No one has worked harder for this majority than Kevin McCarthy,” said Stefanik, a New York State registered nurse.
But a challenge quickly came from Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., the conservative former leader of the Freedom Caucus who was nominated to be speaker by a fellow conservative. A dozen Republicans withdrew, opposed McCarthy, and voted for Biggs or someone else in protest.
Lawmakers rose from their seats during the lengthy first round of in-person voting, and the atmosphere was tense, at least on the Republican side. Democrats rejoiced as they cast historic votes for their leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the first black man to lead a major U.S. political party.
“We may have a fight on the field, but it’s a fight for the conference and the country,” McCarthy said earlier at the Capitol.
McCarthy emerged from a contentious closed-door meeting with fellow House Republicans, unable to win over critics and lacking the support needed to become speaker. He has vowed to fight it out — even in the first days of a new Congress, with multiple public attempts that would highlight divisions within his party and weaken its leadership.
The conservative caucus, led by the Freedom Caucus and aligned with Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda, was furious, saying the private meeting was “beaten” by McCarthy allies and continuing to stand firmly against the Republican leader.
“There’s one guy who can change all that,” said Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, chairman of the Freedom Caucus and leader of Trump’s 2020 presidential challenge.
The group said McCarthy rejected the group’s final proposal to change the rules at a meeting at the Capitol late Monday.
“If you’re trying to drain the swamp, you can’t let the biggest alligator control the maneuvers,” said Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gates.
“He fired us eagerly,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert, Republican of Colorado.
Lawmakers are meeting in a new era of divided government as Democrats relinquish control of the House of Representatives after losing midterm elections. While the Senate remains in Democratic hands, House Republicans are eager to counter President Joe Biden’s agenda after Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress for two years.
Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had earlier tapped the gavel at the end of the final session to make way for new Democratic leadership and received a standing ovation from colleagues on her side.
The pastor opened the 118th Congress with a prayer.
But first, House Republicans must elect a speaker, the second being a speaker who succeeds the presidency.
“Let the show begin,” quipped a lawmaker on the Democratic side.
McCarthy is expected to replace Pelosi, but he enters the ballot with no guarantee of success. He faced entrenched detractors within his ranks. Despite trying to cajole, tirade and win them over — even with the support of former President Trump — McCarthy was unsuccessful.
Democrats enthusiastically nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-.NY, to take over as party leader as their speaker of choice — a typical symbolic gesture among minorities, but as Republicans spiral into disarray , the gesture took on new importance.
“For the first time in American history, a Latino nominates a black person as our leader in this chamber,” Representative Pete Aguilar of California, the third-ranking Democrat, said in a statement. said when nominating his colleagues.
A black lawmaker for Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty said Democrats applauded enthusiastically, with many “proudly” voting for the historic NDP leader.
The morning meeting of House Republicans turned raucus ahead what’s traditionally a celebratory day as newly elected members arrive to be sworn into office.
A new generation of Trump-aligned Republicans led the opposition to McCarthy. They didn’t think McCarthy was conservative or tough enough to stand up to Democrats. It’s reminiscent of the last time Republicans recaptured a majority in the House of Representatives, after the 2010 midterm elections, when the Tea Party class ushered in a new era of hard-line politics that culminated in the early retirement of Speaker John Boehner.
“Nothing has changed,” said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. “The problem is Kevin McCarthy.”
Normally, a majority (218 votes) of the 435 members of the House of Representatives is required to become speaker. With only 222 Republican seats, McCarthy could only lose a handful of votes. If some lawmakers are absent or simply vote present, the speaker can win by fewer than 218 votes, as Pelosi and Boehner did.
But McCarthy failed to win the support of a core of – and likely growing – right-wing Republicans led by the conservative Freedom Caucus, despite weeks of closed-door meetings and a pledge to change House rules. Nearly a dozen Republicans have publicly voiced concerns about McCarthy.
Some staunch Republican conservatives challenged McCarthy in private meetings. He pushed back and agreed to remain anonymous to discuss the closed-door meeting, according to a Republican who was there.
A large but muted group of McCarthy supporters launched its own campaign, “Only Kevin,” as a way to shut down the opposition and pledge to support him only.
Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-D., the leader of a more pragmatic conservative group, said “discontent is on the rise” among minorities.
“Kevin McCarthy is the right person to lead this session, the right person to be Speaker of the House,” Johnson said.
A viable challenger to McCarthy has yet to emerge. Arizona Republican Senator Biggs is running as a conservative but is not expected to receive a majority. McCarthy beat him 188-31 in November’s nomination contest.
The No. 2 House Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a conservative popular with his colleagues, was the obvious next choice during a 2017 congressional baseball practice. He is considered a hero by some after surviving the gunshot wound.
Once rivals, McCarthy and Scalise have become a team. Scalise’s office on Monday rejected another Republican’s claim that Scalise was making calls about the speaker’s race as “false.”
In 1923, the last speaker contest ran over multiple rounds.
“It’s a lot more than one person,” said Doug Heyer, a former senior aide to the Republican leadership. “It’s about whether Republicans can govern.”
The House cannot be fully formed without a Speaker — appointing its committee chairmen, engaging in proceedings and launching investigations into the Biden administration.
It all stands in stark contrast to the other side of the Capitol, where Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell will officially become the longest-serving party leader in history.
Despite a narrow 51-49 Democratic majority in the Senate, McConnell could prove a viable partner as Biden seeks bipartisan victory in a new era of divided government.
The two are expected to appear together later this week in the Republican leader’s home state of Kentucky to celebrate federal infrastructure investment in a vital bridge linking Kentucky and Ohio.
McCarthy’s candidacy for speaker is almost a certainty. He led his party to a majority, raised millions in campaign funds and recruited many new lawmakers to run for office across the country.
Yet McCarthy has been here before, abruptly dropping out of the speaker’s race in 2015 when it became clear he didn’t have the conservative support to replace Boehner.
A central demand of opponents this time is that McCarthy restore a rule allowing any lawmaker to file a “motion to cede the chairman”—in short, a call for a vote to remove the Speaker.
Pelosi removed the rule after conservatives used it to threaten Boehner’s ouster, but McCarthy agreed to reinsert it — but at a higher bar, requiring at least five lawmakers to sign the motion. Conservatives say it’s not enough. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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