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WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (AP) Republican leader Kevin McCarthy suffered a historic defeat in the first round of voting to become House speaker Tuesday, throwing the new Congress into turmoil on Opening Day as conservative colleagues opposed his leadership.
Debate over the second round of voting unfolded quickly.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who received six votes in the first ballot, stepped forward to agree that McCarthy should get the job. But Rep. Matt Gates of Florida then threw his support behind Jordan. Emphasize the chaos within the party.
McCarthy had promised a “court battle” if he could win over fellow right-wing Republicans who refused to vote for him. But how the embattled Republican leader will be able to bounce back after becoming the first House speaker candidate in 100 years to fail to win the gavel nomination from his party peers on the initial ballot is unclear.
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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. “Leads House Republicans.
“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 total of 19 Republicans withdrew, refusing to give McCarthy the majority he needed because they 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.
In the final tally, McCarthy won 203 votes, Biggs 10 and other Republicans 9. Democratic leader Jeffries actually won the most, with 212 votes. But no candidate won a majority.
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 meeting to make way for new Democratic leadership, and colleagues on her side gave a standing ovation.
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.
Even with the support of former President Trump, McCarthy failed to do so.
Democrats enthusiastically nominated incoming party leader Jeffreys (D-.NY) as their speaker of choice – a typical symbolic gesture among minorities, but one that has become increasingly volatile as Republicans descend into disarray. acquired 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.
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.
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. (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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