Hardline Republicans dig in against McCarthy's House speaker bid - Reuters.com

WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Hardline Republicans successful the U.S. House of Representatives rejected Kevin McCarthy's speakership bid for an 11th clip connected Thursday, portion his supporters worked down closed doors successful hopes of cementing a woody that could bring success.

The voting propelled the House to a level of dysfunction not seen since the turbulent epoch conscionable earlier the Civil War, adjacent aft McCarthy offered to curb his ain clout, raising questions astir the party's quality to wield power.

After the 11th ballot, the House adjourned for the 3rd clip this week without electing a speaker. Lawmakers volition reconvene astatine noon (1700 GMT) connected Friday.

McCarthy's opponents accidental they bash not spot him to combat for the heavy spending cuts and different restrictions they privation to enforce connected President Joe Biden and the Democratic-controlled Senate.

But immoderate Republicans held retired anticipation of an statement betwixt the California Republican and astatine slightest immoderate of the 20 hardline conservatives who person opposed his candidacy successful ballot aft ballot.

"Things are coming unneurotic successful a precise steadfast way," said Representative Patrick McHenry, a McCarthy protagonist who is poised to pb a apical legislature committee.

"We don't cognize the timeframe. But the engagement is determination and that's wherefore I'm optimistic," helium said.

Among different things, a imaginable statement would let for a ballot connected word limits for members of Congress, according to Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick.

But McCarthy's supporters stopped abbreviated of predicting a solution to the stalemate anytime soon.

Because of its inability to take a leader, the 435-seat House has been rendered impotent - incapable adjacent to formally curse successful recently elected members fto unsocial clasp hearings, see authorities oregon scrutinize Biden and his administration.

Republicans won a slim 222-212 House bulk successful the November midterm elections, meaning McCarthy cannot spend to suffer the enactment of much than 4 Republicans arsenic Democrats agreed astir their ain candidate.

McCarthy, who was backed by erstwhile President Donald Trump for the post, offered the holdouts a scope of concessions that would weaken the speaker's role, which governmental allies warned would marque the occupation adjacent harder if helium got it.

At slightest 200 Republicans person backed McCarthy successful each of the votes this week. Fewer than 10% of Republican lawmakers person voted against him but they are capable to contradict him the 218 votes needed to win Democrat Nancy Pelosi arsenic speaker.

"What you're seeing connected this level does not mean we are dysfunctional," said Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna arsenic she nominated a McCarthy rival, Byron Donalds, for the 10th vote.

'CONSTRUCT A STRAITJACKET'

"I tin archer you there's immoderate bully things happening," said Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a McCarthy protagonist who is among the astir outspoken conservatives successful the House. "I deliberation we're going to spot immoderate movement."

But immoderate of McCarthy's opponents showed nary motion of yielding.

"This ends successful 1 of 2 ways: either Kevin McCarthy withdraws from the contention oregon we conception a straitjacket that helium is unwilling to evade," said Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, who voted for Trump for speaker.

As speaker, McCarthy would clasp a station that usually shapes the chamber's docket and is 2nd successful the enactment of succession to the presidency down Vice President Kamala Harris. He would beryllium empowered to frustrate Biden's legislative docket and motorboat investigations into the president's household and medication successful the run-up to the 2024 statesmanlike election.

In a late-night bargaining session, McCarthy offered the holdouts greater power implicit what authorities comes up for a vote, according to a root acquainted with the talks.

He besides offered the quality for immoderate azygous subordinate to telephone a ballot that could perchance region him from the station - a measurement that helped thrust astatine slightest 1 anterior Republican speaker, John Boehner, into retirement.

Those concessions could perchance assistance McCarthy triumph implicit immoderate of the holdouts but would permission him much susceptible to the hardliners done the remainder of the adjacent 2 years if helium yet wins the speakership.

That has adjacent alarmed immoderate Democrats, who person mostly served arsenic bystanders successful the play of the past 3 days.

"With each concession, helium has to aftermath up each time wondering if he's inactive going to person his job," Democratic Representative Richard Neal told reporters.

The inability to hold connected a person besides raises questions astir whether Republicans volition unit a authorities shutdown oregon hazard default aboriginal this twelvemonth successful a bid to extract steep spending cuts. Some of the holdouts accidental they expect McCarthy oregon immoderate different Republican person to instrumentality that approach.

If McCarthy yet fails to unite Republicans, they would person to hunt for an alternative. Possibilities see No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise and Representative Jim Jordan, who person some backed McCarthy. Jordan received 20 votes erstwhile nominated by the holdouts connected Tuesday.

Reporting by Moira Warburton, Doina Chiacu, David Morgan, Kanishka Singh and Gram Slattery; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Will Dunham, Howard Goller and Christian Schmollinger

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