House reconvenes for fourth speaker vote after McCarthy’s failure to secure majority – live - The Guardian US

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Republicans acceptable up 4th vote

Kevin McCarthy, wearing a acheronian suit and a muted tie, is connected the level and has been talking with members of his caucus including Tom Cole, a seasoned from Oklahoma.

Here we spell for a 4th vote, with the information of McCarthy for talker of the House and a circular of applause from his loyalists.

Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, nominating McCarthy, glories successful the undoubted information that “democracy is messy” and “the American radical are successful charge”. Republicans basal to applaud that line.

Chip Roy of Texas, a rebel ringleader, listens intently nearby.

Elise Stefanik of New York, a subordinate of Republican leadership, begins by making a constituent of order, that a quorum – capable attendance for a ballot – is not present.

And truthful a number begins, to spot if astatine slightest 218 members are present, the full Kevin McCarthy needs to go speaker. Discussion groups form, the C-SPAN cameras showing Democrats and Republicans clustering and chatting astir the ornate chamber.

The seat counts 351 members, Cheryl Johnson, the House clerk, says – truthful that’s capable to statesman with.

House reconvenes

The House enclosure has reconvened, the gavel struck. The regular supplication is being offered.

Before members filed backmost into the chamber, Kevin McCarthy voiced assurance that helium volition yet triumph the 218 votes needed to seizure the gavel.

“I deliberation we’ll find our mode to get there,” McCarthy told reporters connected Tuesday. “This is simply a steadfast debate. It mightiness not hap connected the time we privation it, but it’s going to happen.”

Maybe, but it could surely instrumentality a while.

There is reporting retired determination that Republicans could effort to ballot to adjourn instantly today, frankincense delaying a 4th ballot connected the speakership.

The Democratic whip, Katherine Clark, has told her enactment to ballot nary if an adjournment is sought:

An email from the Democratic whip. Photograph: Email

Earlier, Pete Aguilar, a elder subordinate of Democratic leadership, indicated his enactment wants to get things done.

“We don’t person presumption arsenic members until we organize,” the Californian told reporters, “and that’s unluckily arsenic a effect of this Republican chaos. There volition travel a constituent wherever different things are impacted: committees can’t prosecute their unit members, arsenic well, due to the fact that determination are nary committee chairs and ranking members.

“This is this is simply a situation of the Congress and it’s a situation astatine the hands of the Republican dysfunction. ”

As the resumption of events connected the House level approaches – it’s acceptable for 12pm ET – it seems worthy a look astatine however Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has explained wherefore she was seen talking connected the level yesterday with the far-right Republicans Matt Gaetz and Paul Gosar, the second erstwhile censured for tweeting video depicting him slashing her successful the cervix with a sword.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Gosar, from Arizona, was among 20 Republicans opposing Kevin McCarthy’s bid for speaker. So was Gaetz of Florida, a ringleader of the anti-McCarthy rebels.

Ocasio-Cortez told the Intercept her speech with Gaetz was a “fact-check”.

“McCarthy was suggesting helium could get Dems to locomotion distant to little his threshold,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “And I fact-checked and said perfectly not.”

Ocasio-Cortez said she discussed adjournment strategy with Gosar.

“Some of america successful the House of Representatives are autarkic successful definite ways from our party,” she told MSNBC. “And … these machinations are happening connected the floor.

“And sometimes the enactment of your party, successful this case, the Republican party, volition beryllium making claims successful bid to effort to twist arms and get radical successful line. And a batch of times, accusation and information is currency.

“So sometimes to beryllium capable to fact-check immoderate of the claims that McCarthy is making, whether Democrats are going to defect oregon not, etc, is important successful bid to support him honorable and to support radical honorable successful general.”

Full story:

How galore times tin the House ballot for speaker?

… is simply a question galore radical are asking today, arsenic the resumption of formalities (and hostilities) successful the House approaches.

The abbreviated answer: arsenic galore times arsenic it takes for a campaigner to summation a elemental majority.

The somewhat longer answer … follows, from a Q&A astir the full atrocious concern we person launched today:

The past clip the House did not elite a talker connected the archetypal ballot was 1923, erstwhile the predetermination stretched for 9 votes.

Republicans had the majority, implicit Democrats by 18 seats. The GOP named Frederick Gillett of Massachusetts to the presumption but respective different candidates, including a Democrat, received votes during rotation call.

This resulted successful a bid of ballots implicit 3 days earlier the bulk leader, Nicholas Longworth of Ohio, held an exigency gathering with those opposing. Their concern, likewise to those issued against Kevin McCarthy of California this year, was implicit rules changes they believed deserved a just hearing. Longworth obliged. The adjacent day, Gillett got the 215 votes helium needed.

There is besides the illustration of 1855-56, successful the years of part implicit slavery that preceded the civilian war. Then, with the Republican enactment recently emerged arsenic an anti-slavery force, it took 133 ballots implicit astir 2 months to elite a speaker. Eventually, Nathaniel Banks of Massachusetts – a nativist Know-Nothing, nary little – got the job.

Here’s the afloat explainer:

Mike Pence endorses McCarthy

Mike Pence has publically supported McCarthy arsenic House Speaker, with the House acceptable to conscionable for a ballot successful little than an hour.

Calling McCarthy his “friend”, Pence urged GOP members via Twitter to enactment McCarthy and pb the House to bring astir a “Great American Comeback”.

It appears Pence and Trump are connected the aforesaid page, attempting to sway the conjugation of 20 Republicans who stay staunchly opposed to McCarthy’s election.

US Capitol constabulary serviceman Michael Fanone, who testified to the January 6 committee, visited McCarthy’s bureau contiguous to item McCarthy’s nonaccomplishment to unafraid his House talker vote.

While posing extracurricular of McCarthy’s office, Fanone said helium visited McCarthy to “rub it in”, referring to McCarthy’s predetermination failure.

“I heard helium was having immoderate occupation … I conscionable came present to hitch it in,” Fanone told reporters.

Meanwhile, Democrats are celebrating the expected predetermination of Hakeem Jeffries, who volition beryllium the archetypal Black lawmaker to pb immoderate governmental party.

Democrats person been agreed connected Jeffries, amid Republicans nonaccomplishment to unafraid their ain leader.

From US Representative-elect Katherine Clark of Massachusetts:

In a little interrogation connected Wednesday, Donald Trump reiterated his enactment for McCarthy and encouraged GOP members to “make a deal” to unafraid McCarthy’s election.

While speaking with Punchbowl News, Trump said that McCarthy opponents needed to enactment with McCarthy and elite him arsenic Speaker, adding that helium has been trying to corral overmuch needed votes for McCarthy up of today’s scheduled House talker vote.

From Trump:

I deliberation that it’s clip present to marque a woody to get down to enactment and they person a batch of enactment to do. We had a large victory…. And I deliberation that it’s clip present for the Republicans to get connected with it.

Biden: House talker debacle 'embarrassing', 'not a bully look'

Joe Biden has commented connected the House talker chaos, calling the nonaccomplishment of Republicans to take a talker “not a bully look” for the country.

While leaving the White House to Kentucky for his code connected the infrastructure bill, Biden told reporters that the nonaccomplishment of Republicans to elite a House talker is “embarrassing”, stating that the debacle is “not his problem”.

“I anticipation they get their enactment together,” said Biden.

Mitch McConnell has remained comparatively quiescent connected the deficiency of a Republican House speaker, telling reporters yesterday aft the archetypal failed ballot that helium was “pulling” for Kevin McCarthy.

Following his ain re-election arsenic Senate number leader, McConnell was traveling connected Wednesday to his location state, Kentucky, to articulation Joe Biden for a bipartisan touting of the infrastructure bill.

Senate Republican enactment person expressed their interest implicit the House talker debacle arsenic the 12pm dependable ballot looms.

West Virginia legislator Shelley Moore Capito called the Speaker proceedings a “circular occurrence squad,” adding to Politico that she is gladsome to nary longer beryllium a House member:

The unsteadiness I spot implicit determination [in the House] concerns me. We get the majority, and past we commencement a circular firing squad…

I conscionable anticipation they tin flooded the dysfunction,” she added of her erstwhile House colleagues…And also, I’m precise gladsome I’m not backmost successful the House.

Read the afloat nonfiction here.

Late Tuesday, opponents and supporters of McCarthy met for hours, reported Politico, successful an effort to fig retired a way towards electing a House speaker.

The gathering adjourned with constricted progress, with a consequent gathering scheduled up of today’s 12pm ballot cancelled.

From Politico newsman Sarah Ferris:

From Hill newsman Mychael Schnell, with comments from House subordinate Chip Roy:

Trump did not pass with immoderate House members who opposed McCarthy earlier posting his endorsement.

From Washington Examiner newsman Juliegrace Brufke:

From Politico newsman Olivia Beavers:

Even with Trump’s nationalist enactment of McCarthy, opponents of the House Speaker nominee bash not look swayed by the endorsement.

Several person taken to societal media to stock their disapproval, accusing the McCarthy of “squatting” successful the Speaker bureau aft losing the ballot aggregate times.

Late Tuesday, Florida typical Matt Gaetz shared a missive helium wrote to the Architect of the Capitol, with Gaetz accusing McCarthy of occupying the Speaker of the House bureau contempt losing the ballot respective times.

Gaetz’ missive was retweeted by Arizona typical Andy Biggs, who besides voted against McCarthy’s enactment and accused McCarthy of “squatting” successful said office.

Trump backs McCarthy: 'Vote for Kevin, adjacent the deal'

Good morning, Guardian readers!

Yesterday, Kevin McCarthy failed to unafraid capable votes to beryllium the GOP House speaker, the archetypal clip successful 100 years wherever a nominee hasn’t won capable votes during the archetypal ballot.

But, to propulsion backmost against his mostly hard-right opponents, McCarthy has touted Donald Trump’s enactment of his House speakership, with the erstwhile president publically backing McCarthy’s leadership.

In what has been called “the astir humiliating time of his governmental career”, McCarthy faces an uphill conflict to unafraid capable votes, arsenic the House is acceptable to reconvene for a dependable ballot astatine 12pm ET.

Twenty House members blocked McCarthy’s election, the bulk being far-right members who besides denied the legitimacy of the 2020 election, reported the New York Times.

But McCarthy has been speedy to corroborate that helium has the enactment of Trump, telling reporters precocious Tuesday that Trump “wants to spot the Republicans agreed to beryllium capable to execute the nonstop things we said we’d do”, and adding that helium has nary plans to driblet out.

Meanwhile, Trump besides rallied for McCarthy connected societal media, posting connected his Truth Social account:

Some truly bully conversations took spot past night, and it’s present clip for each of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY, & WATCH CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY BACK HOME TO A VERY BROKEN CALIFORNIA,THE ONLY SPEAKER IN U.S. HISTORY TO HAVE LOST THE “HOUSE” TWICE! REPUBLICANS, DO NOT TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT. IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE, YOU DESERVE IT. Kevin McCarthy volition bash a bully job, and possibly adjacent a GREAT JOB - JUST WATCH!

We volition beryllium bringing you the latest updates surrounding McCarthy’s bid and Republican reaction, truthful enactment tuned!