Republican Kevin McCarthy gained support from 14 holdouts but still lost his 12th bid for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Posted: Jan 06, 2023 9:04 AM ET | Last Updated: 1 hour ago Rep. Kevin McCarthy arrives as the House meets for the fourth day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington on Friday. Republican Kevin McCarthy gained support from 14 holdouts but still lost his 12th bid for Speaker of the U.
S. House of Representatives. The atmosphere in the House remained tense and some Republicans walked out of the chamber Friday during the fourth day of a gruelling battle over who should become Speaker. The 12th vote took in a standoff that is testing American democracy anew. It took place against the backdrop of the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which shook the country when a mob of then-President Donald Trump's supporters tried to stop Congress from certifying the Republican's 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. Contours of a deal with conservative holdouts who have been blocking McCarthy's rise emerged, but was still out of reach after three dismal days and 11 failed votes in a political spectacle unseen in a century. Arriving at the Capitol on Friday morning, an upbeat McCarthy said to reporters, "We're going to make progress. We're going to shock you." But there's no deal yet, he told colleagues on a private morning call, according to a Republican familiar with the call and granted anonymity to discuss it. Voting resumed after Republican Rep. Mike Garcia nominated McCarthy for a 12th time, also thanking the U.S. Capitol Police who were given a standing ovation for protecting lawmakers and the legislative seat of democracy on Jan. 6, 2021. The chamber is unable to swear in members and begin its 2023-24 session. McCarthy told lawmakers there were no plans to adjourn for the weekend, one Republican said, but it might be difficult to keep them in town.Reduced power So far Republicans have been unable to settle on a new speaker — normally an easy, joyous task for a party that has just won majority control — but not this time. About 200 Republicans are stymied by 20 far-right colleagues who say MCCarthy is not conservative enough. There were glimmers of a deal with at least some of the holdouts who have denied him support. Negotiators are in "a good position" and progress is being made, he said in the phone call. The agreement McCarthy presented to the holdouts from the conservative Freedom Caucus and others centres around rules changes they have been seeking for months. Those changes would shrink the power of the speaker's office and give rank-and-file lawmakers more influence in drafting and passing legislation.Radical fringe has taken over Republican Party, U.S. political strategist saysEven if McCarthy is able to secure the votes he needs, he will emerge as a weakened Speaker, having given away some powers, leaving him constantly under threat of being voted out by his detractors. But he would also be potentially emboldened as a survivor of one of the more brutal fights for the gavel in U.S. history. At the core of the emerging deal is the reinstatement of a House rule that would allow a single lawmaker to make a motion to "vacate the chair," essentially calling a vote to oust the Speaker. McCarthy had resisted allowing it, because it had been held over the head of past Republican speaker John Boehner, chasing him to early retirement. A staff member from the clerk's office of the U.S. House of Representatives counts votes with a manual counter as they mark vote tally sheets during the 10th round of voting for the new Speaker of the House on Thursday. The chairman of the chamber's Freedom Caucus, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, who had been a leader in Trump's efforts to challenge his presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, appeared receptive to the proposed package, tweeting an adage from Ronald Reagan, "Trust but verify."Other wins for the holdouts include provisions in the proposed deal to expand the number of seats available on the House rules committee, to mandate 72 hours for bills to be posted before votes and to promise to try for a constitutional amendment that would impose federal limits on the number of terms a person could serve in the House and Senate. Lest hopes get ahead of reality, conservative holdout Ralph Norman of South Carolina said: "This is round one."It could be the makings of a deal to end a standoff that has left the House unable to fully function. Members have not been sworn in and almost no other business can happen. A memo sent out by the House's chief administrative officer Thursday evening said that committees "shall only carry-out core Constitutional responsibilities." Payroll cannot be processed if the House isn't functioning by Jan. 13. After a long week of failed votes, Thursday's tally was dismal: McCarthy lost seventh, eighth and then historic ninth, 10th and 11th rounds of voting, surpassing the number from 100 years ago in the last drawn-out fight to choose a speaker. The California Republican exited the chamber and quipped about the moment: "Apparently, I like to make history." What started as a political novelty, the first time since 1923 a nominee had not won the gavel on the first vote, has devolved into a bitter Republican Party feud and deepening potential crisis. The disorganized start to the new Congress pointed to difficulties ahead with Republicans now in control of the House, much the way that some past Republican speakers, including Boehner, had trouble leading a rebellious right flank. The result: government shutdowns, standoffs and Boehner's early retirement. The longest fight for the gavel started in late 1855 and dragged on for two months, with 133 ballots, during debates over slavery in the run-up to the Civil War.
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