Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Feb 14, 2025

Kevin McCarthy loses historic 11th vote for US House Speaker

Kevin McCarthy loses historic 11th vote for US House Speaker

The Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, has failed in his latest bid to get elected Speaker in a paralysis of US government not seen since the pre-Civil War era.

A cohort of right-wingers in his party derailed an 11th attempt to elect him on the third day of voting.

Republicans took over the House in November's midterm elections, but the impasse has left the chamber unable to swear in members or pass bills.

The House has adjourned until Friday.

Not since 1860, when the United States' union was fraying over the issue of slavery, has the lower chamber of Congress voted so many times to pick a Speaker. Back then it took 44 rounds of ballots.

A group of 20 hard-line Republican lawmakers are refusing to give Mr McCarthy the necessary 218 votes.

The rebels are sceptical of the California congressman's conservative bona fides, despite his endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

One of the dissidents, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, told the BBC he simply does not trust Mr McCarthy.

The congressman said Mr McCarthy's team had threatened political retaliation against them if they did not fall in line, in the weeks leading up this deadlock.

"We were going to be thrown off committees," Mr Norman said. "We're going to lose every privilege we had.

"And we'd basically told them, 'If we can't ask questions, if we can't vet out the most powerful person that we're getting ready to put in office, then we're out.'"

Meanwhile, the minority Democrats continued to vote in unison for their leader, New York's Hakeem Jeffries, the first black person ever to lead a party in Congress. But it seems unlikely that he could win over six Republican defectors to become Speaker.

Lawmakers in the sharply divided chamber will reconvene at noon (17:00 GMT) on Friday, the second anniversary of a riot by Trump supporters at the US Capitol.

Despite the holdouts, Mr McCarthy - who has served as the top House Republican since 2019 - has won support from more than 200 Republicans, over 90% of his caucus. They are growing restless as their agenda stalls.

"I'm very worried about it and I'm on the intelligence committee," said Pennsylvania Republican Brian Fitzpatrick. He added that he and the other committee members are not able to received classified briefings until lawmakers are sworn in.

Rules do not require the speaker to be a member of the House, and on Thursday, Florida Republican rebel Matt Gaetz cast a protest ballot for Mr Trump to serve in the role.

"This ends in one of two ways: either Kevin McCarthy withdraws from the race or we construct a straitjacket that he is unwilling to evade," he said.

Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert nominated a lawmaker from Oklahoma, telling her colleagues to move past Mr McCarthy.

"It is not happening," she said, adding that Republicans "need to get to a point where we start evaluating what life after Kevin McCarthy looks like".

Mr McCarthy has offered a number of concessions to the rebels, including a seat on the influential rules committee, which sets the terms for debate on legislation in the chamber. He also agreed to lower the threshold for triggering a vote on whether to unseat the Speaker, to only one House member.

During Thursday's eight-hour session, he was seen huddling with aides and having animated one-on-one talks with colleagues.

The Speaker of the House is the second in line to the presidency, after Vice-President Kamala Harris. They set the agenda in the House, and no legislative business can be conducted there without them.

In November, Republicans won the House by a slender margin of 222 to 212 in the 435-seat chamber. Democrats retained control of the Senate.


Watch: Republican Gaetz nominates Trump for Speaker


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Brand Finance Unveils its Rankings of the Best CEOs for 2025: Satya Nadella Takes the Lead
Steering Through the Updated Chain of Command at the European Commission
Parliamentarian Advocates for Preservation of AI Liability Directive
Mark Rutte Calls on NATO Allies to Increase Defence Expenditure
Dresden Marks the 80th Anniversary of the World War II Bombing
Global Community Pledges to Assist Syria's Political Transition
EU Activates €200 Billion for AI Investment and Introduces €20 Billion Fund for Gigafactories
EU Recognizes Difficulty in Closing the USAID Funding Shortfall Due to Stalled US Aid
Commission President von der Leyen Not Present at Notre Dame Reopening Due to Last-Minute Cancellation
EU Establishes Disinformation Code for Online Platforms, Leaving Out X
EU Lags in Enforcing Essential Cybersecurity Directives
EU Under Fire for Streamlining Discussions on Corporate Sustainability Reporting
Shein Receives Further Information Request from EU During Ongoing Investigation
European Commission Initiates Investigation into Shein While Focusing on Chinese E-Commerce Regulations
Trump's special envoy for hostage affairs cautions Hamas against challenging Trump before Saturday's deadline.
Ukraine Confirms Territorial Loss in Russia's Kursk Region
Trump Declares Reciprocal Tariffs as Trade Conflict Intensifies
California Congressman Robert Garcia's Threats of Utilizing Weapons Against Elon Musk
Trump and Putin Address Ukraine Peace Negotiations in Response to Worldwide Reactions
Honda and Nissan Conclude Merger Talks
New York Fashion Week Highlights Iconic Returns and Emerging Talents
Trump Proposes Including Ukraine in Peace Talks to Settle the Conflict
Trump Supports Russia's Reinstatement in G7 Amid Continuing Diplomatic Strains
Zelensky Warns Against Placing Trust in Putin as Peace Negotiations Progress
MI5 Acknowledges Submitting False Evidence in Court Concerning Neo-Nazi Informant
Trump Asserts BRICS 'Is No More' in Light of Tariff Threats.
UK Introduces New Citizenship Restrictions for Refugees Who Arrive Illegally
Stoke-on-Trent Schools Face 'Astronomical' Repair Costs Amid PFI Contract Challenges
Employment Tribunal Reviews Use of Female Changing Room by Transgender Doctor
Projected Costs and Funding Dynamics of the NHS: An In-Depth Analysis
Scrutiny Over Rachel Reeves' Career and Expenses Claims Ahead of Ministerial Role
Sue Gray Introduced as Baroness Gray of Tottenham in the House of Lords
Fire Engulfs Primary School in Wales, Leading to Evacuations
Two British citizens apprehended in Iran amidst rising tensions.
Inquest Reveals Manipulation and Harassment Faced by Soldier Before Death
UK Economy Registers Unexpected Growth in Final Quarter of 2024
Ukraine's Role Central to Peace Negotiations, Asserting Global Sentiment
Winter Pressures Unfold at Royal Free Hospital Amid NHS Strain
Rachel Reeves's CV and Expenses Scrutiny Following BBC Investigation
Trump's Tariffs Loom Large Over Significant German Trade Exhibition
President Trump Resolves Legal Disputes with X and Meta Regarding Social Media Bans
OpenAI Modifies Approach in Response to Increasing AI Competition
Amazingly Good News for USA and the World: Gabbard Confirmed as U.S. Intel Chief in Latest Victory for Trump!
UK Business Leaders Expect Profit Increase Despite Regulatory Crackdown on the Shadow Economy
Trump Discusses NATO Membership for Ukraine During Diplomatic Negotiations
Trump Declares Upcoming Meeting with Putin in Saudi Arabia Amidst Ukraine Crisis
Israel Warns of Military Action While Hostage Negotiations with Hamas Continue
2024 Sees a Record High of Journalists Killed, CPJ Report Reveals
Trump and Putin Engage in Phone Conversation During Ukraine Conflict, Peace Talks Commenced
Climate change presents considerable threats to cocoa production worldwide.
×