On Tuesday and Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted six times to pick the next Speaker of the House, and Republicans have failed to reach a consensus on who will lead the body for the 118th Congress.
Six times Republicans have been divided on who they want to lead the body and have been unable to come to a conclusion. Most of the Republicans in the body, including all six Republican members of the Alabama congressional delegation, have voted for California Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-California), but 19 members led by Reps. Andy Biggs, Matt Gaetz, and Bob Good have staunchly opposed McCarthy’s nomination.
Republicans hold a majority in the House of 222 to 212 (one Democratic member died post-election). It takes 218 votes to secure the speakership. McCarthy got 203 votes on the first two votes but has failed to sway any of the 19 ultra-conservative holdouts who have opposed him. Democrats, including Congresswoman Terri Sewell, have been united in their support of Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats could side with either of the squabbling Republican factions to create a “unity” government, but Republicans on both sides of this inner GOP feud have publicly rejected any negotiations with Democrats to find a resolution.
Former President Donald Trump has endorsed McCarthy.
“VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY, & WATCH CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY BACK HOME TO A VERY BROKEN CALIFORNIA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Former State Rep. Perry Hooper Jr. told Alabama Today that the former President should come to D.C. to negotiate a settlement.
“All of these 19 or 20 come from big MAGA districts,” Hooper explained. “He is a great negotiator.”
McCarthy has been the House Minority/Majority leader for years. He was the leading candidate to be Speaker of the House in 2015 when members of the House Freedom Caucus forced out then-Speaker John Boehner. Members of the Freedom Caucus refused to support McCarthy then, leading to the elevation of Rep. Paul Ryan to Speaker. Ryan left Congress in 2018.
This public spat between angry House Republicans is the first time since 1923 that the House failed to choose a speaker on the first ballot. Republicans had been planning to announce a number of initiatives, including investigations of Hunter Biden’s alleged influence peddling, the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border situation. All of those plans are on hold and have been overshadowed by the back-and-forth personal attacks by rival Republican congress members and have called into question the ability of the Republican House members to govern effectively.
“The American people are expecting us to work to stop inflation, deal with the crisis at our southern border and hold the Biden Administration accountable,” Congressman Robert Aderholt said. “The sooner we elect a Republican Speaker, the sooner we can start.”
As of press time, there has been no agreement on who will lead the House for the next two years.
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