US House fails to elect new speaker in first rounds of voting

The United States House of Representatives has failed to elect a speaker in the first round of voting for the first time in nearly a century, as Republican Kevin McCarthy failed to secure a majority in the chamber to succeed Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

In the three rounds of voting on Tuesday before the legislators voted to adjourn the House’s first meeting, McCarthy was unable to overcome opposition within his caucus.

Despite Republicans’ narrow victory in the midterm elections in November, several right-wing lawmakers in McCarthy’s own party have refused to support him for speaker.

Absent legislators and those who vote “present” are not eligible to vote for the speaker. On Tuesday, McCarthy required 218 votes, but he received only 203 because 19 Republicans opposed him on the first two ballots. He lost one more vote in the third round, bringing his total to 202.

The majority of Republican dissidents supported either Ohio Representative Jim Jordan or Arizona Representative Andy Biggs in the first vote. Jordan, a right-wing zealot, received all 19 Republican votes in the second round. In the third round, Jordan raised his total to 20 votes.

Before the democratic started on Tuesday, extreme right Senator Paul Gosar had designated Biggs as a competitor. However, Jordan voted for McCarthy three times and did not seek the speakership.

Jordan renominated McCarthy in the second round, and ultraconservative Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, who acknowledged that the Ohio representative does not want the position, nominated Jordan.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, received 212 votes in each of the three rounds, which was more than McCarthy did. However, because his party is in the minority, he was never actually considered for the position.

After Democrats gained control of the House in 2019, California Republican Kevin McCarthy led the minority in the House.

On Wednesday, lawmakers will meet once more and vote until a candidate for speaker wins a majority. Without a new speaker, the House will effectively remain dysfunctional.

In the House, his fellow Democrats applaud Hakeem Jeffries.

The speaker is the most powerful legislator in the United States and the second-in-command for the presidency. He or she has a significant say in which bills and amendments are considered.

The US Congress consists of two chambers, one of which is the House. Together with the Senate, it approves legislation for the federal government, allocates funds for it, and ensures oversight.

Arizona Republican Biggs demanded McCarthy to “stand down” following the first round of voting, allowing Republicans to select a new leader on the subsequent ballot.

On Twitter, he wrote, “We barely got through half the ballot before confirming that McCarthy is still well short of 218 votes.” My coworkers have made it abundantly clear that our party needs a new leader.

McCarthy had bargained with politicians who were against his bid for speaker, offering them concessions that would likely reduce his power if he won.

He has vowed to zero in on the needs of traditional individuals, including researching the strategic policies of President Joe Biden’s child Tracker Biden, an issue that leftists excuse as a paranoid idea.

In addition, McCarthy has threatened to investigate and impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his handling of migration at the southern border.

In addition, he promised to reinstate Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s committee assignments after she was expelled from panels in Congress in 2021 due to remarks that were anti-Jewish and Islamophobic.

However, despite these assurances, McCarthy was unable to subdue the far right.

McCarthy indicated earlier on Tuesday that he was willing to endure multiple rounds of voting. He stated to reporters, “I will always fight to put the American people first, not a few individuals who want something for themselves.” Therefore, I am fine with the fact that we may fight on the House floor, but the battle is for the Republican conference and the nation.

His adversaries also declared that they are in it for the long haul. One of the most vocal Republicans, Scott Perry, wrote on Twitter, “I stand firmly committed to changing the status quo regardless of how many ballots this takes.”

Meanwhile, Democrats have characterized the GOP’s inability to agree on a speaker as evidence that it is incapable of leading.

“Absolutely no part of this is really great for our country. None of it,” a social media post by Democratic Senator Chris Murphy read.

Jamie Raskin, a prominent Democrat in the House, characterized McCarthy’s inability to win the vote as a “once-in-a-century humiliation” and accused him of covering up “right-wing insurrectionism” that he claimed occurred during the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Democrats could vote for McCarthy or leave the chamber for the subsequent rounds of voting to lower the total number of votes and make it easier for McCarthy to win a majority. However, Congressman Eric Swalwell has rejected the concept.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA