The United States is in crisis as the Republican front-runner for speaker, Kevin McCarthy, fails to win the position once more on Thursday, deepening a three-day impasse that has paralyzed the lower house of Congress in Washington.
McCarthy, a favorite of his party’s establishment but a nemesis of the far right, has made significant concessions to put down a rebellion of about 20 hardliners who were preventing him from becoming the top lawmaker in the nation.
But his efforts have been in vain; over five ballots held on Thursday before the House decided to adjourn until midday (1700 GMT) Friday, not a single rebel Republican had been won over.
The last voting round was the eleventh overall since the chamber convened for a new term this week with a slim Republican majority. Since the Civil War era, no speakership election has gone above nine rounds.
McCarthy had already been humiliated by failing to win the gavel six times in a frantic 48 hours, losing each round to Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, before his setbacks on Thursday.
According to Jeffries, who is also short of the necessary majority, “I’m hoping that today the House Republicans will stop the squabbling, stop the backbiting, and stop the backstabbing so we can have the backs of the American people.”
By agreeing to lessen the requirement to force a vote on ousting a speaker to only one member throughout one night, an increasingly desperate McCarthy breached one of his red lines, endangering his hopes of a lengthy stay.
The 57-year-old also pledged to stop supporting moderates against far-right primary candidates in safe Republican districts. He wants more control over how floor votes are conducted and a vote on term limits. These are his additional pledges on top of his bid for the speakership.
fear of national security
Without a presiding officer, no House business can be conducted. This means that the incoming legislators must vote again and again until a majority is achieved. The inability to select a presiding officer is preventing the House from conducting business.
A rule modification that would allow the candidate with the most votes rather than an absolute majority to win is also an option, though it would be a hazardous move given that the Democratic leader has won every round while Republican votes have been evenly divided.
he chamber cannot swear in new members, form committees, or work on legislation until a winner is declared. The chamber also cannot launch any of the investigations that Republicans have promised on President Joe Biden until a winner is declared.
Three Republican legislators who will lead national security committees published an open letter on Thursday. In the letter, they expressed concern that the House is presently unable to oversee the Pentagon or intelligence community. The legislators are set to lead natijeopardizeity committees.
The United States is in crisis as they declared, “We must not allow petty politics to jeopardize the safety and security of the United States.”
a Trump cameo
Throughout the competition’s first 11 rounds, Donald Trump made a cameo appearance, if only in spirit. Trump is running for re-election and has no aspirations to become a speaker.
Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida cast a vote for the former reality television personality earlier on Thursday. He also nominated and supported him on the decisive ballot.
The 76-year-old former president took advantage of the limelight. He shared a mock-up image online in which he is seen sticking his tongue out at Vice President Biden while speaking during the annual State of the Union address.
But Trump’s only backing came from the two Gaetz nods. The speakership problem is another indicator of his waning power. His Wednesday support for McCarthy did not change the situation.
A compromise may materialize in the upcoming hours. It is intended to bring the “Never Kevins” back into the fold. McCarthy’s aides are still optimistic that they might be able to get him the gavel.
The indications were not good. 21 of McCarthy’s 221 Republican colleagues opposed him in three votes on Thursday. He can only afford to lose four votes.
McCarthy’s detractors frequently don’t raise specific issues with his programs. They believe him to be unreliable, lacking in political philosophy, and solely driven by the desire for power. Instead, they criticize his character.
The United States is in crisis. His allies worry about the risky move to give the store to the party’s most radical fringe. This may eventually lead to a reaction from the moderates.