Republicans can’t agree on the Speaker of the House

Kevin McCarthy, the leading Republican candidate to succeed Democrat Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House, was not elected Tuesday after three rounds of voting. In the final round, 20 mostly far-right Republicans voted for a candidate other than McCarthy, a former Republican minority leader.

With voters sending a slim Republican majority to the House of Representatives in November — 222 Republicans to 213 Democrats — the opposition’s determination has reduced the president’s candidacy to a tailspin. Voting continues until a person has 218 votes.

Since 1923, more than one round has been required to appoint a new Speaker of the House. Then nine rounds of voting were needed, in 1869 even sixty rounds. As long as the House of Representatives does not have a speaker, new laws cannot be passed and new members cannot be sworn in.

McCarthy enjoys the support of the party establishment, but was forced to make a series of concessions before the vote to rally the right wing within his group to his side. These concessions proved insufficient.

The scene is a harbinger of what is yet to come. the America firstA section of the party showed how to hold the president hostage. At the same time, McCarthy’s opposition frustrated some Republicans who voted for him. “As long as we’re fighting amongst ourselves, our eyes are not on target,” said Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. Now our party is showing exactly what the Democrats want to see.