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McCarthy rejected for House speaker with GOP in disarray

Published:Wednesday | January 4, 2023 | 4:30 PM
Representative Patrick McHenry, left, and Tom Emmer, right, speak with Kevin McCarthy in the House chamber as the House meets for a second day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Wednesday, January 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans flailed through a second day of multiple balloting Wednesday, unable to elect their leader Kevin McCarthy as House speaker or come up with a new strategy to end the political chaos that has tarnished the start of their new majority.

For a fourth, fifth and sixth time, Republicans tried to vote McCarthy into the top job as the House plunged deeper into disarray. But the votes were producing almost the same outcome, 20 conservative holdouts still refusing to support him, and leaving him far short of the 218 typically needed to win the gavel.

In fact, McCarthy saw his tally slip to 201, as one fellow Republican switched to vote simply present.

“Well, it's Groundhog Day,” said Florida representative, Kat Cammack, in nominating McCarthy on the sixth ballot.

She said, “To all Americans watching right now, We hear you. And we will get through this — no matter how messy.”

But the right-flank conservatives, led by the Freedom Caucus and aligned with Donald Trump, appeared emboldened by the standoff — although Trump publicly backed McCarthy,

It was the first time in 100 years that a nominee for House speaker could not take the gavel on the first vote, but McCarthy appeared undeterred. Instead, he vowed to fight to the finish.

The disorganised start to the new Congress pointed to difficulties ahead with Republicans now in control of the House.

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