Kevin McCarthy falls short on first three votes for speaker Los Angeles Times

Table Of Content

• Biden congratulates Johnson in statement
• Swing-district Republican attacks Democrats who heckled him over his support for Johnson
• McCarthy’s political machine spent millions helping to elect lawmakers now blocking his speaker bid
• McCarthy allies, foes huddle as GOP scrambles to find a House speaker
• Jim Jordan loses first round of balloting on House speaker vote: Voting expected Wednesday
• Democrats hold press conference as House begins third day without a speaker

Perry's mention of a leak appears to be a reference to Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who claimed McCarthy caved to every demand of the House Freedom Caucus. This, Gaetz said, included committee appointments and a measure that allows just one motion to spark a vote to remove the speaker. When asked if he has the votes Thursday before the House reconvened, McCarthy stated, "Look, look you're going to go in here, we're gonna have votes, nothing is going to change. What we're doing is we're having really good progress in conversations..."

Biden congratulates Johnson in statement

The vast majority of the conference has fallen in line behind him, but roughly a dozen detractors remain to be convinced. Allies of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., remain confident that he will secure the speakership during Tuesday's votes. It appeared likely that McCarthy would need more than one vote to secure the gavel, as several Republicans have said they would oppose him. In the meantime, Democrats nominated Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and boasted that they were “united” in their support for the minority candidate. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., was nominated as an alternative Republican candidate to McCarthy in the first round, a move he said he would make after he challenged McCarthy in a GOP conference meeting late last year.

Swing-district Republican attacks Democrats who heckled him over his support for Johnson

The final vote in the fourth round was 201 votes for McCarthy, 212 for Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, 20 for Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Spartz's lone "present" vote. A lone Republican member of the House voted “present” on Wednesday in the fourth attempt to agree on a House speaker, the first such vote in the two days the GOP has been trying to find a consensus candidate. "Even having my favorite president call us and tell us we need to knock this off, I think it actually needs to be reversed," Boebert said. "The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that sir, you do not have the votes and it's time to withdraw."

McCarthy’s political machine spent millions helping to elect lawmakers now blocking his speaker bid

Conservatives have been mounting an intense pressure campaign to persuade the final holdouts to support him. Jordan typically skips a suit jacket, but he was donning one Tuesday as his colleagues prepared to vote on whether to elect him House speaker. He could afford to lose no more than three votes and still win the speaker’s gavel. It takes a majority of the votes from House members who are present and voting. The several times she ran for speaker, she faced a number of detractors in a closed-door conference vote but was able to clinch the gavel each time her nomination came to the floor vote. In all, 212 Democrats voted unanimously for their House leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, while 200 Republicans voted for Jordan and 20 for someone else.

Dems celebrate largest ever Black Congressional Caucus, but exclude GOP's Byron Donalds

This comes as it does not appear House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has made significant progress in his effort to secure the votes needed to win the speaker's gavel. After the House gavels in, lawmakers could vote on a Republican motion to adjourn, which would stall the fourth vote on the election of the speaker. Democratic Whip Rep.-elect Katherine Clark, D-Mass., sent a memo to members telling them to vote against a GOP motion to adjourn if it is offered. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has entered the House floor Wednesday ahead of an expected fourth vote for speaker. The House Freedom Caucus nominated Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for House speaker during Wednesday's votes. Donalds picked up 20 votes, just as Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio did in the last of three votes a day earlier.

Emmer is one of two speaker candidates who voted to certify the 2020 election results. Emmer, the majority whip, is one of the two speaker candidates who voted to certify the 2020 presidential election results. Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas told reporters some of Emmer's past comments are "causing him some problems today," though he didn't specify what the statements were. Still, the Texas Republican cast doubt on Emmer's ability to garner 217 votes and again pledged to nominate Trump for speaker on the floor. Earlier Tuesday night, Ohio Rep. Max Miller suggested there was growing support for restoring McCarthy to the speakership. "Who knows, we might end up back at Speaker McCarthy. He's still got the most votes on anybody in that room."

Jim Jordan falls short a second time; House speaker vote still looms - NBC News

Jim Jordan falls short a second time; House speaker vote still looms.

Posted: Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Journalists in the nation’s capital had the pleasure of covering a circus of events. And they got to write a true first draft of history — or at least get the first crack at a footnote that will be cited every time future speaker seekers have a problem getting the gavel. Rep. Byron Donalds took office in 2020 and had high hopes for the newly elected 117th Congress when he ran for conference chair, but he lost to Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is a key McCarthy ally. The tumult in the House has given him a moment to revel in the spotlight anyway.

Jim Jordan loses first round of balloting on House speaker vote: Voting expected Wednesday

Those compromises delivered a breakthrough for Mr. McCarthy, who in votes on Friday afternoon won support from a sizable chunk of the Republicans who had consistently refused to back him — though he remained short of the majority to win. Also part of the proposal, Republicans familiar with it said, was a commitment by the leader to give the ultraconservative faction approval over a third of the seats on the powerful Rules Committee, which controls what legislation reaches the floor and how it is debated. He also agreed to open government spending bills to a freewheeling debate in which any lawmaker could force votes on proposed changes. As House Republicans gathered earlier in the week to select their third nominee for speaker, Trump vowed to remain on the sidelines of the race. But hours after Emmer won the nod in a closed-door vote by the conference Tuesday morning, the former president lambasted the Minnesota Republican, writing on Truth Social that "voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake." Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, another Scalise supporter, told reporters after Johnson was elected speaker-designate that he believes Republicans are "back" and the conference's agenda "back on track."

Democrats hold press conference as House begins third day without a speaker

After the first round of voting, Sessions received the lowest number of votes and was eliminated. Asked by CBS News if the goal is to hold a floor vote Tuesday afternoon or evening on a House speaker, McHenry held up his hands in a shrug-like gesture. The vote indicates that Emmer faces a tough road to securing the 217 votes needed to win the speaker's gavel.

The speakership struggle that crippled the House before it had even opened its session suggested that basic tasks such as passing government funding bills or financing the federal debt would prompt epic struggles over the next two years. After a spectacle of arm-twisting on the House floor, Kevin McCarthy won over just enough of the far-right rebels he needed to become speaker. He swore in the chamber’s members, ending days of paralysis at the start of Republican rule.

Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy offered to keep defense spending at 2022 levels in a deal to holdouts during the House speaker election as the House Minority Leader hasn't gained the speakership after 13 rounds of voting. On Friday morning, Gaetz appeared to chat with the incoming assistant Democratic leader,Congressman-elect James Clyburn of South Carolina, before the House was set to commence its 12th round of voting. A reporter pressed Santos on his false representations following reports he lied about several aspects of his resume before being elected, including misrepresenting his education, work experience and claiming Jewish descent. While on his way to support Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House, embattled Rep.-elect George Santos refused to answer lingering questions about his exaggerated campaign biography. Several holdouts remained in the vote, including Reps-elect Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who voted for Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; Eli Crane, R-Ariz., who voted for Biggs, and Matt Rosendale, R-Maryland, who voted for Biggs. This change of vote likely followed discussions between McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, and others as Republicans now believe they have enough votes to successfully elect McCarthy.