- Title: Watch the chaos unfold as McCarthy fails in three votes for U.S. House speaker
- Date: 4th January 2023
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JANUARY 3, 20023) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** REPRESENTATIVE MATT GAETZ WALKING BY REPORTERS AS THEY ASK WHY HE'S VOTING NO FOR MCCARTHY (SOUNDBITE) (English) MATT GAETZ, REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE FROM FLORIDA SAYING: "Those of us who will not be voting for Kevin McCarthy today take no joy in this discomfort at this moment has brought, but if you want to drain the swamp, you cannot put the biggest alligator in charge of the exercise." KEVIN MCCARTHY, REPUBLICAN FROM CALIFORNIA APPROACHING MICROPHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEVIN MCCARTHY, REPUBLICAN FROM CALIFORNIA, SAYING: "They even came to the position where one Matt Gaetz said I don't care if we go to a plurality and we elect Hakeem Jeffries and it hurts the new front-line members not to get reelected. Well, that is not about America. And I will always fight to put the American people first, not a few individuals who want something for themselves. So, we may have a battle on the floor but the battle is for the conference and for the country and that's fine with me." MCCARTHY WALKING OFF AS REPORTERS SHOUT QUESTIONS
- Embargoed: 18th January 2023 11:01
- Keywords: Republican Kevin McCarthy U.S. House of Representatives speaker chaos hardliners showdown
- Location: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: Lawmaking,North America,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002029604012023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Republican Kevin McCarthy vowed on Tuesday (January 3) to remain in the race to be the powerful U.S. House of Representatives speaker, hours after hardline members of his party repeatedly blocked his bid to lead their brand-new majority.
In the first day of what could prove to be a brutal showdown between about 20 hardliners and the other 202 members of the Republican caucus, McCarthy failed in three ballots to achieve the 218 votes needed to become speaker, a role second in line to the Oval Office after the vice president.
It was a disconcerting start for the new Republican majority and highlights the challenges the party could face over the next two years, heading into the 2024 presidential election. Their slim 222-212 majority gives greater clout to a small group of hardliners, who want rule changes that would give them greater control over the speaker and more influence over the party's approach to spending and the debt.
McCarthy, 57, from California, knew he faced an uphill climb heading into Tuesday's vote and had vowed to continue to force votes. But the chamber voted on Tuesday evening to adjourn until noon ET (1700 GMT) on Wednesday (January 4), a move that would give Republicans time to discuss other candidates.
Conservative Representative Jim Jordan, 58, from Ohio, won 20 votes in the last ballot of the day, far from the threshold of 218 to become speaker but enough to stop McCarthy.
The chamber's top Democrat, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, bested McCarthy in all three votes. In the day's final tally, Jeffries led McCarthy 212 to 202 votes. A majority of those voting, not a plurality, is needed to determine a speaker.
A standoff would leave the House largely paralyzed and could force lawmakers to consider another Republican candidate. In addition to Jordan, incoming Majority Leader Steve Scalise, 57, from Louisiana, was seen as a possibility.
The last time the House failed to elect a speaker on the first ballot was 1923.
(Production: Jane Ross) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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