Election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives: Developments

Many Republican lawmakers are expressing outrage that a small group of their far-right party members are refusing to support the election of Kevin McCarthy to the speaker’s seat.

McCarthy is making another attempt at the speaker’s seat Thursday after a group of 20 lawmakers refused to support him in six rounds of voting.

“These 20 people are demanding that 201 people unequivocally submit to them. Well, I’m not going to comply,” Congressman Trent Kelly told reporters after the vote.

He was joined by 17 other Republicans who expressed a similar opinion.

Recall that in the November midterm elections, Republicans won a slim majority in the House of Representatives with 222 of 435 votes. McCarthy needs 218 votes to be elected.

Conservatives in his party continue to argue that he is not ideologically tough enough to oppose Democratic President Joe Biden and the Democrat-controlled Senate.

“Is he going to fight for us? Is he willing to shut down the government? – Congressman Ralph Norman, who voted against McCarthy all six times, told Reuters. – It hasn’t happened in his history.”

The last time the House of Representatives failed to choose a speaker from the first time was in 1923, when it took nine rounds of voting.

McCarthy said Wednesday that he was making progress, but it was unclear whether he would be able to win or whether the party would have to seek an alternative when the House reconvenes at noon Thursday.

Possible candidates include the number two Republican in the House, Steve Scalise, and Congressman Jim Jordan, who have said they support McCarthy. Jordan received 20 votes in Tuesday’s nomination.

Republicans may also seek Democratic help, although House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that hasn’t happened yet.

Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna told Reuters that he and others could support a moderate Republican who would agree to share subpoena powers with Democrats and avoid confrontation over government funding and the debt ceiling.

McCarthy supporters said they still support him.