Republican Kevin McCarthy also failed in the 14th round in the election of the chairman of the US House of Representatives.
The historic debacle for the Republican Party in the US House of Representatives continues: Republican Kevin McCarthy failed in the 14th round in the election of the chairman of the House of Representatives. Contrary to what was last expected, McCarthy was unable to secure the required majority in the vote on Friday evening (local time) and again failed due to resistance from his own ranks. This makes the Speaker of the House election one of the longest in history.
After the 14th round of voting, McCarthy approached the group of dissenters and supporters of former President Donald Trump. There was a riot.
McCarthy was still optimistic that afternoon. “I counted the votes,” he told journalists. Most recently, the Republican had already been able to win over some dissenters from his own party. However, this was not enough for the necessary majority. McCarthy had previously made far-reaching concessions to his opponents in the Republican ranks.
The election marathon in the House of Representatives is an embarrassment of historic proportions for the opposition Republicans, who have held a majority in the Congress Chamber since the midterm elections in November. The last time an election process lasted longer than the current one dates back to before the American Civil War: in 1856, the members of parliament only agreed after two months and 133 votes.
Without a chair, the deputies cannot be sworn in, form committees and begin drafting legislation. The election is repeated until a candidate achieves a simple majority in the House of Representatives.
