Posted on 01/03/2023 11:07:17 AM PST by Red Badger
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) fell short of the votes needed to secure the speaker’s gavel on the first ballot, with his chances of obtaining the long-coveted role remaining in doubt as conservatives continue to withhold their support for the California Republican.
Nineteen GOP lawmakers voted against him Tuesday afternoon as they push for the conference to rally around a different “consensus candidate.”
The chamber is slated to move on to a second ballot for the first time since 1923, with McCarthy allies hoping that he garners more support as both the “Never Kevin” and “Only Kevin” factions of the GOP vow to go as many ballots as it takes.
A total of 19 Republicans voted against McCarthy on the first ballot. Among the "no" votes were Rep. Andy Biggs, who challenged McCarthy for the leadership spot and voted for himself. Most of the "no" votes were in his favor. Six members voted for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), including Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), and Rep.-elect Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL). Jordan is a member of the Freedom Caucus and the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee.
McCarthy, who won an internal leadership election in November with 36 Republicans voting against him, has struggled to sway conservative hard-liners who demanded substantial changes to the House and conference rules, including restoring the motion to vacate the chair, a mechanism used to oust a sitting speaker; a ban on leadership playing in primaries, commitments to rein in spending and restore regular order; and better committee assignments for right-wing lawmakers.
After the GOP fell short of its anticipated red wave, McCarthy faced a steeper climb in gaining the gavel, with the margins in the House allowing him just four defections on the floor unless his critics choose to vote present or not vote to bring down the threshold.
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While the California Republican has made strides to meet with potential defectors and strike a compromise, his efforts were not enough to sway the support needed for the first round. But McCarthy, who previously dropped out of the speaker’s race to replace former Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) in 2015 amid conservative pushback, has asserted that he believes the party needs to rally around him to demonstrate that it is capable of governing with its new House majority.
Five conservatives — former House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Bob Good (R-VA), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Matt Rosendale (R-MT) — said that they would not support McCarthy on the floor and would continue to vote as a bloc in the weeks leading up to the start of the new Congress. While talk of centrists working with Democrats to pick another candidate was floated in November, various GOP factions claimed that they would rally around McCarthy until the end on Thursday.
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It may be but it is Historic Kabuki.
It’s been 100 years since a Speaker lost 1st vote(1923)
Look for them to be demonized and shunned. They will wind up on the Paperclip Committees.................
Good.
Even if he ends up winning it provides a dose of reality.
It’s great. I hope it goes many votes.
Way more Narcissistic assholes than we need.
We have only one political party, one half dark blue and the other a nice shade of powder blue.
I don’t know how The People drag themselves out of the swamp at this late stage in the life of our Republic.
If anything, if McCarthy wins eventually, he’ll be more responsive to conservatives, since the rule to recall a Speaker is now easier...................
We need to TERM LIMIT all of them.
Kevin is going to have to get Soros and China to cough up more money, he’s running out of dough.
There are literally thousands of people qualified for the position if they were willing to look outside of their exclusive club.
They can even elect an outsider. The Speaker does not have to be a Member of Congress.................
Riiiiiight.
I’m ok with people voting their first choice in round I as long as, in round II, they vote for a Republican.
Should we have an Alaska situation, where a few moderate Rs join with the Democrats to organize the House, that would be a disaster.
Kevin?
It appears these people have been in government so long we call them by their first names.
Now going to round 3.
they are so stupid. They didn’t even nominate Jim Jordan, but they voted for him. Do they not understand the process? everybody in the house was laughing their ass off with Boebart making a fool of herself once again. Why didn’t she nominate him?
So you feel the winner with the most votes should be speaker? Interesting. You should look at the totals before posting. Lol.
If he has to win without the conservatives (i.e. with democrats) then you can kiss that hope goodbye. That rule will never be changed.
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