U.S. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy lost Thursday’s 11th round for House Speaker, marking the longest vote in 164 years.
McCarthy has garnered 200 votes, while he needs 218 as a minimum to hold the position of Speaker of the House. His party colleague Kevin Hern received seven votes, while fellow GOP member Byron Donald got 12 endorsements. For his part, the Democratic candidate, Kaheem Jeffries, has remained with the 212 supports of the total of the representatives of his own party.
After this, the lower house adjourned the voting session, again, until Friday at noon, without it being clear whether, with the resumption of the plenary session, there will be an agreement.
McCarthy has noted that he is making progress, «without setting a deadline,» and assuring that he does not believe multiple failed votes will undermine his power. «All (lawmakers) will have to learn to work together. It’s better that we go through this process right now, so we can accomplish the things we want to accomplish for the American public,» he has asserted.
The House remains paralyzed in the absence of the election of a speaker, delaying the swearing in of new members elected during the legislative midterm elections, as well as investigations or the approval of rules and laws.
The Republican Party, which has a majority in the lower house, is divided to elect the person who will lead the House of Representatives, causing the need to call the twelfth vote. Not since 1859 have legislators had to be called to more than ten votes.
Representatives reconvened Thursday to resume voting after two days of no progress, in which hard-line Republican supporters refused to endorse McCarthy.
In addition, despite negotiations to get his vote, politicians opposed to McCarthy have nominated new candidates — such as former President Donald Trump — to take ballots away from him, as reported by CNN.
The Republican leader had made several concessions during the night, such as the reinstatement of a rule by which a single member of the House could force a vote to expel the president, in order to attract his detractors, as reported by NBC.
These measures are raising tensions among moderate Republicans, due to the «growing frustration» generated by McCarthy’s concessions to his opponents.
This deadlock has previously been criticized by U.S. President Joe Biden, who has called the situation in the House «disgraceful.»
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
