THE FIRST THREE VOTES IN THE U.S. HOUSE TUESDAY TO ELECT A NEW SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE ENDED IN FAILURE, AS DID A 4TH VOTE WEDNESDAY MORNING.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN KEVIN MCCARTHY OF CALIFORNIA FAILED TO EARN A MAJORITY OF VOTES IN HIS BID FOR HOUSE SPEAKER.
THE FIRST FAILED VOTE FORCED ADDITIONAL BALLOTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A CENTURY TO ELECT A HOUSE SPEAKER.
MCCARTHY COULD LOSE ONLY FOUR VOTES FROM THE SLIM MAJORITY REPUBLICANS NOW HAVE, BUT ENDED UP LOSING 19 REPUBLICAN VOTES ON THE FIRST TWO BALLOTS, AND A 20TH ON THE 3RD.
SOUTH DAKOTA REPUBLICAN DUSTY JOHNSON SAYS A SMALL GROUP OF REPUBLICANS WANT MCCARTHY TO DO THEIR BIDDING:
SPEAKER1 OC……..95 PERCENT. :11
THE QUESTION FOR SPEAKER WILL NOW GO TO AN INDEFINITE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL VOTES IF A CANDIDATE CANNOT SECURE A MAJORITY.
MCCARTHY, WHO HAD SERVED AS THE MINORITY LEADER, MUST NOW FIND A WAY TO MAKE UP THE VOTES HE NEEDS TO BECOME SPEAKER.
DEMOCRATS, NOW IN THE MINORITY IN THE HOUSE, WERE UNITED BEHIND NEW YORK CONGRESSMAN HAKEEM JEFFRIES AS THEIR PARTY’S LEADER, REPLACING FORMER SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI.
FOLLOWING THE FAILED VOTES, MCCARTHY CONCEDED IT’S POSSIBLE THE SPEAKER PROCESS COULD TAKE DAYS TO RESOLVE.
UPDATED 4:39 P.M. 1/3/23 & 11:42 A.M. 1/4/23
