Republican Kevin McCarthy failed in his first attempt to win the presidency of the US House of Representatives. McCarthy missed the required majority for the powerful office in the United States in Tuesday’s vote in the opening session of the United States House of Representatives. It is the first time in a hundred years that more than one run-up to the election is needed.
After the parliamentary elections in November, the congress met for the first time in a new configuration on Tuesday. The Republicans took over the leadership in the House of Representatives – in the Senate, President Joe Biden’s Democrats still have a narrow majority. The start of the new legislature was overshadowed by the Republicans’ bitter internal battle for leadership in the House of Representatives.
Public exposure
The position of president of the chamber, held in recent years by Democrat Nancy Pelosi, ranks third nationally after the president and his vice president. Usually the choice is a formality. But several party members rebelled against McCarthy and refused to support him. Given a narrow majority of Republicans in the chamber, McCarthy did not receive the necessary number of votes.
For McCarthy, this is a public notoriety. It has been a hundred years since a candidate for the House of Representatives vote failed to secure the required majority on the first ballot: in 1923, nine ballots were needed to elect a leader. Then it took several days.
Even now, the internal rebellion slows down the processes considerably. The election of the Speaker is the first major official act of a newly elected House of Representatives. And until there is clarity about the presidency, nothing works: the Chamber of Congress cannot begin its work, not even the new MPs can be sworn in.
Long elections?
McCarthy received only 203 of the 434 votes cast in the first round – he would have needed 218. 19 party members refused to vote for him.
McCarthy had shown himself belligerent shortly before the meeting, saying: “I hold the record for the longest speech in plenary.” He has no problem setting a record for most ballots in a vote for the presidency of the House of Representatives.
That can take a long time. Each vote takes a long time because all MPs are individually called to nominate their preferred candidate. Even if McCarthy ultimately prevails, he will emerge weakened and will struggle to organize majorities in the Congressional chamber for years to come.
Republicans are torn
The revolt against him came as no surprise, but had been brewing for weeks. Five party members had publicly announced early on that they would vote against McCarthy. Other Republicans later resisted. Behind the scenes, McCarthy tried to appease internal critics with all kinds of concessions – without success.
McCarthy revealed visibly annoyed on Tuesday that he was told on Monday that he would only get the necessary votes if he gave certain positions and budgets to certain members of the group. One of his opponents, Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, even flat out said that when in doubt, he didn’t care if the Democratic nominee won the election. His opponents are concerned only with personal advancement, not with the country. “I will always fight to put the American people first — not a few individuals trying to get their way,” he said. So there may be a “struggle” in the plenum of the room, but it’s about the whole group and the country, “and I’m okay with that”.
The Republican faction in the House of Representatives, like the party as a whole, is torn between right-wing supporters of ex-President Donald Trump and more moderate party members. Faced with a slim majority, McCarthy must unite the various wings behind him and even recruit members from the margins of his faction to become leader.