House Adjourns After McCarthy Falls Short in Three Votes for Speaker

January 3, 2023 by Dan McCue
House Adjourns After McCarthy Falls Short in Three Votes for Speaker
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., listens as the second round of votes are cast for the next Speaker of the House on the opening day of the 118th Congress at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON — The House adjourned on Tuesday evening after Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., failed in three back-to-back votes to secure enough support to be elected House speaker.

The votes left the House GOP in an apparent state of chaos. Until a speaker is elected, the rest of the chamber’s members-elect cannot be sworn in, because by rules set down by the founding fathers, their oath of office is administered by the speaker.

Voting will presumably resume Wednesday when the chamber reconvenes at noon.

In the meantime, every Democrat on the floor has unanimously voted for incoming Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to be speaker (an outcome that’s astronomically unlikely), while conservatives led by the House Freedom Caucus have thrown their support behind Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who has repeatedly said he doesn’t want the job and is backing McCarthy.

McCarthy knew Tuesday would be an uphill battle and said as much as he left a closed-door meeting with his caucus this morning.

“That’s fine with me,” he said, telling reporters gathered in a Capitol hallway that he holds the distinction of having delivered the longest ever speech on the floor and “I don’t have a problem getting a record for the most votes for speaker too.”

By the end of the three votes, however, even McCarthy seemed to be weary of the spectacle.

Worst of all, by the end of the day, he appeared to actually be losing ground as Republican defectors from his cause rose from 19 to 20 with the last vote.

Following that vote, Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, who had become the 20th defector, suggested taking a break from voting.

“The reality is Rep. Kevin McCarthy doesn’t have the votes,” Donalds wrote on Twitter. “I committed my support to him publicly and for two votes on the House floor. 218 is the number, and currently, no one is there.

“Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find someone or work out the next steps, but these continuous votes aren’t working for anyone,” he continued. “When the dust settles, we will have a Republican speaker, now is the time for our conference to debate and come to a consensus.”

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue

A+
a-
  • Congress
  • Kevin McCarthy
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Congress

    March 27, 2024
    by TWN Staff
    Rep. Cleaver New Co-Chair of House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Mo., is the new Democratic co-chair of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Mo., is the new Democratic co-chair of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus. He was invited to serve as co-chair by Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, the co-chairs of the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy... Read More

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    New Dem Chair Kuster Announces Retirement Following 2024 Election

    CONCORD, N.H. — Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., who, among other things, is the current chair of the New Democrat Coalition... Read More

    CONCORD, N.H. — Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., who, among other things, is the current chair of the New Democrat Coalition in the House, revealed Wednesday that she will not seek reelection to Congress this year. In a lengthy statement released by her office, Kuster gives no... Read More

    March 25, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    CPAC Releases Ranking of Most Conservative Members of Congress

    WASHINGTON — The Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC, on Monday released its annual ranking of members of... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC, on Monday released its annual ranking of members of the House and Senate based on their conservative bona fides or lack thereof. To produce this year’s scorecard, the CPAC foundation’s Center for Legislative Accountability analyzed... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    After a Decade on Capitol Hill, Brad Howard Steps Out on His Own

    WASHINGTON — After a decade on Capitol Hill, most recently as chief of staff for former Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.,... Read More

    WASHINGTON — After a decade on Capitol Hill, most recently as chief of staff for former Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and communications director of the Blue Dog Coalition, Brad Howard knew it was time for change. “It was time to move into the private sector,” he... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Greene Files Motion to Vacate Speaker’s Chair

    WASHINGTON — For the second time in five months, a member of the Republican Conference in the House has filed... Read More

    WASHINGTON — For the second time in five months, a member of the Republican Conference in the House has filed a motion to vacate the chair of the party’s speaker. But this time, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., says the motion is intended merely as a... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Gallagher to Leave Congress April 19

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who already announced he would not seek reelection, surprised many on Capitol Hill on... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who already announced he would not seek reelection, surprised many on Capitol Hill on Friday by announcing he plans to leave April 19, several months before his current term is up. Gallagher’s impending departure will further shrink the razor-thin Republican... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top