the bongino report

House Reconvenes With No End in Sight to Speaker Stalemate

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House reconvenes to vote on speaker as McCarthy works to appease demands by defectors

The House of Representatives gaveled in at 12:00 p.m. ET Thursday and is set to start its seventh ballot to elect a speaker. 

The House adjourned Wednesday evening after six total failed attempts to elect a speaker.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., offered more concessions to members of the House Freedom Caucus opposing his bid for speaker late Wednesday, but cautioned to reporters ahead of the chamber gaveling in that votes are likely to remain the same.

Rep.-elect Bob Good: ‘I will never vote for Kevin McCarthy’

Rep.-elect Bob Good, R-Va., says he will “never vote for Kevin McCarthy.”

Congressman-elect Good, one of the 20 defectors against the bid by Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to be the next speaker of the House
. was seen leaving a meeting with House Freedom Caucus members and the conservative think tank, Conservative Partnership Institute, Thursday morning in Washington, D.C.

On his way out, Good told reporters, “You never have to as me again if I’m a ‘no.’ I will never vote for Kevin McCarthy.”

The House is entering its third day without having named a speaker, and after six rounds of votes. The House is set to reconvene Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.

McCarthy says speaker vote expected to remain same Thursday: ‘Wouldn’t read anything into the votes’

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy just entered a closed meeting with what appears to be supporters of his in the Capitol. Rep.-elect Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and other other rank-and-file Republicans were also spotted heading into the meeting.

Upon his arrival to the meeting McCarthy was asked if he expects the vote tally to be the same today. He said “yeah pretty much…”

McCarthy added: “Nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to. I wouldn’t read anything into the votes today.”

Fox News’ Kelly Phares contributed to this report.

What to expect in the House today as GOP speaker debate continues

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., appears to be making progress in negotiations over the speakership with his critics in the House Freedom Caucus, but Thursday’s meeting of Congress will be a key test in his race for House speaker.

Lawmakers will go back in session at noon ET on Thursday, the third day of a deadlock over McCarthy’s bid. The California Republican has received 201 votes in the most recent ballots, well shy of the 218 he needs and fewer than the 212 votes Rep.-elect Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader, has received from his party.

The House Freedom Caucus on Wednesday settled on nominating Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who received 20 votes in yesterday’s ballots.

A GOP aide told Fox News McCarthy made progress with some of his critics Wednesday night as he agreed to adding more House Freedom Caucus members to top committees, including the steering committee. The aide added McCarthy may also agree to require only one member to call for a vote to remove the speaker, which he previously set at five.

‘I don’t know why we would even vote,’ says McCarthy ally

Rep.-elect Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., an ally to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, said Thursday it would be unproductive to conduct a vote for speaker again without more progress on negotiations.

“I don’t know why we would even vote,” Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t control what votes are called. I’m just saying I don’t think it would be productive.”

There were six failed votes for speaker between Tuesday and Wednesday.


Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

Boebert says McCarthy ‘doesn’t have 218’ votes needed to secure speakership

Fox News Digital captured video of Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., walking out of a House Freedom Caucus meeting Thursday morning.

Boebert stressed McCarthy still “doesn’t have 218,” the number of votes necessary to become speaker.

“It doesn’t really matter what my vote is at this point because he doesn’t have 218. There are too many people who are committed to never voting for him,” she said.

“As a mom of four boys and a previous restaurant owner, chaos and dysfunction have been a part of my life for a long time. But this Constitutional Republic at work is a really really beautiful thing,” Boebert also said.

Top McCarthy ally says ‘slowly making progress’ on deal with defectors

Rep.-elect Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a top ally to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, said Thursday “we’re slowly making progress” on a deal with the House Freedom Caucus.

“I think things are moving in the right direction,” Johnson said as he exited McCarthy’s office Thursday morning. “And listen, nothing’s gonna come together quickly. But I think we’re slowly making progress.”

Johnson added there is mutual interest to get a deal done.

“I think on both sides, on all sides, you’ve got people who want to get to yes,” Johnson said. “So clearly, you’re going to have some additional concessions on both sides to be able to get together.”

The House is set to convene at noon Thursday.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

McCarthy struggles to win over hardliners in speaker race despite new concessions

GOP opponents of Kevin McCarthy’s speakership bid indicated Thursday morning they still aren’t ready to support him, even after McCarthy hinted at new concessions late Wednesday aimed at winning them over.

After six votes on Tuesday and Wednesday that fell short of giving him 218 votes for speaker, McCarthy floated the possibility of a rules change that would allow a single lawmaker – not five – to make a motion to vacate the chair and elect a new speaker. He also proposed putting more members of the House Freedom Caucus on key committees and votes on term limits and border security.

But hours after those concessions were floated, at least five hardline GOP lawmakers indicated it still wasn’t enough, and made it clear they would continue to oppose him. The House convenes at noon Thursday, and while a new vote may show McCarthy has made some progress with the 20 GOP holdouts, he can only afford to lose four votes.

“Make no mistake: I’ll continue do what’s right, not what’s easy — and I’ll stay on target until the job is done and the status quo is defeated,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania tweeted on Thursday.

Read more at Fox News Digital: McCarthy struggles to win over hardliners in speaker race despite new concessions

Jeffries doesn’t condemn Cori Bush’s statement that Byron Donalds ‘being Black’ makes him a ‘prop’

Incoming House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries pivoted
from having to address a fellow Democrat’s inflammatory remarks about GOP Rep.-elect Byron Donalds.

“FWIW, @ByronDonalds is not a historic candidate for Speaker. He is a prop,” Bush, D-Mo., tweeted Wednesday afternoon. “Despite being Black, he supports a policy agenda intent on upholding and perpetuating white supremacy.”

When asked by Fox News Digital during the Democratic leadership’s weekly press conference Thursday about whether he agreed with Rep.-elect Cori Bush’s statement, Jeffries didn’t directly answer.

“My view has been let’s continue to organize on our side as we’ve done strength, unity, resilience,” Jeffries told Fox News Digital’s Brianna Herlihy.

“The Republicans have created a mess on their side and the Republicans need to sort it out.”

Democrats hold press conference as House begins third day without a speaker

The House Democratic leadership team is holding its weekly press conference as the chamber enters the third day of the 118th Congress without an elected speaker.

Incoming House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has said the Democrats remain united amid Republican Party infighting.

Late Wednesday night after the House decided to adjourn for the day, outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, R-Calif., called out Republicans for their “cavalier attitude” in electing a new speaker, tweeting “all who serve in the House share a responsibility to bring dignity to this body.”

“Sadly, Republicans’ cavalier attitude in electing a Speaker is frivolous, disrespectful and unworthy of this institution,” she wrote.

The speaker election drama: Who won and who lost

The House of Representatives failed to elect a speaker for the first time since 1923 — as nearly two dozen Republicans refused to support Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California for the job.

Here are the winners and losers
so far from the ongoing debate over the speakership.

Winners:

House Democrats embraced the GOP divide Tuesday and Wednesday as leadership advised its members to remain present at all votes to ensure the majority threshold remains a challenge to McCarthy and his allies.

Opponents from within the conservative Freedom Caucus to McCarthy’s bid for speakership are outnumbered 10 to 1 within the Republican Party, but they have been able to spike attempts to move forward due to the narrow Republican majority in the chamber.

Rep. Byron Donalds took office in 2020 and had high hopes for the newly elected 117th Congress when he ran for conference chair, but he lost to Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is a key McCarthy ally. The tumult in the House has given him a moment to revel in the spotlight anyway. He flipped his vote to oppose McCarthy in the third failed attempt Tuesday, drawing wide attention. The congressman then went on Fox News and CNN Wednesday morning to describe his logic.

Losers:

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., used the GOP divide to poke fun at McCarthy, of whom he has been a vocal critic. Gaetz wrote a letter to the Architect of the Capitol agency to investigate why McCarthy was using the House speaker’s office when he has yet to win the position.

Journalists in the nation’s capital had the pleasure of covering a circus of events. They were at it early, up late, inundated with endless inches of easy copy. And they got to write a true first draft of history — or at least get the first crack at a footnote that will be cited every time future speaker seekers have a problem getting the gavel.

McCarthy first ran for speaker in 2015 but later dropped out in a decision that he said was because “there just wasn’t a path to 218.”

Ronna McDaniel’s challenger for RNC chair says after losses like midterms, leaders should ‘move on’

Harmeet Dhillon, a civil rights attorney and national committeewoman for the RNC, says RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel should “move on” after Republicans suffered such a disappointing result in the midterms.

Dhillon is challenging McDaniel for her spot as RNC chair. McDaniel would become the one of the longest serving RNC chairs in over 100 years if she were elected to a fourth term.

“I think we really need to focus on our party where we’re all working in the party together. This is not personal. I have no personal issue with Ronna,” Dhillon tells Fox Digital.

“We don’t have the White House now, we don’t have the presidency. So, you know, we are effectively the leaders of the party,” said Dhillon. “If we’re not clearly articulating what our message is, why voters should vote for us, then we are losing. And in fact, we are always playing catch up with the Democrats.”

While McDaniel has sought to claim success in broadening the party’s appeal to minority voters, Dhillon says the RNC chairwoman must bare responsibility for Republicans’ failure to win the Senate and have an even larger House Majority. 

“Life is unfair in many ways. However, when you have successive losses, be it and a sports team or being in a corporation or being as a leader of the party too, people typically move on.”

Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw blasts anti-McCarthy Republicans: ‘tired of your stupid platitudes’

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, blasted his colleagues for locking the House of Representatives in a stalemate over Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for speaker Wednesday night.

“I’m tired of your stupid platitudes that some consultant told you to say on the campaign trail, alright,” Crenshaw said of the 20 Republican defectors, according to the Washington Post’s Dylan Wells. “Behind closed doors tell us what you actually want, or shut the f— up.”

Crenshaw’s comments came the night before Republicans entered their third day of deadlock Thursday. McCarthy has failed to gain the 218 votes required to be speaker in six separate roll calls since Tuesday.

Crenshaw said the holdouts, “need to be men and adults and say what they want, instead of playing these little games, that’s what we’re asking.”

“That’s what I’ve asked of them. Some of them are my friends. Stop saying platitudes like, ‘Washington is broken. We can’t do the status quo,” he said. “They want to pull the pins on the grenades and lock the doors.” 

Pelosi calls Republicans’ attitude toward McCarthy’s speakership ‘frivolous, disrespectful and unw

Outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi weighed in on the drama surrounding the election of her potential successor, Rep-elect. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., after the sixth speakership vote failed on Wednesday.

Late Wednesday night after the House decided to adjourn for the day, Pelosi called out Republicans for their “cavalier attitude” in electing a new Speaker, tweeting “all who serve in the House share a responsibility to bring dignity to this body.”

“Sadly, Republicans’ cavalier attitude in electing a Speaker is frivolous, disrespectful and unworthy of this institution,” she wrote.

GOP holdout Dan Bishop says he will resign if bid to stop McCarthy fails

After six votes in two days, House Republicans still do not have a consensus candidate for speaker, and 20 GOP holdouts remain opposed to Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., for the job. One of the group, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, went so far as to say he would resign from Congress if they are unsuccessful in their effort to bring about institutional change in the House – which they do not trust McCarthy to deliver. 

“We’re going to either see improvement up here the same way we made remarkable improvements in North Carolina in the state legislature, or I’m out,” Bishop told Roll Call in an interview published early Thursday morning. He said that over McCarthy’s 14-year tenure in Republican leadership, the would-be speaker has said the same things over and over again about threats facing the country and “every one of them has gotten worse, not better.” 

As someone who is “older than the average bear” and “not going to stay up here for decades,” Bishop told Roll Call he has no qualms about adopting a “never Kevin” position in the ongoing leadership fight.

Republican military veterans urge support for McCarthy: ‘Becoming detrimental to our nation’

A group of Republican military veterans urged their colleagues to end the stalemate in the House and elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaker Wednesday evening.

McCarthy failed to garner the 218 necessary votes to become speaker in six ballots between Tuesday and Wednesday. About 20 members of the House Freedom Caucus have so far refused to support the GOP leader. Until Republicans agree on a speaker, they cannot pass a rules package to determine how the House will operate, consider legislation, or begin the oversight of the Biden administration that candidates promised on the campaign trail. 

“The people standing behind me have regularly, consistently, over decades proven that they’re willing to put something greater than themselves above themselves,” Rep.-elect Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., said at the briefing, noting that the group collectively has 291 years of military service between them.

“A minority of our party has decided that they want to continue with this obstructionism and it’s actually becoming detrimental to our nation,” Van Orden added. “I will not stand for that.”

House Speaker race: Byron Donalds responds after Cori Bush says his ‘being Black’ makes him ‘a prop’

Rep.-elect Byron Donalds has responded to criticism from fellow Rep.-elect Cori Bush, who said his “being Black” makes him a “prop” in the House speaker race.

Taking to Twitter, Donalds, R-Fla., responded to Bush, D-Missouri, by simply saying: “Nobody asked.” He also encouraged her to challenge his “policies and the outcomes” rather than the color of his skin.

“Don’t be a crab in a barrel” he added.

“FWIW, @ByronDonalds is not a historic candidate for Speaker. He is a prop. Despite being Black, he supports a policy agenda intent on upholding and perpetuating white supremacy,” Bush tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

McCarthy, House Freedom Caucus discussing concessions in effort to sway 20 Republican voters

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., offered more concessions to members of the House Freedom Caucus opposing his bid for speaker late Wedesday.

McCarthy has discussed
granting the HFC more positions on the House Rules Committee as well as lowering the threshold for forcing a vote to remove the speaker to just one majority-party lawmaker.

McCarthy has failed to secure the 218 votes required to become speaker in six separate roll calls since Tuesday. Nineteen Republicans opposed him in the first two votes, but now his opposition has grown to 21.

GOP members will be meeting throughout Thursday morning, and the seventh vote won’t be made until noon ET.

Elon Musk tweets support for Kevin McCarthy, as speaker vote heads into third day

Billionaire Twitter CEO Elon Musk weighed into the Republican battle in the House of Representatives on Thursday, throwing his support behind Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s, R-Calif., bid to be speaker.

McCarthy has failed to gain the required 218 votes to win the speakership in six straight roll calls since Tuesday. Nineteen opposed him in the first round of voting, but the coalition has since grown to 21 as lawmakers tire of the deadlock.

“Kevin McCarthy should be Speaker,” Musk tweeted early Thursday morning.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., was the first to defect away from McCarthy, switching his vote during the third round of voting on Tuesday. Now, there has been a growing movement to select him as speaker.

“The reality is Rep. Kevin McCarthy doesn’t have the votes. 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,” Donalds tweeted Tuesday. “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.”

McCarthy’s political machine spent millions helping to elect lawmakers now blocking his speaker bid

Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy’s political machine spent millions supporting GOP candidates who won their elections and arrived on Capitol Hill only to oppose his bid for speaker.

McCarthy has failed to surpass the 218-vote threshold in four separate role calls this week. Twenty Republican lawmakers are responsible for the stalemate, and most of them received cash from one of McCarthy’s PACs during the midterm campaign, Politico reported.

McCarthy’s Congressional Leadership Funding threw in a total of $120,000 toward the campaigns of Reps. Dan Bishop, R-N.C.,: Michael Cloud R-Texas,: Andrew Clyde, R-Ga,; Byron Donalds, R-Fla.,; Bob Good, R-Va.; Andy Harris, R-Md.; Ralph Norman, R-S.C.; Scott Perry R-Pa.; and Matt Rosendale, R-Mont.; along with incoming freshmen Anna Paulina Luna R-Fla.; Josh Brecheen, R-Okla.; Andy Ogles, R-Tenn.; Eli Crane R-Ariz., and Keith Self, R-Texas.

The CFL also reportedly spent $900,000 on campaign ads supporting Crane in Arizona.

Rep-elect Byron Donalds not scared over possible ‘retribution’ in bid against Kevin McCarthy

Republicans are still deciding who will be the House speaker for the 118th session of Congress, but as Rep-elect. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., says he is getting closer to the gavel some members are starting to wonder about potential retribution for voting against him.

One member who is not worried is Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who has received votes for the speakership and has held out against McCarthy in four of the six votes. 

“I’m 6’2″ 275 [pounds], I am not worried about that,” Donalds said outside the Capitol when asked by NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Ryan Nobles if he was worried about potential retribution.

Donalds initially backed McCarthy’s speakership but after the California Republican failed to reach the 218-vote threshold in two votes on Tuesday, the Florida lawmaker shifted gears. 

“The reality is Rep. Kevin McCarthy doesn’t have the votes,” Donalds tweeted after changing his vote against McCarthy during the third speakership vote Tuesday — a decision that drew some audible gasps as well as applause from the chamber.

He added: “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.”

House GOP votes to adjourn, delays speaker fight to Thursday after some signs of progress

House Republicans successfully but narrowly voted Wednesday night to adjourn until Thursday, after a break of several hours and indications that some progress might have been achieved in talks between Kevin McCarthy’s supporters and 20 GOP opponents.

After a frenzied round of voting and clamoring by members, they voted 216-214 to adjourn.

Every Democrat voted against adjourning and they were joined by four Republicans: Andy Biggs of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Elijah Crane of Arizona and Matt Gaetz of Florida. But every other Republican voted to call it a day, and the House will return Thursday at noon to try again.

Just before the vote, McCarthy said some progress was made in negotiations with his opponents, and said it would be more productive to keep talking rather than hold more votes.

“I crawl before I walk, I walk before I run,” McCarthy said after the House adjourned. “I felt as though we had a very good discussion.”

McCarthy failed to get the 218 votes needed to win the speaker’s gavel three times on Wednesday, and three times on Tuesday. He topped out at 203 votes on Tuesday, and on Wednesday mustered 201.

Tyler Olson contributed to this report

McCarthy cites progress, says he prefers no more votes Wednesday night

Kevin McCarty said late Wednesday that “progress” was being made to find a consensus GOP House speaker and said his preference would be to keep working rather than hold more votes Wednesday night.

“You know, I think it’s probably best that people work through some more I think,” he said. “I don’t think voting tonight does any difference but I think vote in the future will.”

McCarthy added there was “no deal yet, but a lot of progress,” and said voting tonight would not be “productive.”

The House was set to reconvene at 8 p.m., but possibly because of this progress, Republicans were expected to quickly vote to adjourn for the night.

Supporters and opponents met in several offices during the break, and while there was talk about progress, there were few clear signs of a deal that would allow McCarthy or anyone else to win election.

In one possible sign of a breakthrough, however, the Congressional Leadership Fund, a Super PAC aligned with McCarthy, announced an agreement with the Club for Growth under which CLF said it would no longer specific candidates in open-seat races in GOP-friendly districts. The Club for Growth said CLF’s preference for some candidates over others was a “major concern” of theirs, and added that the group can now support McCarthy as long as the House rules package he’s working on “meet the principles we have set out previously.”

It wasn’t immediately clear if this agreement by itself would be enough to sway any of the 20 GOP holdouts.

McCarthy allies, foes huddle as GOP scrambles to find a House speaker

Friends and foes of Kevin McCarthy were meeting behind closed doors Wednesday night after the House adjourned and members planned to return by 8 p.m.

Rep.-elect Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who has been floated as a possible candidate if McCarthy were to drop out, said there were “multiple meetings happening right now” in an effort to unify the GOP, which  has been unable to agree on a speaker for the last two days.

“We’ll have ongoing negotiations with them through the evening, maybe for the future coming days,”  McHenry said. “Because if not, the reality is we’re… stopping Republican House from organizing to have oversight of a Democrat Washington.”

Majority Whip-elect Tom Emmer, R-Minn., was hosting a meeting with supporters and opponents of McCarthy. Two opponents of McCarthy, Reps.-elect Matt Gaetz of Florida and Ralph Norman of South Carolina, entered the meeting, and two supporters of McCarthy were seen leaving: Reps.-elect Jason Smith of Missouri and Dusty Johnson of South Dakota.

But none offered any indication of whether a breakthrough was possible or imminent. On the way into the meeting Gaetz said he wanted McCarthy to drop out.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

Conservative heavyweights applaud the 20 members of Congress who voted against McCarthy

Nearly 50 conservative heavyweights co-signed a statement on Wednesday, calling for a change in House GOP leadership in Washington, while applauding the 20 members of Congress who voted against Kevin McCarthy, the current House Minority leader.

McCarthy failed to collect the 218 votes needed to clinch the speaker of the House spot after a sixth round of votes on Wednesday.

Among those calling for McCarthy, R-Calif. To bow out of the speakership race are former Reagan administration Attorney General Ed Meese, Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and David McIntosh, president of Club for Growth.

The signed statement offered support to the “20 courageous members of Congress,” who voted against McCarthy.

“These members represents the millions of voters across the country who are disgusted with the business-as-usual, self-interested governance in Washington,” the group stated.

House adjourns without electing a speaker after McCarthy loses sixth ballot

The House adjourned Wednesday after it failed for a sixth time to elect a speaker — continuing a feud between House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and 20 opponents within his own party.

The decision to adjourn until 8:00 p.m. ET Wednesday followed unsuccessful negotiation efforts from McCarthy to secure a majority of votes needed to win the speaker’s gavel. The fourth, fifth and sixth failed ballots Wednesday came hours after former President Donald Trump broke his silence on the speakership debate as he reiterated his endorsement of McCarthy.

The House failed on three votes for speaker Tuesday, then adjourned. The first two votes Tuesday included 19 votes for candidates besides McCarthy, which became 20 after Rep.-elect Bryon Donalds flipped to the anti-McCarthy side in the third vote.

McCarthy’s opponents then nominated Donalds, R-Fla., for speaker Wednesday, who received the same 20 votes in the fourth ballot — successfully delaying McCarthy’s bid for speaker again. Donalds was again nominated as a candidate on the fifth and sixths ballots and received the same 20 votes.

Rep.-elect Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., who previously voted for McCarthy, voted “present” in the fourth, fifth and sixth series.

McCarthy: 201 Donalds: 20 Nobody: 218

The sixth round of voting for House speaker ended just like the last two rounds – with no one able to reach 218, and uncertainty about who can do it and when it might happen.

McCarthy remained stuck at 201 votes, 17 shy of the majority he needs. Republicans put up Rep.-elect Byron Donalds of Florida as an alternative, but he has been stuck at 20 votes for the last three rounds.

Members-elect of the 118th Congress were expected to vote to adjourn the body after the sixth vote to allow GOP lawmakers to meet and try again to reach some agreement on a consensus candidate.

California Democrat considers backing ‘unity candidate’ for House speaker

Rep.-elect Ami Bera, D-Calif. said he would support uniting behind a moderate candidate – or a ‘unity candidate’—to expedite the election process after House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy failed to secure the House speaker spot in a fifth round of votes on Wednesday.

In the fifth round, McCarthy failed to obtain the 218 needed votes to become the speaker of the House, this time splitting the vote between Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat, and Byron Donalds, Florida Republican.

“The Republicans need to fast forward this process to pick a candidate so we can get on with doing the people’s business,” Bera said. “I would support a unity candidate if that’s what it takes, because we need a Speaker of the House.”

Cori Bush attacks Byron Donalds as a “prop” who wants to uphold “white supremacy”

Rep.-elect Cori Bush, a Democrat from Missouri, called Republican Rep.-elect Byron Donalds of Florida “a prop” on Wednesday after the House Freedom Caucus nominated him to be Speaker of the House.

“Despite being Black, he supports a policy agenda intent on upholding and perpetuating white supremacy,” Bush tweeted. “His name being in the mix is not progress—it’s pathetic.”

Donalds received 20 votes in the fourth round of voting
on Wednesday, ensuring that Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy did not garner enough votes for his bid.

Republican Rep.-elect Boebert calls on Trump to pressure McCarthy to withdraw

Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. called on former President Trump to pressure Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy to withdraw his name from consideration to be the next House Speaker, and instead nominated Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla in the fifth round of voting.

Now into the second day of voting for a new leader, McCarthy is no closer to becoming the House speaker as conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus refuse to budge on their demands for new House rules and new leadership.

In her nominating speech for Donalds, Boebert addressed Trump, speaking out against efforts by established Republicans and McCarthy supporters to break the logjam.

“Let’s work together. Let’s stop with the campaign smears and tactics to get people to turn against, even having my favorite president call us and tell us we need to knock this off,” she  said on the House floor.

6th speaker vote: McCarthy again on track to fall short

For Kevin McCarthy, the sixth time does not appear to be the charm.

McCarthy was on track to once again to fall short of the 218 votes he needs to become the next House speaker. He can only lose four GOP votes, and as the sixth round of voting continued, he had already lost five votes.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the House would try for a fourth vote on Wednesday, or look to adjourn and regroup on Thursday.

House moves into sixth vote for speaker after all previous ballots failed

The House of Representatives started its sixth vote in an attempt to elect a new speaker.

Rep.-elect Kat Cammack, R-Fla., nominated House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. She was booed by Democrats during her speech after she made a comment about Democrats drinking alcohol and eating popcorn during the speaker votes. 

The Democrats once again put forward incoming Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

House Freedom Caucus member Rep.-elect Scott Perry put forward Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla., as an alternative GOP candidate.

To become speaker, a candidate requires 218 votes. It remains unclear if McCarthy has the votes to clinch the top leadership position.

5th speaker vote results: McCarthy stuck at 201 votes

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy came up short in his fifth attempt to win the 218 votes needed to become the next House speaker, raising questions about whether any of the GOP holdouts will ever be convinced to support him.

The fifth round of voting on the House floor led to a familiar result. McCarthy took 201 votes, 20 others voted for Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and one Republican, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, voted “present” to reflect her call for more negotiations within the GOP before another vote is held.

McCarthy remains stuck at that level even after former President Trump called on Republicans to back him.

The result means a sixth vote is needed, amid growing pressure on McCarthy to stand aside and perhaps allow House GOP Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., to run on his own and see if he can collect 218 votes.

Republican Rep.-elect Spartz votes “present” after previously backing McCarthy

Rep.-elect Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., voted “present” on Wednesday during the fourth attempt to agree on a House speaker, saying that Republicans need to deliberate further and “stop wasting everyone’s time.”

“We have a constitutional duty to elect the Speaker of the House, but we have to deliberate further as a Republican conference until we have enough votes and stop wasting everyone’s time,” Spartz said in a statement Wednesday.

“None of the Republican candidates have this number yet. That’s why I voted present after all votes were cast.”

5th speaker vote: House Republicans on track to come up short again

House GOP lawmakers for the fifth time appeared likely to come up short of the 218 votes they need to elect a new House speaker.

Republicans control 222 votes in the House and can only lose four of those votes if one of their candidates is going to win the minimum 218 votes needed to secure a majority and win the speaker’s gavel.

As the fifth round of voting continued Wednesday afternoon, McCarthy had already lost five votes to Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla. Donalds was nominated in the fourth round of voting as well, and took 20 votes from McCarthy.

In this latest round, Donalds was nominated by Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., who called on McCarthy to bow out of the race and allow new leadership to step up in the House, and rejected former President Trump’s effort to convince Republicans to support McCarthy.

“Even having my favorite president call us and tell us we need to knock this off, I think it actually needs to be reversed,” Boebert said. “The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw.”

House starts fifth vote on speaker as McCarthy’s support remains uncertain

The House of Representatives started its fifth vote series to elect a speaker.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy failed to clinch the majority of votes during the first four voting rounds. He needs 218 votes in order to become speaker.

Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla., was nominated by Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., as an alternative Republican candidate ahead of the vote starting.

Democrats have remained unified behind incoming House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries throughout the first rounds of votes.

Republican who backed McCarthy votes ‘present’ in fourth round of voting for House speaker

A lone Republican member of the House voted “present” on Wednesday in the fourth attempt to agree on a House speaker, the first such vote in the two days the GOP has been trying to find a consensus candidate.

Rep.-elect Victoria Spartz of Indiana was the only member to vote “present,” a move that changes the dynamic of the vote. Members who don’t vote or who vote “present” reduce the minimum number of votes needed to secure a majority of the House. Spartz said she voted that way because it’s clear the GOP is undecided on who to elect speaker.

“We have a constitutional duty to elect the Speaker of the House, but we have to deliberate further as a Republican conference until we have enough votes and stop wasting everyone’s time,” she said. “None of the Republican candidates have this number yet.”

Spartz cast her vote after talking to Rep.-elect Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a top aide to Kevin McCarthy, who has been trying to secure 218 votes to win the speaker’s gavel.

McHenry is one of the lawmakers who has been talked about as a possible alternative candidate to McCarthy who might be able to win 218 votes.

The final vote in the fourth round was 201 votes for McCarthy, 212 for Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, 20 for Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Spartz’s lone “present” vote.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report

Republicans ignore Trump, deprive McCarthy speaker’s gavel in fourth vote

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy again failed to secure the necessary 218 votes to be the next House speaker in a fourth round of voting Wednesday, which means at least another vote will be needed.

McCarthy came up short even after former President Donald Trump called on House Republicans to back McCarthy and get going with the work of the 118th Congress.

The House Freedom Caucus nominated Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for House speaker during Wednesday’s votes. Donalds picked up 20 votes, just as Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio did in the last of three votes a day earlier.

McCarthy can only lose 4 GOP votes and win the minimum 218 needed to be elected House speaker. The vote result Wednesday was a sign that McCarthy has not yet made any significant progress convincing the group of hardline Republicans to support him, and also signaled that these members appear to prefer anyone over McCarthy.

“Now, here we are. And for the first time in history, there have been two black Americans placed into the nomination for speaker of the House,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who nominated Donalds.

Standing ovation on House floor after Byron Donalds, Hakeem Jeffries nominated to speaker

The House Freedom Caucus nominated Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for House speaker during Wednesday’s votes.

“Now, here we are. And for the first time in history, there have been two black Americans placed into the nomination for speaker of the House,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.

Republicans erupted into cheers and rose for a standing ovation after Roy’s remarks. Some Democrats also joined in the standing ovation.

Incoming House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was nominated by the Democrats to the speaker position.

McCarthy seen on House floor, as fourth vote for speaker set to take place

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has entered the House floor Wednesday ahead of an expected fourth vote for speaker.

McCarthy was officially nominated by Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis.

Gallagher drew a standing ovation from both sides of the aisle when he said the members were lucky to be living in the greatest country in the world. One member shouted, “Gallagher for speaker.” 

After the House gaveled in, lawmakers were told they could expect a vote on a Republican motion to adjourn, which would have stalled the fourth vote on the election of the speaker. However, the GOP motion to adjourn was not immediately offered as the votes may not have been there and McCarthy allies balked. 

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

House reconvenes as McCarthy’s bid for speaker stands on shaky ground

The House of Representatives gaveled into session at 12 p.m. ET Wednesday, as lawmakers continue negotiations over electing a speaker.

After the House gavels in, lawmakers could vote on a Republican motion to adjourn, which would stall the fourth vote on the election of the speaker. Democratic Whip Rep.-elect Katherine Clark, D-Mass., sent a memo to members telling them to vote against a GOP motion to adjourn if it is offered.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., needs 218 votes to become speaker. Republicans have a slim majority of 222 lawmakers, so McCarthy can leave only four GOP minds unchanged.

The House abruptly adjourned shortly before 5:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday after three failed attempts to elect a speaker.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

McCarthy says game plan is ‘to win’ as he arrives at US Capitol

Rep. Kevin McCarthy told reporters “I think we can do it,” as he arrived Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol.

The House is expected to convene at noon ET to vote again on the speaker of the House.

“Same game as it was yesterday – it’s to win,” McCarthy said.

Cruz: House Speaker fight due to ‘disappointing’ election and because GOP doesn’t ‘follow orders’

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, blamed the ongoing stalemate in the House Speaker race on Republican’s poor performance in the midterm elections and GOP lawmakers refusal to “follow orders” like Democrats.

Cruz made the comments during a discussion on his podcast “The Verdict” on Wednesday, but he avoided weighing in on whether he supported Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s, R-Calif., bid for speaker.

“A big part of the reason this is playing out is because the election was disappointing,” Cruz said. “The election — we did a lot less — Republicans did a lot less in the election than we should have. We should have a majority in the Senate. We should have a big majority in the House.”

“If we’d come out of the election and it was a 30-35 vote majority in the House, I doubt this fight would be playing out. At that level, I think Kevin McCarthy would have had, pretty easily, the votes to be elected speaker. And if you win a big victory, that is typically the result,” he said.

Cruz went on to say that although Democrats had a similar slim majority under former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, they would still “follow orders” for the party leadership.

“The Democrats are command-and-control. The Democrats are authoritarian, the Democrats follow orders. It’s a strength of theirs, and it’s a weakness of theirs,” he said.

Trump warns McCarthy opponents they are playing a ‘dangerous game,’ the deal must get done

Former President Donald Trump warned Republican lawmakers opposing Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s, R-Calif., bid for House Speaker that they are playing a “dangerous game” on Wednesday.

Trump made the comments exclusively to Fox News Digital, urging the faction of House Republicans blocking McCarthy for speaker to stop the “game.”

“Let’s get this thing over with,” Trump told Fox. “The problem is, there is a big downside to this game that is being played.”

“I think it is a dangerous game, and, frankly, if they are not happy with him, they can do something about it at a later date,” Trump said, again stressing that it is a “dangerous game.”

He added: “I support [McCarthy] and I support getting the deal done. What I don’t support is allowing this to continue onward.” 

House may adjourn for the day, stalling votes for speaker Wednesday

There is a significant possibility a motion could be made on the floor of the House shortly after it gavels in today to adjourn for the day, forestalling any votes for speaker, Fox News has been told by several GOP aides.

This comes as it does not appear House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has made significant progress in his effort to secure the votes needed to win the speaker’s gavel.

It is not totally clear that such a motion would pass, however. If all McCarthy supporters vote for the motion, they would need at least some help from Democrats or some of the anti-McCarthy forces to pass the motion.  

Rep-Elect Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., the House Democrats’ conference chair, did not say whether Democrats would oppose the motion when asked at a press conference this morning. And a spokesman for House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep-Elect Scott Perry, R-Pa., told Fox News, “we won’t back down.” 

If McCarthy allies are trying to adjourn, that means they didn’t make enough progress to wrangle the votes or improve McCarthy’s status. It also means that the endorsement by former President Trump didn’t move the meter. 

Fox News’ Tyler Olson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

House Democrats say Republicans are in a state of “chaos” as speaker battle continues

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Pete Aguilar on Wednesday called out Republicans for the “chaos and confusion” seen so far this week as they work to find a consensus House speaker candidate.

“For the first time in one hundred years, there was not an agreement for speaker of the House on the first ballot. Multiple ballots, and almost twenty-four hours later, there’s still no clear sign of a speaker,” Aguilar said. “We want to work with reasonable Republicans and continue our record of bipartisan legislative achievements in this Congress, but we need willing partners… and right now those willing partners are in short supply.”

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif, added the House Republicans are in a state of “chaos, confusion and crisis.”

“We essentially don’t have a House of Representatives. This can’t keep on going. You can’t have one branch of federal government simply not function,” Lieu said.

GOP senators urge House to move past ‘family fight’ in speaker election as McCarthy win uncertain

Republican senators are calling on their fellow party members in the House to move forward with selecting a new House Speaker following Tuesday’s three inconclusive votes.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has failed to secure the necessary 218 votes to win the speakership. The House is set to convene at 12 p.m. ET Wednesday to begin voting again.

Republicans have 222 lawmakers in their slim majority, so McCarthy, R-Calif., can leave only four GOP minds unchanged.”Right now the House is having a family fight.

They need to resolve the issues ASAP, so we can get to work stopping Joe Biden’s inflationary policies,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital.

Support for McCarthy is uncertain as some factions of the Republican Party continue to oppose his nomination. His most vocal opponents on Wednesday morning gave no indication they were any closer to accepting him as speaker.

“I hope whoever House Republicans elect speaker will be fully committed to conservative principles and restoring function and fiscal sanity to the federal government,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on his podcast “Verdict with Ted Cruz” Wednesday that the speaker fight is happening because GOP failed in midterms, and because Democrats “follow orders.”

Biden breaks silence on House speakership fight, urges Republicans to ‘get their act together’

President Biden broke his silence on the Republican stalemate over choosing the next Speaker of the House on Wednesday, urging Republicans to “get their act together.”

Biden made the comments while speaking to reporters outside the White House before boarding Marine One.

“With regard to the fight over the speaker — that’s not my problem,” Biden said. “I just think that it is embarrassing the way it has taken so long and the way they are treating one another. And the rest of the world looking, looking at, you know, can we get our act together and what I focus on getting things done.”

“This is not a good look” on the world stage, he said later. “It’s not a good thing. It’s the United States of America. And I hope they get their act together.”

Matt Gaetz responds after Trump urges support for McCarthy: ‘Sad!’

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., rebuked former President Donald Trump’s call for Republicans to vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy to become speaker of the House on Wednesday.

Gaetz is one of McCarthy’s most prominent critics for his race to become speaker. He and 18 other Republicans blocked McCarthy from securing the 218 votes required to win the role in three role calls Tuesday. Gaetz remained unswayed by Trump’s endorsement despite the pair being longtime allies.

“Sad!” Gaetz told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday statement. “This changes neither my view of McCarthy nor Trump nor my vote.”

AOC floats ‘coalition government’ after McCarthy fails to win House speaker vote

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, floated the idea of running a “coalition government” on Wednesday after Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., failed three times to secure enough votes to become speaker.

Ocasio-Cortez, a far-left progressive, raised the possibility that Republican leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., may have to enter into negotiations with Democrats after he failed to win the majority vote needed to become speaker.

“I do not believe that Kevin McCarthy has the votes. I believe that a lot of the opposition to him is very personal. I believe his leadership style is incompatible with a lot of Republican members and certainly the Democratic Caucus.” Ocasio-Cortez said on MSNBC Tuesday night.

“So the question is, is there anyone in their caucus that can build that consensus? If there isn’t, McCarthy’s team may have to come to the Democratic Party? And, if that’s the case, then what would that even look like. It’s rather unprecedented? Could it result in a potential coalition government?” she posited.

Trump breaks silence on McCarthy and House speaker drama

Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans to end the stalemate and vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to become Speaker on Wednesday.

Trump weighed in on the issue
after McCarthy lost three straight votes on Tuesday, failing to pass the 218-vote threshold. Twenty Republicans opposed his speakership when the House adjourned Tuesday, and Republicans will resume voting later Wednesday.

“Some really good conversations took place last night, and it’s now time for all of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN,” Trump posted on Truth Social.  “CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY, & WATCH CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY BACK HOME TO A VERY BROKEN CALIFORNIA,THE ONLY SPEAKER IN U.S. HISTORY TO HAVE LOST THE ‘HOUSE’ TWICE! REPUBLICANS, DO NOT TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT. IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE, YOU DESERVE IT,” the 2024 presidential candidate continued.

“Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – JUST WATCH!” Trump predicted.

McCarthy foes show no sign of backing down on day two of contested speaker’s race

Kevin McCarthy’s most vocal opponents on Wednesday morning gave no indication they were any closer to accepting him as House speaker, just hours before the House was set to reconvene and a day after three failed votes.

Rep.-elect Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who challenged McCarthy on the floor Tuesday, accused McCarthy on Wednesday of “squatting in the Speaker’s office.” He retweeted a letter from another McCarthy foe, Rep.-elect Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who asked the Architect of the Capitol
to look into why McCarthy was using the House speaker’s office when he hadn’t won the post yet.

House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry, R-Pa., tweeted Wednesday that McCarthy is “falsely” telling the press he made concessions to GOP hardliners, but said none of those concessions would have stopped passage of the giant, $1.7 trillion spending bill approved late last year. “We’ll continue to seek a candidate who’ll put an end to this horrible practice,” Perry wrote.

The House was scheduled to resume the work of voting for a speaker, but it was unclear if more votes would take place immediately, or whether lawmakers would seek more time off the floor to negotiate. Republicans were expected to meet at 9:30 am to find some way forward.

Rep. Chip Roy says McCarthy ‘burned himself’ in speaker race with attacks on GOP critics

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, says leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., “burned himself” by attacking his Republican critics during Tuesday’s three failed votes to elect him speaker.

McCarthy argued that those opposing him were seeking to pad their resumes with better committee assignments and more public and powerful roles in the House of Representatives. Roy, one of McCarthy’s top critics, argued he simply wants to stop the Republican establishment from making all the decisions.

McCarthy failed to secure 218 votes in three separate roll calls Tuesday. Nineteen Republicans voted against him in the first two votes, favoring Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and 20 voted against him in the third vote.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., flipped his vote away from McCarthy on the third vote after concluding that there was not path forward for McCarthy to become speaker.

Rep. Byron Donalds defends voting against McCarthy for speaker: ‘I want a resolution’

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., defended his decision to flip his vote for House Speaker away from Kevin McCarthy in the third round of voting on Tuesday.

Donalds defended the move during a Wednesday morning appearance on Fox & Friends, saying he simply wants to see a resolution to the process and now believes McCarthy lacks the votes to become speaker.

Donalds voted in favor of McCarthy becoming speaker for the first two rounds of voting, as 19 Republicans broke away to vote for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. In the third vote, Donalds joined them, and the chamber abruptly adjourned for an overnight recess.

The House GOP caucus will meet early Wednesday morning to strategize before returning to Capitol Hill at noon to resume voting.

House Republicans return to Capitol as Kevin McCarthy faces uncertain future

House Republicans will return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for the second day of the new Congress as the party remains deadlocked over who to select for House Speaker.

The conference went through three rounds of voting Tuesday, but leader Kevin McCarthy failed to secure the 218 votes required, with his opponents throwing in ballots for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and others.

The House abruptly adjourned Tuesday following a third failed vote for McCarthy. Lawmakers will return to the chamber at noon on Wednesday after the overnight recess.

The path forward for McCarthy is unclear. The embattled Republican has already made several concessions to the right wing of his party that is refusing to play along. Nevertheless, he fell nearly 20 votes short in Tuesday’s roll calls.

The House GOP caucus is scheduled to meet Wednesday morning to strategize as McCarthy continues to push forward for now.

Matt Gaetz challenges Kevin McCarthy’s use of House Speaker Office after failed election votes

After a series of votes in the U.S. House of Representatives resulted in Rep. Kevin McCarthy failing to get enough votes to become the next House Speaker, one member is asking why he is still allowed to operate out of the Speaker’s Office.

Following three votes where McCarthy was just shy of the 218 votes he needs to pick up the gavel, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., wrote a letter to the Architect of the Capitol questioning McCarthy’s, R-Calif., claim to and current occupation of the Office of Speaker of the House.

“I write to inform you that the Speaker of the House Office located in the U.S. Capitol Building is currently occupied by Rep. Kevin McCarthy,” Gaetz wrote in the letter he later posted online. “As of this morning, the 117th Congress adjourned sine die, and a Speaker from the 118th Congress has not been elected. After three undeciding votes, no member can lay claim to this office.”

“What is the basis in law, House rule, or precedent to allow someone who has placed second in three successive speaker elections to occupy the Speaker of the House Office? How long will he remain there before he is considered a squatter?” the Florida Republican added.

And: “Please write back promptly as it seems Mr. McCarthy can no longer be considered Speaker-Designate following today’s balloting.”

In a tweet late Tuesday evening, Gaetz called McCarthy a “squatter.”

Republican Sen. Marshall weighs in on House speakership drama: ‘Family fight’

Sen. Roger Marshal, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital that the House is having a “family fight” amid an ongoing saga to elect the next speaker.

“Right now the House is having a family fight. They need to resolve the issues ASAP, so we can get to work stopping Joe Biden’s inflationary policies,” Marshall said.

The House abruptly adjourned Tuesday afternoon after three failed attempts to elect a speaker.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., tried three times to reach the 218 votes needed to secure a majority and become speaker but fell short each time.

House calls it quits for the day after three failed votes for House speaker

The House abruptly adjourned shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday after three failed attempts to elect a speaker.

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy tried three times to reach the 218 votes needed to secure a majority and become speaker but fell short each time. He collected 203 votes twice, then dipped to 202 votes before Republicans and Democrats quickly voted by voice to adjourn with no debate and almost no opposition from the vote-weary members.

The move gives McCarthy and members of the House Freedom Caucus some much-needed breathing space to find some agreement on how to elect a speaker. Republicans have 222 seats, but with 20 Republicans opposing McCarthy, it seemed clear that either new concessions from McCarthy would be needed to win them over, or perhaps some middle ground candidate.

The House adjourned until noon on Wednesday, and Republicans won’t be able to start running the House until a speaker is chosen.

“I’m not going anywhere,” McCarthy told reporters Tuesday morning following a contentious private meeting with the GOP Conference. “We did have an intense conference, and it’s intense for a purpose.”

Republican joins opposition to McCarthy in third failed House speaker vote

Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla., joined 19 Republicans to vote against House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Cali., for speaker Tuesday in the third failed vote of the day.

Donalds voted for McCarthy in the first two rounds, but said he flipped in the third round because the California congressman “doesn’t have the votes.”

“The reality is Rep. Kevin McCarthy doesn’t have the votes,” Donalds tweeted after his decision. “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.”

The 20 Republicans joined forces to vote for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who has endorsed McCarthy for the speakership. The failed speaker votes were the first since 1923.

“These continuous votes aren’t working for anyone,” Donalds tweeted. “When the dust settles, we will have a Republican Speaker, now is the time for our conference to debate and come to a consensus. This will take time, Democracy is messy at times, but we will be ready to govern on behalf of the American people. Debate is healthy.”

McCarthy thwarted in third round, watches Jordan pick up one vote

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy failed to reach 218 votes in the third round of voting for House speaker on Tuesday, and watched Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio pick one vote.

McCarthy won 202 votes to Jordan’s 20 votes. That was one less for McCarthy and one more for Jordan, thanks in part to Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who flipped to Jordan after having voted for McCarty in the first two votes.

Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of New York won 212 votes again, also short of the 218 needed to win the gavel.

The slight increase for Jordan is part of the plan by members of the House Freedom Caucus, who are hoping to create the appearance of eroding support for McCarthy and boost momentum for Jordan.

The result set up required fourth vote in the House, which is likely once more to feature McCarthy and Jordan as the only two choices for speaker from the GOP side. Voting will continue until one candidate reaches a clear majority of voting members.

Rematch: McCarthy battles Jordan again in third round of voting for House speaker

The third round of voting for House speaker looks a lot like the second round, except GOP lawmakers opposed to Kevin McCarthy are hoping to start building support for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

Jordan won 19 votes for speaker in the second round, and Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus hope to expand that number in the third round and show other GOP lawmakers that support can be built around someone other than McCarthy, R-Calif.

McCarthy won 203 votes in both rounds of voting but needs 218 to win the speaker’s gavel.

Democrats have stuck to their guns and delivered 212 votes each time for Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., nominated McCarthy to be speaker at the start of the third round of voting. He said Republicans were elected to help Americans coping with inflation and energy insecurity, and said the best way to do that is to vote for McCarthy.

“We can’t start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy as our next speaker,” he said.

Jordan was nominated in the third round by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who said the House has rarely met in such large numbers for such a long time to debate.

“What we’re doing is exercising our right to vote and debate and have a discussion about the future of this country through the decision of choosing a speaker,” Roy said. “I want the tools or I want the leadership to stop the swamp from running over the average American every single day.”

No precedent in history for House speaker nominee to withdraw

There is no precedent in House history for a nominee for speaker to withdraw, Fox News is told. The question stems from whether Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who received 19 GOP votes in the second leadership ballot, could pull out. 

Jordan was nominated despite placing his support behind House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The Ohio congressman was nominated by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., in a historic second round of votes, which failed to reach a majority again. Nineteen Republicans voted for Jordan even after he nominated McCarthy.

The first round of votes similarly had 19 Republicans vote for a candidate other than McCarthy. It was the first vote for speaker to not reach a majority since 1923.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

McCarthy makes no progress in second round of voting, third vote required

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy got no closer to securing the 218 votes he needs to become the next House speaker in the second round of voting on the House floor Tuesday.

The second round resulted in 203 votes for McCarthy, 212 for Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and 19 Republican votes that went to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

That was effectively the same as the first round, when McCarthy won 203 votes to Jeffries’ 212 votes, and 19 other votes were scattered among a few GOP alternatives.

GOP opponents of McCarthy hope later rounds of voting eventually wear down McCarthy’s supporters and boost Jordan, but several McCarthy allies said they would not waver even if the voting takes days or weeks.

President Biden ‘will not insert himself’ in House speaker vote process, White House says

President Biden “certainly will not insert himself” in the House speaker vote process, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday.

During the White House press briefing, Jean-Pierre said Biden, who served as a U.S. senator representing the state of Delaware for more than three decades, “understands how this process works.”

“He certainly will not insert himself in that process,” she said.

Jean-Pierre said the White House is “looking forward to working with congressional colleagues, including Democrats, Republicans and independents” in the new Congress as they continue to “move the country forward for the American people.”

“We’re certainly not going to insert ourselves in what’s happening on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue,” she said.

McCarthy opponents push Jim Jordan as alternative in second vote for House speaker

After denying House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy the speaker’s gavel in the first round of voting, members of the House Freedom Caucus nominated Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as an alternative they hope can gather support.

McCarthy’s opponents have said for the last few days that their plan was to put forward a new name in the hopes that Republicans might eventually coalesce around that person, and Jordan appears to be it.

But getting there will be difficult. Dozens of Republicans indicated in a meeting Tuesday morning that the majority of their party prefers McCarthy and would reject all other alternatives.

Making it even more difficult: Jordan was nominated minutes after Jordan himself nominated McCarthy.

Jordan said the differences between Republicans “pale in comparison to the differences with the left.” The job of the Republican party, he said, is to unite to stop the agenda of a Democratic majority that ruled for the past two years.

“We can never let that kind of legislation pass again,” Jordan said before casting his vote for McCarthy. “I think Kevin McCarthy is the right guy to lead us.”

But Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said Jordan was the best choice.

“Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants it so bad,” Gaetz said. “Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who has sold shares of himself for more than a decade to get it.”

“Maybe Jim Jordan is the right person for speaker of the House because he is not beholden to the lobbyists and special interests who have corrupted this place and corrupted this nation under the leadership of both Republicans and Democrats,” Gaetz said.

Patrick Hauf contributed to this report

Speaker vote goes to a second ballot for first time since 1923

The House of Representatives leadership election is going to a second ballot for the first time since 1923 after no candidate secured the 218 votes necessary to be elected House speaker.

The failure to reach 218 was widely expected, and McCarthy himself indicated that he expected a few rounds of voting.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

McCarthy fails to capture majority in first round vote for House speaker

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday failed to secure the necessary 218 votes to be the next House speaker, the first time in nearly a century that the majority’s nominee needed another vote.

By the end of the vote, 19 Republicans voted for someone other than McCarthy, enough to prevent him from hitting the 218 threshold. It was the first of what could be several votes for the speaker.

McCarthy captured 203 votes, fewer than the 212 won by Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., was nominated as an alternative Republican candidate to McCarthy in the first round, a move he said he would make after he challenged McCarthy in a GOP conference meeting late last year. Biggs won 10 of the 19 anti-McCarthy GOP votes in the first round of voting.

The failure to reach 218 was widely expected, and McCarthy himself indicated that he expected a few rounds of voting.

Hardline members of the House Freedom Caucus indicated over the last few days that after the first vote, they would nominate a new candidate around which they hoped Republicans could support.

But McCarthy and his supporters rejected the idea of anyone other than McCarthy leading Republicans in the new Congress.

Read more at Fox News Digital:
First House vote for speaker ends in stalemate as McCarthy, Jeffries and Biggs split votes

House vote starts for speaker race

Members of the 118th Congress started to vote at about 12:50 pm for House speaker.

Three members were nominated: House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Rep. Andy Biggs.

If Biggs draws at least 5 Republican votes and everyone votes along party lines, no one will reach the 218 votes needed to win the gavel, and another vote will be needed.

McCarthy gets standing ovation as Rep. Stefanik nominates him for speaker

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy won a standing ovation from most Republicans on the House floor Tuesday as he was introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who nominated him to be the next House speaker.

“Under Kevin McCarthy’s leadership, House Republicans crafted a bold vision to put America back on track,” she said.

Stefanik touted McCarthy’s pro-life and pro-Second Amendment stance, and said he’s “committed to stopping wasteful spending and shrinking the size of government.”

“No one in this body has worked harder for this Republican majority than Kevin McCarthy,” she concluded.

It appeared likely that McCarthy would need more than one vote
to secure the gavel, as several Republicans have said they would oppose him. In the meantime, Democrats nominated Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and boasted that they were “united” in their support for the minority candidate.

Pelosi’s metal detectors removed under new Congress

Metal detectors installed under Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., were removed Tuesday, sources confirmed to Fox News Digital.

McCarthy, who faces opposition in his bid for speaker, had pledged to remove the metal detectors that were installed after the January 6 Capitol riot through a resolution from the Democratic majority in 2021. Republicans took a majority of the House Tuesday for the 118th Congress.

Several House Republicans complained the metal detectors were unnecessary and refused to use them on several occasions. A refusal to use the detectors resulted in a $5,000 fine and $10,000 fine for each additional instance.

Republicans alleged the metal detectors were unfairly enforced against them as Democrats were not fined.

House convenes as Kevin McCarthy faces nail-biter vote for speaker

Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., gaveled out the 117th Congress Tuesday at noon.

The 118th Congress has now begun. First is a call of the House to take attendance. After several minutes, it was announced that all 434 members were present — normally there are 435, but Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Va., died shortly after the midterm election.

Pelosi received a standing ovation that lasted around 15 seconds. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., stood front and center as members of Congress and their families cheered.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Alex Rego contributed to this report.

‘I’m not going anywhere:’ McCarthy not backing down from speaker bid

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R.-Calif., said he will continue to run for speaker of the new Republican majority as he faces opposition within his party.

“I’m not going anywhere,” McCarthy told reporters after a private meeting with his party where he delivered a speech. “We did have an intense conference, and it’s intense for a purpose.”

McCarthy faces opposition from Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and members of the House Freedom Caucus ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

“There’s times we’re going to have to argue with our own members if they’re looking at for only positions for themselves, not for the country,” McCarthy said. “Look, I have the record for the longest speech ever on the floor. I don’t have a problem getting a record for the most votes for speaker too.”

Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

GOP Sen. Johnson hopes next House speaker will ‘restore function and fiscal sanity’ to government

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin reacted Tuesday to the turmoil in the House of Representatives over who will serve as the next speaker of the House.

Johnson told Fox News Digital that he hopes “whoever House Republicans elect Speaker will be fully committed to conservative principles and restoring function and fiscal sanity to the federal government.”

Johnson did not offer
support or opposition
for House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

‘Not the right candidate:’ Another Republican doubles down on opposition to McCarthy

Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., said Tuesday that he opposes GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives.

“Kevin McCarthy is not the right candidate to be speaker,” Bishop said in a statement. “He has perpetuated the Washington status quo that makes this body one of the most unsuccessful and unpopular institutions in this country.”

McCarthy faces opposition ahead of Tuesday’s vote from Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and members of the House Freedom Caucus.

“This is not about personality differences or who has ‘earned’ the position,” Bishop said. “It’s about serving the American people. I will not be supporting the status quo.”

GOP meeting was ‘hostile,’ McCarthy should withdraw: Rep. Bob Good

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said the House Republican meeting held Tuesday morning to discuss who will be the next House speaker was “hostile,” and said GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy’s attempt to persuade hardline Republicans to vote for him fell flat.

“The meeting was very hostile and I don’t think it did anything to persuade those who are inclined to vote against Kevin McCarthy,” Good told Fox News. Good is one of five Republicans who have said they cannot vote for McCarthy.

McCarthy held his ground in the meeting and told the conference that he earned the job, but Good said his posture showed just how steep a climb McCarthy faces.

“I think it demonstrates the desperation,” Good said. “Kevin McCarthy should withdraw from the race.”

“It shouldn’t be about ambition or pride or selfishness,” he continued. “And it just continues to demonstrate he’s willing to do or say anything.”

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report

Dems plan to make it as difficult as possible for Republicans looking to elect a speaker

House Democratic leaders on Tuesday morning urged all their members to stay on the floor throughout the day until members elect a new House speaker, a move that will make it tougher for the GOP to win a majority vote for Kevin McCarthy or anyone else who might emerge.

A candidate needs 218 votes to become House speaker if all members are present and voting. But if some members aren’t there, or if they vote “present,” they aren’t counted and the minimum majority vote drops.

In a bid to keep the threshold high, House Democratic Whip Kathleen Clark of Massachusetts urged all Democrats to stay on the floor for as long as it takes.

“Members must remain on the Floor until the Election for Speaker of the House is completed and until directed otherwise by the Whip’s office,” she wrote. “Members must contact the Whip’s office immediately if they expect to be absent at any time.”

House speaker battle: profanities fly as Republican factions get heated

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., muttered “this is bulls—” under her breath during a House GOP Conference meeting Tuesday regarding House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid for speakership.

The comment, which a Boebert spokesperson told Fox News Digital wasn’t yelled or said into a mic, came Tuesday morning as McCarthy, R-Calif., delivered a speech aimed to unite his party ahead of the leadership vote. McCarthy faces opposition to speaker from Boebert and members of the House Freedom Caucus, who claim he has not proven to be worthy to be speaker of the new Republican majority.

A spokesperson for Boebert’s team confirmed the comment to Fox News Digital.

Fox News’ Houston Keene contributed to this report.

McCarthy’s GOP foes dig in before House speaker vote: ‘No principles,’ ‘part of the problem’

The group of Republicans threatening to block House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid to be the next House speaker dug in their heels even more over the long weekend and into Tuesday morning, when another GOP lawmaker made it clear McCarthy would not get his vote.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, who was already indicating he would likely oppose McCarthy, left little doubt he would vote for someone else.

“We’ve worked in good faith for months to change the status quo,” Perry said. “At nearly every turn, we’ve even sidelined or resisted by McCarthy, and any perceived progress has often been vague or contained loopholes that further amplified concerns as to the sincerity of the promises being made.”

Read the full story by Peter Kasperowicz for Fox News Digital:
McCarthy’s GOP foes dig in before House speaker vote: ‘No principles,’ ‘part of the problem’

McCarthy enters GOP Conference meeting as he makes latest plea for speakership support

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., entered the House GOP Conference meeting at 9:30 a.m. ET Tuesday.

He walked by the press stakeout at 9:30 a.m. and said: “We are going to have a good day today” when asked if he has the votes for speaker.

He then laughed when asked if he’d back a Speaker Steve Scalise if McCarthy fails to get the votes needed.

Fox News’ Liz Brown-Kaiser contributed to this report.

House Freedom Caucus leader opposes McCarthy for speaker

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., chair of the Freedom Caucus, said Tuesday that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has failed to show he is worthy of leading the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives.

“In his 14 years in Republican Leadership, McCarthy has repeatedly failed to demonstrate any desire to meaningfully change the status quo in Washington,” Perry said in a statement released Tuesday morning. “Despite our deep reservations we have continued to work in earnest to find a path forward with McCarthy, knowing that this crucial moment would come.”

McCarthy faces criticism from an extensive list of his members as he attempts to maintain his leadership role in the party to become Speaker of the House for the 118th Congress. The statement from Perry follows a letter he sent Sunday to McCarthy along with eight members of the House Freedom Caucus that detailed their plan for the structure of party leadership. Perry added Tuesday that he would support McCarthy if he heeds to their demands.

“If Leader McCarthy is willing to publicly state that he accepts the deal to become Speaker, then we are absolutely willing to continue negotiate in good faith,” Perry told Fox News.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

Kevin McCarthy lacks votes for Speaker as final hours before vote tick away

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is scrambling for support as the final hours before Tuesday’s vote for Speaker dwindle and he still lacks the votes required.

McCarthy faces opposition from at least a dozen Republicans, and he can only afford five “no” votes when the time comes at noon.

McCarthy will make his final plea to Republican lawmakers during a conference meeting at 9:30 AM ET. He has already met with several of his loudest critics this week, but to no avail. Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Lauren Boebert of Colorado walked out of McCarthy’s office Monday evening unconvinced.

Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich has blasted GOPers who still oppose McCarthy, arguing that it is “him or chaos.”

McCarthy allies remain publicly confident he will secure speakership

Allies of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., remain confident that he will secure the speakership during Tuesday’s votes.

McCarthy needs 218 votes from his Republican colleagues to secure the position. The vast majority of the conference has fallen in line behind him, but roughly a dozen detractors remain to be convinced. McCarthy needs to secure at least seven of those votes.

“There will be 218 votes, hopefully on the first ballot,” Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the incoming majority whip, told Punchbowl. “Kevin McCarthy will be the speaker.”

A major demand from McCarthy’s detractors is that he reinstate a rule allowing just one party member to force a vote of no confidence on the House speaker. The rule had long stood until House Speaker Nancy Pelosi first removed it, and required a member of the House leadership to force a vote.

McCarthy has already offered a compromise, saying he would allow any five members to initiate a vote to remove the speaker. Nevertheless, the offer did not appear to move the needle.

Republicans gear up for potential long night as Kevin McCarthy seeks to wear down opposition

Republicans on Capitol Hill are gearing up for a potentially long night as Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is expected to wear down his opposition with multiple votes in his bid for Speaker on Tuesday.

McCarthy still faces opposition from at least twelve members of his party, and he must convince seven of them to change their tune after the voting starts at noon. McCarthy has made several concessions in the days leading up to the vote, and he met with many of his staunchest detractors personally this week.

Nevertheless, it appears that McCarthy will not have the numbers required to win the speakership in the first round of voting.


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