After five more unsuccessful ballots in the vote for the chairman of the House of Representatives, the House of Representatives voted on Thursday evening (local time) to adjourn the session to this Friday. McCarthy had previously failed to achieve the required majority three times on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Republicans have a slim majority in the chamber. As a result, McCarthy needs almost all the votes of his party colleagues to be elected to the powerful post, which is third in the US national hierarchy after the president and vice president. But several Republicans on the right-wing fringe of the faction refused to support McCarthy. As a result, he did not get the necessary number of votes.
“I like to write history”
Despite McCarthy’s repeated concessions to his opponents, they have so far remained tough in their resistance. After the other votes on Thursday evening, he said anyway: “I had a good feeling. I felt very positive yesterday. Today I feel even more positive. I think we had really good conversations. I think we’re at a really good point.”
He wasn’t more specific. The Republican faction leader once again tried to downplay the internal revolt against him and denied that the uprising in his own ranks weakened him. Referring to the historic scope of the drama, he said, “I like making history.” He also holds the record for the longest speech in the House of Representatives.
According to the Washington Post, some Republican holdouts are on the verge of accepting McCarty’s concessions and supporting him as speaker. It is expected that while McCarthy will not receive all of the votes needed to be named speaker, he will still receive a significant boost, the US media said.
Loss of power through concessions?
The 57-year-old McCarthy is said to have agreed to further lower the hurdles for the removal of a chairman in the House of Representatives. He offers his opponents a means of pressure to chase him out of office at will. According to US media, he has also offered to send several far-right Republicans to important bodies in the US Congress.
McCarthy fails again in the US Congress
The vote for the presidency of the US House of Representatives has again been adjourned. Because of an internal party power struggle between the Republicans, their candidate, Kevin McCarthy, repeatedly fails to win the election for the presidency of the House of Representatives.
According to experts, the faction leader would weaken his own position within the party and the function of the speaker. McCarthy denied both scenarios Thursday night. As a speaker, he would show weakness if he were afraid of an easier dismissal, the Republican said.
According to the New York Times, moderate Republicans are now increasingly trying to put pressure on the “Never Kevin” Republicans. In the end only four should vote against McCarthy and the rest for him. He would have reached the threshold that the faction leader needs for the election.
More ballots last 1859/1860
The current vote for the top job is already one of the longest in US history. Not since the 19th century has it taken the members of the House of Representatives as many attempts to elect a new leader as it does now. The last time there were more ballots was only in 1859/1860. At that time, Republican William Pennington was only elected chairman of the Chamber of Congress in the 44th ballot. The process took several weeks at the time.
The tugging this time has been going on since Tuesday: the House of Representatives had met there for its inaugural session after the parliamentary elections in November. Republicans regained control of the Congress Chamber, albeit by a narrow margin. But instead of demonstrating its newfound political strength, the party threw the Chamber into chaos and brought the work of Parliament to a standstill.
Because until the presidency is clarified, nothing works in the House of Representatives: the chamber cannot start its work. Not even the new MPs can be sworn in. Legislative work is out of the question.
Anniversary: Storming of the Capitol
The chaotic conditions in American democracy come at a time when the country is remembering the unprecedented attack on the US Capitol. The brutal attack on the seat of parliament marks the second anniversary this Friday.
On January 6, 2021, supporters of then President Donald Trump violently stormed the Congress building in the capital Washington. Congress met there to formally confirm the victory of Democrat Biden in the presidential election. Trump had previously incited his supporters in a speech that he had been deprived of a victory by massive election fraud. Five people died as a result of the riots.
President Biden, who took office shortly after the attack, plans to hold a ceremony in the White House this Friday to commemorate the outbreak of violence and to award several police officers for their service that day. Biden described the election drama in Congress on Wednesday as “embarrassing” for the country. He also pointed out that the United States had only just come to terms with the chaos of January 6, 2021 and that US democracy was once again “not giving a good picture” before the eyes of the world.
