Democratic President Joe Biden called the situation embarrassing, assuring that “the rest of the world” was following the mess in Congress closely.
By the editor
Lhe American House of Representatives ended its day on Wednesday without managing to elect its new president, sinking a little deeper into the crisis.
Strong dissension in the Republican ranks completely paralyzes the process of appointing a “speaker”. After six unsuccessful votes since Tuesday, the elected officials agreed to suspend their debates until Thursday noon local time (6:00 p.m. HB).
Favorite to replace Nancy Pelosi at the perch, Republican Kevin McCarthy is hanging on the goodwill of about twenty elected Trumpists who accuse him of being too moderate and deliberately playing spoilsport.
Members of the most conservative fringe of the party, they take advantage of the very thin Republican majority won in the mid-term elections in November to set their conditions. Without their support, Kevin McCarthy cannot be elected.
United States: Republican fiasco at the opening of Congress
Kevin McCarthy, a member of the Republican general staff for more than 10 years, has already acceded to many of the demands of this group, without this allowing the situation to be unblocked. Worse, opposition to his candidacy seemed to crystallize.
The election of the “speaker”, the third most important figure in American politics after the president and the vice-president, requires a majority of 218 votes. Kevin McCarthy has so far failed to exceed 203.
The elected representative of California does not have a credible competitor. Only the name of group leader Steve Scalise is circulating as a possible alternative, without his chances seeming serious.
Democratic President Joe Biden called the situation embarrassing, assuring that “the rest of the world” was following the mess in Congress closely.
United States: civil war among Republicans in Congress
This blockage has very concrete repercussions: without a president, elected officials cannot take an oath, and therefore pass any bill. Republicans also cannot open the numerous investigations they had promised against Joe Biden.
