McCarthy falls short of majority in dramatic 14th House Speaker vote
U.S. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) reacts on the House floor as Democrats force the House to vote on whether to continue an afternoon session against McCarthy’s wishes as competition for president of the Chamber continues on the second day. of the 118th Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, USA, January 4, 2023
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
McCarthy once again failed to secure the House Speakership in his 14th attempt, a dramatic overnight vote in which several key Republican parties waited until the end of the vote to announce their opposition.
Earlier in the day, Republicans had voted to delay until 10 p.m. ET to give two caucus members time to travel back to Washington and vote for McCarthy, and give McCarthy time to win a few last resisted
The two newly returned lawmakers, Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado and Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas, arrived during the vote and voted for McCarthy to applaud from the caucus.
But it wasn’t enough to overcome McCarthy’s opponents who clung to their opposition: Reps. Andy Biggs, Eli Crane and Paul Gosar, all of Arizona, Matt Rosendale of Montana and Matt Gaetz of Florida.
– Christina Wilkie
McCarthy faces Gaetz and Boebert on the House floor in a dramatic vote
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., faces Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., in a dramatic showdown on the 14th ballot for Speaker of the House on Jan. 6, 2022.
C-SPAN screenshot
McCarthy clashed with Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, after Gaetz waited until most other members had voted to cast his “present” vote, withholding a decisive vote in a dramatic moment in the House.
Gaetz, from a seat on the floor, pointed a finger at McCarthy as Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-NC, tried to keep the GOP leader from walking away. McCarthy left while other members stayed to speak with Gaetz and Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., who also voted in attendance.
CNN reported that Gaetz has asked to postpone until Monday.
– Dawn Kopecky
McCarthy must reverse at least two votes
McCarthy has been working around the clock to flip at least two of a half-dozen key GOP holdovers.
Freshman Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona, whom McCarthy hoped to win, voted for Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona. Second-year Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana was more likely to switch his vote for McCarthy or abandon his opposition by voting present, four people familiar with the vote told NBC News.
U.S. Rep.-elect Matt Gaetz (R-FL) sits next to Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert (R-CO) on the House floor during the fourth day of the House Speaker election in US Capitol building on January 6. 2023 in Washington, DC.
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Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, who previously called on McCarthy to withdraw her nomination, told FOX News on Friday that “we’ll see where it goes tonight.” He abandoned his opposition to McCarthy by voting “present.”
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who appeared on Fox with Boebert, also did not say how he would vote. He told Fox he’s “running out of things to ask” and called McCarthy the “Speaker-Designate.”
McCarthy needs to win more than half of the lawmakers voting in person on the floor, so at least 216 or 217 votes, depending on how many lawmakers have returned to the Capitol. With 214 votes in the last vote, he needs to flip at least two lawmakers.
Voting is ongoing.
– Dawn Kopecky
House lawmakers return to Capitol Hill to vote for the 14th president
Staff members of the clerk’s office of the U.S. House of Representatives count votes on tally sheets during a 12th round of voting for a new speaker on the fourth day of the 118th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington , USA, 6 January 2023.
Jon Cherry | Reuters
The U.S. House of Representatives reconvened at 10 p.m. ET for its 14th vote to elect a new speaker after McCarthy shuffled behind the scenes all week to win over a Republican bloc of hard line that have denied him the hammer all week.
Lawmakers have been told to prepare for a long, late night and stay in the chamber until they choose a new speaker, after which the new Congress will be sworn in.
To win over the far-right Freedom Caucus, McCarthy has agreed to new budget restrictions, as well as rules that will make it easier for lawmakers to remove a future House speaker.
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-NC, opened the session by formally nominating McCarthy as speaker.
– Dawn Kopecky
A look at the latest GOP holdouts McCarthy hopes to sway
Six elected GOP members remained opposed to McCarthy as he sought to garner enough support Friday night to become the next House speaker.
Supporters were working to win a pair, which would almost certainly give McCarthy the majority he needs to finally win the job after four days of voting and the most rounds of voting for a Speaker of the House since from before the Civil War.
All six have been quite critical of McCarthy, although flip-flopping is not uncommon in Washington. Even if some do vote present, it could give McCarthy the margin he needs to win.
A look at the resistors:
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks with U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) on the House floor during the vote for a new president on the third day of the 118th Congress on Capitol Hill USA in Washington, January 5, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Andy Biggs of Arizona is the former chairman of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus. Not only did he challenge McCarthy during an internal GOP primary vote for House speaker, but he was also a candidate himself in Tuesday’s first round of voting. He won only 10 votes.
Biggs was re-elected to a fourth term in the House after serving 14 years in the Arizona Legislature. In Congress, he has built a reputation as a staunch defender of Donald Trump and a border enforcement hawk, introducing articles of impeachment in the last Congress against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. McCarthy took up the cause in his push to become House speaker, saying that if Mayorkas did not resign, the GOP-led investigations could lead to impeachment proceedings.
Biggs was also one of four lawmakers referred to the House Ethics Committee after they challenged subpoenas from the House panel investigating the January 6, 2021, uprising.
US Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) nominates former President Donald Trump as Speaker of the House as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) watch over the House of the Chamber on the third day. of the 118th Congress at the United States Capitol in Washington, USA, January 5, 2023.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
Florida’s Matt Gaetz has been perhaps McCarthy’s harshest critic, to the point that Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill. Friday debate Gaetz has consistently portrayed McCarthy as a Washington insider, calling McCarthy “the LeBron James of special interest fundraising in this city.”
Gaetz is a close Trump ally who broke with him early on when it comes to McCarthy. The House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into Gaetz in April as federal prosecutors probed sex-trafficking allegations against him. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
“If you want to drain the swamp, you can’t put the biggest alligator in charge of the exercise,” Gaetz said of McCarthy.
U.S. Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert (R-CO) delivers a speech on the House floor during the second day of the Speaker of the House election at the U.S. Capitol building on January 4, 2023 in Washington , DC.
Win Mcnamee | Getty Images
Lauren Boebert of Colorado is another Trump loyalist who established herself as a crowd pleaser in Washington during his first term. He won a second term this year in a much closer race than expected, as his aggressive use of social media and willingness to engage in personal disputes were tested against a Democratic challenger running as a non-partisan problem solver.
Boebert noted this week that “his favorite president,” a reference to Trump, has called on anti-McCarthy stalwarts to “end this,” but suggested an alternative.
“I think it really needs to be reversed. The president needs to say to Kevin McCarthy, ‘Sir, you don’t have the votes and it’s time to step down,'” he said.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 3: Rep.-elect Bob Good (R-VA) arrives on the House floor at the Capitol before members of the 117th Congress are sworn in on January 3, 2021 in Washington, DC. Both chambers hold special Sunday sessions to open the new Congress on Jan. 3, as required by the Constitution. (Photo by Bill Clark – Pool/Getty Images)
Swimming pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Virginia’s Bob Good won office in 2020 after GOP voters ousted Republican incumbent Denver Riggleman, who had angered social conservatives by officiating gay marriage.
Good, a former athletics official at the evangelical Liberty University, was one of the first to say he would oppose McCarthy, and that opposition continued until Friday when he wrote an op-ed in The New York Times declaring that he would not back down. .
“Throughout this process, one thing has become clear: Kevin McCarthy has not earned the trust of the entire Republican conference to be the leader who will fight to change the status quo in Washington. It’s time for Republicans to move on.” he wrote.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 6: US Rep.-elect Matt Rosendale (R-MT) (C) speaks with Rep.-elect Mark Green (R-TN) (R) and John Leganski, deputy chief of staff to the Republican leader of the House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on the House floor during the fourth day of the Speaker of the House election at the US Capitol building on January 6, 2023 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives meets to vote on the next speaker after House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) failed to get more than 218 votes in multiple ballots; the…