House speaker vote: McCarthy thanks Trump for final votes as fight nearly breaks out on floor

Kevin McCarthy was finally elected speaker of the House of Representatives after 15 rounds of voting, clinching the gavel just after midnight on Saturday.

The longest contest for speaker of the House of Representatives in more than a century finally came to an end as six remaining Republican holdouts opted to vote “present”, giving Mr McCarthy a majority over Democrat Hakeem Jeffries.

Earlier, Republican House member Mike Rogers had to be physically restrained after lunging at Matt Gaetz amid chaotic scenes in the House.

Congressman Richard Hudson grabbed Mr Rogers by his face and physically pulled him away.

In his first speech as speaker, Mr McCarthy thanked former president Donald Trump for “helping get those final votes”.

Mr McCarthy’s bid had been delayed by a group of far-right Republicans including the likes of Lauren Boebert and Mr Gaetz.

However, on Friday he made significant progress in the 12th ballot, managing to flip a total of 14 representatives-elect in his favour after lengthy negotiations.

Key points

• Kevin McCarthy elected House speaker

• GOP lawmaker restrained as fight nearly breaks out

• ‘Now the hard work begins’, says McCarthy after a historic win

• How McCarthy was elected House speaker in rowdy post-midnight vote

“The embarrassment indeed may be the point."

Monday 2 January 2023 17:45 , John Bowden

Brendan Buck argues in The New York Times that the goal of GOP rebels in the House may not be to unseat Kevin McCarthy as GOP leader and deny him the speakership.

The goal instead may be to publicly weaken him politically, maximising the power that conservatives and Trump acolytes will have in the House for the next two years.

Read more from this former Paul Ryan aide in the Times:

McCarthy promises Covid origins investigation

Monday 2 January 2023 18:30 , John Bowden

Kevin McCarthy tweeted last week that he would allow the GOP to pursue an investigation into the origins of Covid-19 once the GOP takes control of the House of Representatives.

Many members of his party have spread false information or even outright conspiracy theories about the virus in the three years since it arrived on US shores.

McCarthy moves into speaker’s suite

Monday 2 January 2023 19:43 , John Bowden

GOP leader Kevin McCarthy moved his things into the suite utilised by the Speaker of the House as he presumes that he will be elected to the position on Tuesday.

But he has yet to secure the necessary 218 votes to win the role — and a faction of conservatives are vowing to vote against him.

Don Bacon issues direct threat to anti-McCarthy rebels

Monday 2 January 2023 20:15 , John Bowden

Congressman Don Bacon has a message for the conservatives hoping to block Kevin McCarthy from the speakership role: Get in line, or suffer the consequences.

In a new op-ed in the Daily Caller, he warns that he and others will work with Democrats to elect an “agreeable” Republican if a faction of pro-Trump conservatives block Mr McCarthy from winning the speaker’s gavel.

Conservatives hope to gut House ethics office

Monday 2 January 2023 20:45 , John Bowden

Conservatives are pushing a rule change with the advent of the new Congress which would gut the House Ethics Committee just before it has the opportunity to investigate one of their own for apparently fictionalising his entire resume.

Norm Eisen, a former US diplomat and expert on both constitutional law and a co-founder of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), called it the “Santos protection package”, and suggested that Republicans were hoping to shield themselves from future ethics investigations by rendering the office harmless.

McCarthy: ‘I think we’ll have a good day tomorrow'

Monday 2 January 2023 21:15 , John Bowden

Kevin McCarthy projected optimism on Monday when asked by reporters if he had the 218 votes necessary to secure the House speakership role.

When is the House speaker vote?

Monday 2 January 2023 21:45 , John Bowden

Kevin McCarthy is set to face his greatest political test tomorrow.

The election of the House speaker takes place before the chamber has settled on the rules for the next Congress, the 118th. This means that the vote will occur without regular procedures in place.

Read more about this procedure — and the political history behind it — in The Independent:

When is Kevin McCarthy’s House Speaker vote?

Nine House Republicans pen scathing letter railing against Kevin McCarthy’s speaker bid

Monday 2 January 2023 23:01 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Nine House Republicans sent a letter criticising House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become House speaker despite his overtures.

Republican Representatives Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Chip Roy of Texas and seven others wrote that Mr McCarthy’s responses to their demands were “insufficient.”

Read more:

Nine House Republicans pen scathing letter railing against McCarthy’s speaker bid

Former Paul Ryan aide trashes Kevin McCarthy’s bid for speaker

Tuesday 3 January 2023 00:03 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: An op-ed in The New York Times from Brendan Buck, a veteran GOP operative on Capitol Hill who worked for ex-Speaker Paul Ryan, is making the rounds today.

Mr Buck and Mr Ryan’s wing of the GOP in general is thought to be disgusted with how Mr McCarthy has sought to placate conservatives and Trump acolytes as GOP minority leader; Mr Ryan publicly supported the second impeachment of Donald Trump.

Read more in the Times:

GOP sources: Don’t expect Kevin McCarthy to fight it out on the floor

Tuesday 3 January 2023 01:03 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Critics of GOP leader Kevin McCarthy are advising against the public spectacle that would inevitably follow a battle on the House floor for control of the speaker’s gavel as it becomes clearer and clearer that he has not yet secured the votes to lead the chamber come Tueday.

Robert Costa reported the state of the race in a Twitter thread Monday morning. The views of Mr McCarthy’s critics are important given that he will be attempting to win them over should voting go to a second round in tomorrow’s election for speaker.

Axios casts doubt on McCarthy’s chances

Tuesday 3 January 2023 02:09 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Axios’s morning newsletter characterised allies of Kevin McCarthy as “optimistic” heading into Tuesday’s election for speaker, but reported that none could spell out a precise path to victory for the California Republican.

According to the news outlet, “even close allies privately say it's ’hard to see a path’ to the 218 votes McCarthy needs when the new Congress opens tomorrow”.

Matt Gaetz meets with McCarthy – to no effect

Tuesday 3 January 2023 02:18 , Phil Thomas

Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert, two far-right members of the Republican House caucus, held a meeting with Kevin McCarthy late on Monday as the GOP leader tries to get enough of his party on board to vote him Speaker on Tuesday.

But it seems the meeting was to little effect – at least according to Gaetz.

Coming out of the meeting the controversial Florida congressman insisted that the meeting had failed to change his mind and he would still not back McCarthy.

He told reporters: “We had a brief and productive discussion.” Asked how it was productive, he quipped: “In so far as it was brief,” to laughter from Boebert who was at his side.

Asked if McCarthy had won his support, Gaetz said: ”No.” And pressed on whether there was any chance he’d back the Californian Republican in his increasingly desperate bid to succeed Nancy Pelosi, Gaetz said simply: “I’m a no.”

ICYMI: McCarthy promised ‘accountability’ in New Year’s message

Tuesday 3 January 2023 03:02 , Graeme Massie

Kevin McCarthy has yet to secure victory in his bid to control the House GOP conference as speaker in tomorrow’s elections.

But he’s already making promises for the new year, including bringing “accountability” to Washington.

McCarthy’s biggest question: The fence-sitters

Tuesday 3 January 2023 04:04 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Kevin McCarthy needs 218 votes to become speaker of the House.

The biggest question heading into tomorrow’s election remains whether he has done enough to placate the conservatives in his party — or whether he will be the first party leader in 100 years to fail to secure victory on the first ballot.

According to CBS News, “about two dozen members “ of the GOP conference are remaining publicly silent about how they will vote. That’s far more than would be necessary to tank Mr McCarthy’s bid. Several Republicans have already come out against him as well.

Ralph Norman says he will vote for Biggs

Tuesday 3 January 2023 05:04 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: A GOP congressman who is part of a group threatening to vote against Kevin McCarthy in his bid for speaker on Tuesday says he’s still opposed to the California Republican’s leadership.

Congressman Ralph Norman made the comments Monday morning on Fox News, telling the network that he would vote instead for Rep Andy Biggs of Arizona.

McCarthy still running on promise to ‘repeal’ legislation staffing up IRS

Tuesday 3 January 2023 06:05 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Kevin McCarthy is continuing to campaign for speaker on the issue of “repealing” legislation that is set to fund the IRS and allow for the hiring of new staff. He retweeted an article in which he vowed to do so after sending his New Year’s message on Sunday.

A favourite punching bag of conservatives, the IRS was earmarked $80bn in funding over the next decade for operations as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Joe Biden signed that bill into law last year.

Mr McCarthy persistence on the issue is a sign of his reliance of GOP voters not understanding that the legislation to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act will never pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, which will remain in the hands of the president’s party for at least the next two years.

When is the House speaker vote?

Tuesday 3 January 2023 08:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The House speaker vote will take place on 3 January, with Republican leader Kevin McCarthy still lacking enough votes to safely take hold of the gavel.

The election of the House speaker takes place before the chamber has settled on the rules for the next Congress, the 118th. This means that the vote will occur without regular procedures in place.

The House will meet for a Pro Forma session at 10am on Tuesday and adjourn the 117th Congress with the first session of the 118th Congress to convene at 12pm.

Read more:

When is Kevin McCarthy’s House Speaker vote?

The rise of the ‘crazy caucus’: All the ways the GOP could upend America now that they’ve won the House

Tuesday 3 January 2023 11:00 , Andrew Feinberg

How bad could things get for the US now that Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives?

According to President Joe Biden, pretty bad.

Speaking from the Roosevelt Room at the White House recently, the president pointed to Republican plans to use the US statutory debt limit – a legal ceiling on how much the government can spend to pay debts it has already incurred – as leverage to extract concessions from his administration, as an example of how the GOP could inflict massive wounds in pursuit of ideological victories.

Read more on the GOP’s plans for the new Congress:

All the ways the GOP could upend America now that they’ve won the House

Adam Kinzinger blames Kevin McCarthy for Trump’s political staying power and ‘crazy elements’ in GOP

Tuesday 3 January 2023 11:20 , Rachel Sharp

Adam Kinzinger, one of two Republicans on a House select committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol, blamed GOP leader Kevin McCarthy for giving Donald Trump a political lifeline after the insurrection, opening the door for “crazy elements” in the soon-to-be Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

“He is the reason Donald Trump is still a factor,” Mr Kinzinger told CNN on 1 January. “He is the reason that some of the crazy elements of the House still exist.”

The Illinois congressman is among several House Republicans who voted to impeach the former president for fuelling the assault on Congress in an attempt to subvert the 2020 presidential election, which Mr Trump continues to falsely insist was “stolen” and “rigged” against him.

Read more:

Kinzinger blames Kevin McCarthy for Trump’s staying power and ‘crazy elements’ in GOP

Kevin McCarthy’s last failed bid for speaker

Tuesday 3 January 2023 11:40 , Rachel Sharp

This isn’t the first time that Kevin McCarthy has made a bid to become House speaker.

Back in 2015, the California lawmaker threw his hat into the ring following the resignation of then-House Speaker John Boehner.

However, Mr McCarthy then pulled out of the race – in a shock move that led to the vote being postponed.

Now, seven years later, he is making another play for the role.

Who can be nominated to House speaker?

Tuesday 3 January 2023 12:03 , Rachel Sharp

In the weeks after an election, the Republican conference and the Democratic caucus hold an informal vote among their members to decide who they want to nominate to lead their party in January.

McCarthy won the majority of the Republican vote in a closed-door November meeting. Weeks later, Democrats unanimously chose Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to become their leader as the party transitions into the minority.

But, once January 3 comes along, members are not obligated to vote for the party’s chosen candidate. While it has been the tradition for the speaker candidate to be a member of the House, it is not required.

In past years, President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and even a senator, Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky, have received votes for House speaker.

To be sure, none of them received the majority of the vote.

Additional reporting from AP

How the vote will unfold

Tuesday 3 January 2023 12:20 , Rachel Sharp

Choosing a speaker will be the first vote the House will take before new and returning lawmakers are even sworn into office on Tuesday.

As set out under the Constitution, the session will begin at noon on 3 January, with all the lawmakers seated on the House floor and members from both parties joining in the vote for speaker.

The chamber cannot organise until it has a speaker since that person effectively serves as the House’s presiding officer and the institution’s administrative head.

The House can elect a new speaker at any time if the person occupying that role dies, resigns or is removed from office. Barring that, a speaker is normally elected at the start of a new Congress.

Lawmakers call out the name of their choice for speaker from the floor, a rare and time-consuming roll call that heightens the drama on the floor. Members often liven up the proceedings by shouting or standing when casting their vote.

Matt Gaetz continues to refuse to support McCarthy

Tuesday 3 January 2023 12:47 , Rachel Sharp

On Monday evening, Kevin McCarthy was seen meeting with a group of lawmakers including Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert in the House speaker’s chamber in a last-ditch attempt to get enough votes to get him over the line.

Following the meeting, Mr Gaetz made barbed comments describing the conversations as “brief and productive” while doubling down that he will not support Mr McCarthy’s bid.

He told reporters: “We had a brief and productive discussion.”

Asked how it was productive, he quipped: “In so far as it was brief.”

When asked if Mr McCarthy had won his support, Mr Gaetz replied: ”No.”

The schedule for today:

Tuesday 3 January 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp

The House speaker vote will take place today, with Republican leader Kevin McCarthy still lacking enough votes to safely take hold of the gavel.

The election of the House speaker takes place before the chamber has settled on the rules for the next Congress, the 118th. This means that the vote will occur without regular procedures in place.

The House will meet for a Pro Forma session at 10am on Tuesday and adjourn the 117th Congress with the first session of the 118th Congress to convene at 12pm.

The prayer will be offered and the Pledge of Allegiance recited. After that will come a roll call vote, at which point Mr McCarthy, or a challenger, may fail to reach the 218 votes needed to become speaker.

The clerk can, in theory, repeat the roll call voice vote until a candidate gets a majority. But this is unlikely to go on for long. In the past, three or four votes have taken place at most.

Other possible contenders: Andy Biggs

Tuesday 3 January 2023 13:20 , Rachel Sharp

Rep Andy Biggs is also running against Kevin McCarthy for the House speaker role.

The Arizona Republican, a former leader of the Freedom Caucus, announced in early December that he planned to challenge Mr McCarthy.

However, he is also not expected to pull a majority of votes.

Mr McCarthy comfortably defeated him in the November nominating contest, with a vote of 188-31.

Other possible contenders: Steve Scalise

Tuesday 3 January 2023 13:40 , Rachel Sharp

Rep Steve Scalise has been billed as a possible challenger for the House speaker role.

The second-ranking House Republican is regarded as an obvious next choice if Kevin McCarthy fails to get enough votes.

The Louisiana congressman is widely liked by his colleagues and seen by some as a hero after surviving a brutal mass shooting during a congressional baseball game practice in 2017.

Once rivals, Mr McCarthy and Mr Scalise have become a team. Mr Scalise’s office rejected as “false” a suggestion Monday by another Republican that he was making calls about the speaker’s race.

Additional reporting from AP

Nine House Republicans pen scathing letter railing against Kevin McCarthy’s speaker bid

Tuesday 3 January 2023 14:04 , Rachel Sharp

Nine House Republicans sent a letter criticising House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become House speaker despite his overtures.

Republican Representatives Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Chip Roy of Texas and seven others wrote that Mr McCarthy’s responses to their demands were “insufficient.”

The letter came two days before the new Congress begins. Republicans won the majority in the House of Representatives in November, but only by a narrow margin. Republicans will only have 222 seats, which is only four more than the required 218 votes Mr McCarthy has needed.

Read the full story:

Nine House Republicans pen scathing letter railing against McCarthy’s speaker bid

Perry says talks with McCarthy have so far failed

Tuesday 3 January 2023 14:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Scott Perry, on of the Republican holdouts on the speaker vote, appears to say that any talks with Kevin McCarthy have failed.

“Kevin McCarthy had an opportunity to be Speaker of the House. He rejected it.”

McCarthy claims its’ll be a ‘good day'

Tuesday 3 January 2023 14:44 , Oliver O'Connell

McCarthy: ‘We’re gonna unite the team'

Tuesday 3 January 2023 14:47 , Oliver O'Connell

Kevin McCarthy remains confident of his ability to “unite the team”, emphasising that the party made a commitment to the American public to fight for them.

McCarthy gets standing ovation inside conference meeting

Tuesday 3 January 2023 14:50 , Oliver O'Connell

McCarthy: 'I’m not going to go away’

Tuesday 3 January 2023 14:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Speaking in the closed Republican conference meeting, Kevin McCarthy says: “I’m not going to go away. I’m going to stand until the last four friends stand with me.”

Rep Crenshaw calls hardliners ‘enemies’ and ‘narcissists'

Tuesday 3 January 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Texas Rep Dan Crenshaw is not mincing his words when it comes to the bloc of hardliners seeking Kevin McCarthy’s ouster, calling them “enemies” and “narcissists.”

“They are enemies now. They have made it clear that they prefer a Democrat agenda than a Republican,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju.

In earlier comments, Mr Crenshaw said: “It’s a shame. It makes us look foolish. If I didn’t know any better, it’s like the Democrats paid these people off... Let’s make it look like the Republicans can’t govern and don’t deserve any gavels whatsoever. That’s what it makes it look like.”

Watch: Crenshaw tells ‘Fox & Friends’ holdouts make party look ‘foolish'

Tuesday 3 January 2023 15:05 , Oliver O'Connell

McCarthy: ‘I earned this job'

Tuesday 3 January 2023 15:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Kevin McCarthy tells the conference meeting: “I earned this job. We earned this majority, and God dammit we are going to win it today.”

Fiery speech by McCarthy but dissent remains

Tuesday 3 January 2023 15:24 , Oliver O'Connell

Kevin McCarthy gave a fiery speech to the Republican conference earning three standing ovations according to reports from inside the closed-door meeting.

Not everyone was impressed, with Rep Lauren Boebert loudly saying: “Bullshit”.

Mr McCarthy also sparred with Rep Chip Roy and acknowledged as many as 20 representatives are against him, and not five as previously believed.

McCarthy taking opponents ‘to the woodshed'

Tuesday 3 January 2023 15:32 , Oliver O'Connell

A source tells CNN’s Lauren Fox that Kevin McCarthy is taking the group of detractors “to the woodshed like I’ve never seen”.

Anti-McCarthy group will lose committee assignements

Tuesday 3 January 2023 15:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Mike Rogers told the committee that those who vote against Kevin McCarthy will lose their committee assignments.

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Freedom Caucus ‘destructionists'

Tuesday 3 January 2023 15:47 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene tells reporters: “If my friends in the Freedom Caucus, Matt Gaetz and others ... they’re proving to the country that they don’t care about doing the right thing for America ... they’re just destructionists. That’s why Republicans fail, and I’m really tired of it.”

‘Nothing’s changed’ says anti-McCarthy congressman

Tuesday 3 January 2023 15:52 , Oliver O'Connell

Virginia Rep Bob Good says this morning’s meeting changed nothing and those against Kevin McCarthy will remain as such and that he did not win anyone over.

Rep Andy Biggs says he could get 20 votes

Tuesday 3 January 2023 15:56 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Andy Biggs who is running against Kevin McCarthy believes he could get between 14 to 20 votes — far more than the five it would take to stop Mr McCarthy from getting the necessary votes to become speaker.

Gaetz: 'If you want to drain the swamp, you cannot put the biggest alligator in charge’

Tuesday 3 January 2023 16:03 , Oliver O'Connell

Colorado Rep Lauren Boebert joined reps Scott Perry and Matt Gaetz in voicing their opposition to Kevin McCarthy following the GOP conference closed-door meeting.

Mr Perry argued that they are not happy to accept the status quo, adding that the morning meeting was “a beat down” to try to threaten members to support Mr McCarthy.

“I don’t take orders from anybody in this town,” he added.

Ms Boebert added they were being “sworn at instead of being sworn in”.

Mr Gaetz said: “If you want to drain the swamp, you cannot put the biggest alligator in charge of the exercise. I’m a Florida man and I know of what I speak”

The new Congress convenes in an hour.

Boebert: McCarthy taking path of Pelosi

Tuesday 3 January 2023 16:14 , Oliver O'Connell

McCarthy says detractors acting for themselves

Tuesday 3 January 2023 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Kevin McCarthy tells reporters that his detractors are acting “for themselves, not for the country” while acknowledging the fight ahead.

“The battle is for the conference and the country, and that’s fine with me.”

Mr McCarthy specifically called out Rep Matt Gaetz adding that the Florida representative said “I don’t care if we go to plurality and we elect Hakeem Jeffries,” the top House Democrat.

Another ‘No’ vote against McCarthy

Tuesday 3 January 2023 16:26 , Oliver O'Connell

North Carolina Rep Dan Bishop comes out against Kevin McCarthy.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is furious

Tuesday 3 January 2023 16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene: “I haven’t asked for one thing for myself and I’m the only Republican that has zero committees... I find out it’s my Freedom Caucus colleagues and my supposed friends that went and did that and they asked nothing for me... I am furious.”

McCarthy doesn’t mind getting record for most votes for speaker

Tuesday 3 January 2023 16:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Speaking after the party’s closed-door meeting, Kevin McCarthy told reporters: “We did have an intense conference... we may have a battle on the floor but the battle is for the conference and the country and that’s fine with me... I don’t have a problem getting a record for the most votes for speaker, too...”

Boebert and Gaetz mocked after appearing to get lost in the Capitol

Tuesday 3 January 2023 16:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert found themselves back in the crosshairs of Twitter trolls this week after video of them taking a wrong turn in the US Capitol spread online.

Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz mocked after appearing to get lost in the Capitol

How the vote will unfold

Tuesday 3 January 2023 16:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Choosing a speaker will be the first vote the House will take before new and returning lawmakers are even sworn into office on Tuesday.

As set out under the Constitution, the session will begin at noon on 3 January, with all the lawmakers seated on the House floor and members from both parties joining in the vote for speaker.

The chamber cannot organise until it has a speaker since that person effectively serves as the House’s presiding officer and the institution’s administrative head.

The House can elect a new speaker at any time if the person occupying that role dies, resigns or is removed from office. Barring that, a speaker is normally elected at the start of a new Congress.

Lawmakers call out the name of their choice for speaker from the floor, a rare and time-consuming roll call that heightens the drama on the floor. Members often liven up the proceedings by shouting or standing when casting their vote.

Pelosi gavels in House for final time

Tuesday 3 January 2023 16:59 , Oliver O'Connell

Nancy Pelosi officially adjourned the 117th Congress. She received a standing ovation from both sides of the aisle.

One initial sign of GOP control

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:10 , Oliver O'Connell

The first sign of the new Republican majority as the 118th Congress convenes?

House officials have removed the metal detectors that Nancy Pelosi had installed after the January 6 Capitol riot.

There will also be no more remote voting under the GOP majority, so as things get underway there will be a quorum call.

Never-Kevin groups sitting together

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Several of the anti-Kevin McCarthy group have sat together in groups in the House chamber.

McCarthy enters House chamber

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Kevin McCarthy has entered the House chamber ahead of the vote and is mingling with other representatives and taking pictures.

434 members present

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:38 , Oliver O'Connell

The quorum call has ended with 434 members present in the chamber. The 118th Congress kicks off with Elise Stefanik nominating “the gentleman from California” Kevin McCarthy to be the next House Speaker.

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

‘Democrats are united'

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic Rep Pete Aguilar nominates Hakeem Jeffries to be Speaker of the House.

There is loud applause, first for the nomination and then when he adds: “Today House Democrats are united.”

Greene lashes out at ‘destructionists’ blocking McCarthy

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene criticised Republicans who oppose Kevin McCarthy’s bid for speaker of the House after a heated Republican conference meeting on Tuesday.

House Republicans had a heated discussion in the basement of the Capitol as Mr McCarthy sought to secure the 218 votes necessary to become speaker.

“I think it makes them destructionists,” the Georgia Republican told The Independent. “You can’t accomplish anything if you just say ‘never.’”

Eric Garcia reports from the Capitol.

Marjorie Taylor Greene lashes out at ‘destructionists’ blocking McCarthy speaker bid

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:49 , Oliver O'Connell

Loud Democrat applause as Rep Aguilar notes that he is a Latino nominating a Black man to be the leader of the chamber for the first time in the country’s history.

Gosar nominates Biggs as third candidate for speaker

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Paul Gosar nominates Rep Andy Biggs as a third candidate for speaker to muted applause from the Never Kevin group.

Voting now underway

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:56 , Oliver O'Connell

Voting is now underway as Kevin McCarthy faces off against fellow Republican Andy Biggs and Democrat Hakeem Jeffries.

Boebert votes for Jim Jordan

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:56 , Oliver O'Connell

Brecheen votes for Jim Banks

Tuesday 3 January 2023 17:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Cloud votes for Jim Jordan

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Clyde and Crane vote for Andy Biggs

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:03 , Oliver O'Connell

McCarthy does not have the votes

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:09 , Oliver O'Connell

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, and Paul Gosar all vote for Andy Biggs.

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:13 , Oliver O'Connell

Andy Harris casts his vote for former Rep Lee Zeldin.

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Freshman Republican Rep Anna Paulina Luna votes for Jim Jordan making it 12 votes for non-McCarthy candidates.

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:29 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Ralph Norman votes for Andy Biggs and Rep Andy Ogles votes for Jim Jordan.

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Scott Perry votes for Andy Biggs, taking total votes not for McCarthy to 16 in line with earlier predictions after closed-door meeting this morning.

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Matt Rosendale votes for Andy Biggs and Rep Chip Roy votes for Byron Donalds who lost a Republican Conference chair vote to Elise Stefanik.\

The total votes for other candidates now stands at 18.

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Freshman Rep Keith Self votes for Jim Jordan taking total votes against McCarthy to 19.

Donald Trump Jr voices support for McCarthy

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:44 , Oliver O'Connell

In an Instagram post Donald Trump Jr voiced his support for Kevin McCarthy ahead of this today’s vote.

“Hearing we could end up with a never-Trump or Dem as Speaker,” he wrote.

“McCarthy committed to a Select Committee on the politicization of Federal Law Enforcement & real investigations into the Biden Admin & the border.

“But we won’t get any of that with a Never-Trump as Speaker!”

Roll call vote completes with 19 defectors voting against McCarthy

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:47 , Oliver O'Connell

On the first ballot, Democrat Hakeem Jeffries got 214 votes and Kevin McCarthy got 201.

No one wins until they hit 218 (with a quorum of 434 as it currently stands).

Andy Biggs got 10 votes, Jim Jordan got six, and Banks, Zeldin, and Donalds all got one each.

Overheard on the House floor: “Hakeem won! Hakeem won!”

Full story: McCarthy fails to win the first round of speaker vote in the House

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:55 , Oliver O'Connell

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy failed to secure enough votes to obtain the speaker’s gavel, after a drawn-out fight with conservatives in his conference.

Republican hardliners had criticised Mr McCarthy’s bid to become speaker of the House of Representatives ever since the GOP won the House majority in November. House conservatives had pushed to include a motion to vacate the chair, which would allow for House Republicans to stage a no-confidence vote. Nineteen Republicans voted against Mr McCarthy’s bid for speaker.

Eric Garcia reports from the US Capitol.

Kevin McCarthy fails to win the first round of House speaker vote

What next?

Tuesday 3 January 2023 18:59 , Oliver O'Connell

Kevin McCarthy says the speaker race could last for days as reporters in the Capitol say their sources tell them the McCarthy team wants to move directly to a second ballot.

Mr McCarthy told ABC News that 19 votes against him is exactly where they thought they’d be.

A slightly grimmer assessment form Jake Tapper on CNN: “It is difficult to see how this process ends with a Speaker McCarthy.”

House Democrats enjoy GOP chaos

Tuesday 3 January 2023 19:11 , Oliver O'Connell

As the chaotic ballot for speaker is underway House Democrats tweet: “As we begin the 118th Congress, House Democrats are united and ready to get to work For The People. Working families are looking for solutions, not chaos.”

Tuesday 3 January 2023 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Members are huddling in conversation around House chamber, including some odd pairings.

Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was seen speaking with both Matt Gaetz and Paul Gosar.

Clerk calls official results

Tuesday 3 January 2023 19:17 , Oliver O'Connell

As clerk announces second vote, Jim Jordan nominates McCarthy

Tuesday 3 January 2023 19:21 , Oliver O'Connell

The clerk just announced there will be a second roll call vote and recognised Rep Jim Jordan of Ohio, who rose to nominate Kevin McCarthy for speaker.

Mr Jordan gained six votes for himself in the first round of voting. Some reporting from the floor of the chamber suggests the Never Kevin group want to make Rep Jordan himself the speaker.

In a call to rally around McCarthy, Mr Jordan says: “I would just say this — the differences we may have the differences between Joyce and Jordan or Biggs and Bacon, they pale in comparison to the differences between us and left now unfortunately in controls of the other party.”

Gaetz nominates Jordan

Tuesday 3 January 2023 19:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Matt Gaetz nominates Jim Jordan to be speaker arguing he has “more vision” than Kevin McCarthy.

He adds that maybe the right person for the job as speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants it so bad.

“Jim Jordan is the right person for speaker of the house because he is not beholden to the lobbyists and special interests.”

Rep Lauren Boebert agrees:

Second ballot begins

Tuesday 3 January 2023 19:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Third ballot already on cards

Tuesday 3 January 2023 19:37 , Oliver O'Connell

We are only in the Cs of an alphabetical vote of the House and already enough lawmakers have voted against Kevin McCarthy to trigger a third ballot.

Former Trump aide Alyssa Farah Griffin has seen this before

Tuesday 3 January 2023 19:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Trump White House aide Alyssa Farah Griffin believes the House Freedom Caucus is using a playbook from 2015, before Donald Trump won.

She says they wanted to run Jim Jordan against Paul Ryan and then nominate a consensus conservative after multiple ballots. The plan was for that person to be Mike Pompeo.

Scattered jeers heard as George Santos casts first House vote

Tuesday 3 January 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Newly-elected House member George Santos was mocked on the House floor by at least one of his critics on Tuesday as he cast his first-ever vote in Congress for Kevin McCarthy to be elected speaker.

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.

Scattered jeers heard as George Santos casts first House vote for Kevin McCarthy

Never Kevins all backing Jordan in second ballot

Tuesday 3 January 2023 20:11 , Oliver O'Connell

All 19 Republicans who rejected Kevin McCarthy in the first ballot rejected him again in the second ballot.

Whereas in the first ballot they were split between candidates, in the second all 19 have voted for Jim Jordan, despite his backing of McCarthy.

Democrats gloat afte GOP fails to elect speaker for first time in 100 years

Tuesday 3 January 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

House Democrats on Tuesday took to Twitter for victory laps after Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries earned votes from all 212 members of the House Democratic Caucus, besting California Representative Kevin McCarthy in the first failed vote to elect a House Speaker since 1923.

Andrew Feinberg reports on the latest.

Democrats gloat after GOP majority fails to elect speaker for first time in 100 years

McCarthy fails to win speakership again in second ballot

Tuesday 3 January 2023 20:19 , Oliver O'Connell

Kevin McCarthy fails to win House speakership in the second round of voting as Republican opponents hold firm.

There is more voting ahead as the opposition doesn’t shift but consolidates behind a reluctant Jim Jordan.

Perry: Firmly committed to changing status quo

Tuesday 3 January 2023 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Scott Perry, a Never Kevin, tweets: “I stand firmly committed to changing the status quo no matter how many ballots this takes. If @GOPLeader McCarthy had fought nearly as hard to defeat the failed, toxic policies of the @POTUS Biden Administration as he has for himself, he would be Speaker of the House right now.”

Rep Greene bemoans delay in electing speaker

Tuesday 3 January 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene is bemoaning the party’s inability to get behind Kevin McCarthy and elect him as speaker.

She tweeted:

We can’t even swear in as members of congress until we elect a Speaker. We can’t form committees until we elect a Speaker. We (Republicans) can’t fire Nancy Pelosi loyal staff in the House & Capitol until we elect a Speaker. We can’t investigate anything until we have a Speaker.

McCarthy loses second round of voting for House speaker

Tuesday 3 January 2023 20:32 , Oliver O'Connell

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy lost a second round of votes to become House Speaker after a coterie of House conservatives voted against his bid.

A coterie of conservatives voted for Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio despite the fact that Mr Jordan gave an impassioned speech urging his colleagues to support Mr McCarthy. In all, only 203 Republicans voted for Mr McCarthy for Speaker, 15 votes short of the requisite 218 votes needed to obtain the gavel.

Conversely, all 212 Democrats voted for Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Eric Garcia reports from the House of Representatives.

Kevin McCarthy loses second round of voting for House speaker amid GOP defections

Raskin sees ‘once-in-a-century humiliation’ is ‘chickens coming home to roost' for McCarthy

Tuesday 3 January 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic Maryland Rep Jamie Raskin tweets:

“This once-in-a-century humiliation of a party’s nominee for Speaker is chickens coming home to roost for McCarthy, who whitewashed right-wing insurrectionism on the House floor. Nobody’s getting killed now, but the House GOP now sleeps in the bed they made with Trump and Bannon.”

‘Oh to hear this conversation right now'

Tuesday 3 January 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Observers praised New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for appearing to have a long, cordial conversation on Tuesday in Congress with Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican who was censured in 2021 for posting a violent anime parody video showing him killing AOC with two swords.

Josh Marcus reports.

AOC praised for response talking to GOP rep who posted video of her assassination

McCarthy remains confident

Tuesday 3 January 2023 21:03 , Oliver O'Connell

After huddling off the floor with Kevin McCarthy, Rep Jim Jordan says Mr McCarthy is still confident he has the votes.

Mr McCarthy said as much: “We’re staying in until we win.”

Steve Scalise nominates McCarthy

Tuesday 3 January 2023 21:05 , Oliver O'Connell

As we move into the third ballot, Kevin McCarthy is nominated by Majority Leader Stev Scalise.

“We all came here to get things done. To get big things done,” he says. “Not just talking about what the problems are — we know what the problems are — but how do you fix those problems?”

Swalwell: No Democrat will help out McCarthy

Tuesday 3 January 2023 21:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Chip Roy: ‘I’m not blinking'

Tuesday 3 January 2023 21:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Chip Roy says he is not backing down in his opposition to Kevin McCarthy becoming speaker.

“I’m not blinking,” he told Fox News.

Third ballot voting now underway

Tuesday 3 January 2023 21:13 , Oliver O'Connell

After Rep Aguilar once again nominates Hakeem Jeffries (to big chants from the Democrats), Rep Chip Roy nominates Jim Jordan for the third ballot.

Voting is now underway.

Democrat lawmaker wants GOP to consider coalition

Tuesday 3 January 2023 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Jim Costa told CBS News that if the GOP fails to get it together then the rank and file should consider a coalition government in the House and that he has spoken to fellow lawmakers Fred Upton and Frank Lucas about the idea.

Tuesday 3 January 2023 21:26 , Oliver O'Connell

In the first sign of movement in the Republican ranks, Rep Byron Donalds has switched his vote from Kevin McCarthy to Jim Jordan in the third ballot. This is yet another setback for would-be Speaker McCarthy.

Could this be the beginning of a fracturing of support for Mr McCarthy?

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website