McCarthy loses sixth vote for speaker as House remains deadlocked

NBC News ^ | Jan. 4, 2023, 3:21 PM CST | Staff

[Red Badger]

WASHINGTON — For a second consecutive day, a band of 20 ultraconservative rebels blocked GOP leader Kevin McCarthy from winning the speaker’s gavel, just hours after former President Donald Trump called on House Republicans to back him and "close the deal."

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, six votes were held on the House floor to choose a speaker; each time, the rebels stuck together and voted for someone else, denying McCarthy the 218 votes he needed to win.

With both McCarthy allies and foes deeply dug in, it ensures that chaos will reign in the House for the foreseeable future under the new GOP majority.

During the fourth, fifth and sixth ballots on Wednesday, McCarthy — a California Republican who has served in leadership for the past 14 years — received support from more than 90% of the 222 GOP members. Earlier in the day, he was nominated by Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus who warned his fellow conservatives that their opposition will end up hurting their cause.

"We're on the precipice of such a destructive argument today. I plead with all— all of my Republican colleagues, let cooler, more rational heads prevail. Let us unite as Republicans to elect the next Speaker of the House," Davidson said.

But the McCarthy foes showed no signs of backing down. In the three votes Wednesday, they rallied behind Rep. Byron Donalds, a Black Florida conservative who won his second term in November.

Firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., nominated her fellow Freedom Caucus colleague, Donalds, saying she was not swayed by Trump — "my favorite president" — calling her to tell her to "knock this off."

"The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that, 'sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw,'" Boebert said of Trump to scattered boos.

Kevin McCarthy in the House Chamber during the third round of votes for House Speaker at the U.S. Capitol

[Forgiven_Sinner]

“Because Abortion should be a State issue, period. Then Miss “Lindsey opens her hole and suggested a Nationwide Ban, which is just as unconstitutional as Roe v. Wade was.”

Not if it’s written into the Constitution. I expected a big push for a Constitutional Amendment for ‘Right to Life begins and birth and all inherent rights as a citizen,” in 1973 after Roe v. Wade was issued.

Instead, I got the ERA and crickets about a pro-life amendment. It was like the politicians didn’t care.

[Chgogal]

Rep. Byron Donalds is a congressman from Southwest Florida. He is excellent.

[mbrfl]

Here’s what Trump specifically said regarding pro-lifers and the midterms.

“Also, the people that pushed so hard, for decades, against abortion, got their wish from the U.S. Supreme Court, and just plain disappeared, not to be seen again,”.

I don’t read that as attacking pro-lifers for what they believe. He’s referring to one issue pro-lifers who, once Roe v Wade was repealed, disengaged from politics. I honestly don’t know how big a factor that was in the mid-terms. I do know there was fraud in most, if not all of the problem states from 2020 (e.g., Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia). But some pro-life activists may have stepped back from national politics after Roe v Wade was repealed, for all I know.

Trump is probably exaggerating the effect such voters had on the mid-terms, but beyond that it’s a legitimate issue to discuss. Again, note that he’s not criticizing them for being pro-life but rather for disengaging after the Roe v Wade repeal - a repeal which he helped bring about.

[spokeshave]

Tom Cruise for speaker.

[j.havenfarm]

Was that what Graham was suggesting in September, a Constitutional amendment? I missed that. I understood him to be calling for a statutory ban, which would be just as unconstitutional as Roe v Wade. Now, corrected, I retract my calling him a tone-deaf dumb ass at the time. My mistake /s

[StAnDeliver]

"I really don’t care about this whole drama, and I suspect the overwhelming majority of Americans don’t care, either."

Pop, I think you are exactly right, and I compare it to this rare, off-the-reservation #MSM smackdown of the J6 Committee in Sept. 2022 -- note Betsy Woodruff Swan has not since been invited to the nets or cable to "contribute-or" in the nearly 4 months after this yenta violated the #MSM #Narrative with the #Truth:

“Does the Jan. 6 hearing break through at all?" anchor Chuck Todd asked after he noted polling that shows most Republicans think Trump truly believed there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

“I don’t think it does. I've talked to two separate Democratic members of Congress in the last couple weeks about Jan. 6 — obviously, I can’t say who — and both of them have said, offhandedly, nobody gives a bleep about Jan. 6 when they are talking about their districts and the way that elections play out," she said."

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

ROFL!!!

[LS]

I’ve been speaking with some insider sources. Will have a full report tonight at 10:00 EST at my free Wild World of Politics webcast.

www.wildworldofpolitics.com

It is NOT what Epoch Times is saying.

[DAC21]

“He’s approaching the number of losses for the Houston Texans this year”

Winner of the thread!

[traderrob6]

One problem, Trump had not announced his support for McCarthy until after the voting had concluded for Biggs.

[jacknhoo]

My sentiments exactly:

“”The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that, ‘sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw,’” Boebert said of Trump…””

[Mashood]

At this point its pure ego on Kevins part.

[DAC21]

“This will lead to a Dem speaker of the house”

Highly doubtful. Dems might at some point after the theatrics are over send some votes over to McCarthy to get him nominated. Dem light is best for them.

[traderrob6]

The count has been identical pre and post Trump’s endorsement with the one exception of Victoria Spartz voting present on the 5th and 6th rounds of voting.

[firebrand]

Of all the issues the far right conservatives brought up, the big stickler seems to be putting one of them on each important committee. This would, according to those for McCarthy, gum up the works too much.

It’s such a big stickler that it was mentioned in only one of the four newspapers I read today.

And that one paper didn’t suggest letting them have it in an opinion piece.

Wouldn’t that be something that FR would like? A far right congressman on each important committee and McCarthy for speaker? And this whole thing over with?

[BillyBoy]

Ah, but Trump endorsed McCarthy for Speaker prior the first ballot being taken. McCarthy had 203 votes for Speaker on the FIRST ballot, compared to 188 votes he got for House Republican Leader, months earlier.

So IMO, Trump's endorsement DID sway some Republican congressmen.

[Alberta's Child]

Why would they bother with term limits when the U.S. Supreme Court has already determined that this must be established through a constitutional amendment, not by Federal statute?

It sounds like this is just political theater.

[aumrl]

‘we’re’ tired

Who is we ?

[Fury]

Re: 197 - I believe they want to propose legislation to start the process of a Constitutional Amendment.

[blueyon]

“....he will destroy everyone who stood in his way. “

Exactly