Because they couldn't get more than 40 votes. They can prevent someone from being elected speaker but they can't get one of their own elected.
“Because they couldn’t get more than 40 votes. They can prevent someone from being elected speaker but they can’t get one of their own elected.”
The common strategy is to block, block, block, block, block, until finally your opponents capitulate.
Stupid Party Congresspukes seem to favor pre-emptive surrender.