House speaker vote: McCarthy thanks Trump for final votes as fight nearly breaks out on floor
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Your support makes all the difference.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.
Exclusive: AOC says Republican chaos shows how reasonable progressives like the Squad are
Shock scenes as Republican held back in confrontation with Matt Gaetz during Speaker vote
How Matt Gaetz and AOC cleared the air on their positions over Kevin McCarthy voteTrump phone-ins, near-fights and 15 votes: Key moments from a chaotic House Speaker election
Watch: Gaetz nominates Donald Trump for speaker
“President Trump, I believe, is the first president in my lifetime who didn’t start any wars... This government for far too long has been deeply corrupt. This town has been deeply corrupt.”
Greene says Boebert can’t be serious if demands made of McCarthy not made of other candidates
CNN’s Manu Raju spoke with Georgia Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene about the seriousness of the opposition to Kevin McCarthy.
Voting underway in 11th round ballot
In addition to Kevin McCarthy and Hakeem Jeffries, former President Donald Trump and Rep Kevin Hern of Oklahoma were nominated for the speaker role in this round.
This is the 11th round of voting in total and the fifth today.
Watch: Gaetz reiterates McCarthy ‘squatter’ insult
Matt Gaetz calls Kevin McCarthy a “squatter” again for occupying the House Speaker’s office, despite not being elected.
“I would like to know what the basis is to allow someone to occupy the Speaker’s office who comes in second place 10 straight times,” he adds.
What does the Constitution say about electing the speaker?
Unfortunately for those looking to the US’s founding document for a solution, the answer is very little.
What happens if Republicans fail to elect Kevin McCarthy as speaker?
McCarthy has failed to secure a majority even after six rounds of voting
Kevin McCarthy loses 11th speaker vote
The pain continued for Kevin McCarthy on Thursday evening as the California Republican lost his 11th straight election to become House speaker.
However, there may be some light at the end of the tunnel.
Washington reporters are suggesting a behind-the-scenes deal has been reached between Mr McCarthy and some of his opponents, paving the way for a victorious vote.
Exclusive: AOC says Republican chaos shows how reasonable progressives like the Squad are
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has told The Independent that Republicans’ chaotic efforts to elect a Speaker for the new Congress are serving to highlight how grounded and reasonable she and other members of the so-called Squad of progressive Democrats have been.
Throughout much of her time in Congress, the self-described democratic socialist has heard herself and other progressives described as “unreasonable.” Former-representative Stephanie Murphy even called the coterie of Democrats “the never enough caucus” during negotiations about the bipartisan infrastructure bill and passing Build Back Better.
But against the background of repeated failed attempts by the Republicans to elect Kevin McCarthy as Speaker in the face of hard-right GOP opposition, AOC pointed out that many of the debates she was involved in with fellow Democrats were about actual policy. By comparison, House Republicans are mostly united on their goals, while they differ on the tactics and the rules governing the House of Representatives.
“I mean I think it just highlights how how extraordinarily bad faith those accusations of progressive unreasonableness are, even when they come from our side of the aisle,” she said.
Eric Garcia reports.
AOC says Republican chaos shows how reasonable progressives like the Squad are
‘I mean I think it just highlights how how extraordinarily bad faith those accusations of progressive unreasonableness are, even when they come from our side of the aisle’
‘I am not part of any negotiation,’ Boebert says
Laurent Boebert, one of the ringleaders of the far-right Congress members opposing Kevin McCarthy’s speaker bid, says she isn’t party to the rumoured intra-GOP deal that would finally bring the speaker fiasco to an end.
“I am not a part of any negotiation,” she told Politico.
If others think like her, Mr McCarthy could lose a 12th vote for speaker whenever the House resumes business.
From funny to dangerous: Democrats despair at GOP speaker debacle
The Independent’s Eric Garcia spoke with key Democrats about the unfolding speaker debacle.
Democrats say Republicans’ speaker debacle has gone from funny to dangerous
But Democrats don’t expect to bail out Republicans anytime soon
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