From laughing to cringing: The most memorable images of three days of House speaker votes and negotiations

Lawmakers have laughed, cringed, appeared frustrated, and huddled in tense negotiation between ballots

With C-SPAN providing an unfiltered live feed of all the action on the floor of the House of Representatives as the votes continue to name a speaker, audiences have been treated to an interesting insight into how Congress functions – or dysfunctions, as the case may be.

Usually, congressional rules dictate what cameras can and cannot show, but with no representatives sworn in there are no such rules.

There have been some memorable still images captured by photographers present in the chamber as lawmakers have laughed, cringed, appeared frustrated and huddled in tense negotiation between ballots as Kevin McCarthy suffered defeat after defeat.

Here are some of the best images to emerge so far:

Rep Kevin McCarthy arrives to the House chamber at the beginning of an evening session after six failed attempts to vote him in as speaker (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Matt Gaetz passionately addresses other conservative Republican members of the House in the middle of the House Chamber as Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez smiles in the background (REUTERS)

Adding to the strange atmosphere in the chamber was the presence of the families of many representatives-elect, including a number of infants (REUTERS)

Matt Gaetz talks with Marjorie Taylor Greene. Usually firm allies, the two have found themselves on opposing sides of the battle for speaker, with Gaetz firmly against McCarthy and Greene firmly for him. (EPA)

Rep-elect Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican speaks with Rep-elect Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat. Viewers have been surprised by members of opposing parties chatting on the floor of the chamber at a time of such national division. (Getty Images)

Rep Hakeem Jeffries of New York reacts after being nominated for a third round of votes for Speaker of the House. By Thursday afternoon he was nominated another six times by fellow Democrats. (AP)

Rep Patrick McHenry and Rep Tom Emmer speak with Rep Kevin McCarthy in a pose reminiscent of a renaissance painting (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

US Representative Nancy Mace carries her dog on the House Floor as voting continues on Thursday (AFP via Getty Images)