House speaker vote update: Kevin McCarthy vows to fight on despite humiliation as House adjourns amid chaotic scenes

Kevin McCarthy loses the sixth ballot in the House speaker’s bid as the chamber is suspended

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The House of Representatives adjourned Wednesday night without deciding on a new speaker, as lawmakers appeared temporarily unsure of the final vote count for the resolution.

The decision means Kevin McCarthy continues to face an uphill battle to win enough votes to become the next speaker of the House. McCarthy must receive a majority of votes from members to be elected speaker, after Republicans took control of the lower house in November’s midterm elections.

“I don’t think the vote tonight is productive,” McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday, after six unsuccessful votes for Speaker over the past two days. “Let people work a little harder.”

As frustrated lawmakers huddled and huddled in smaller meetings, Representative Matt Gaetz told reporters it would not end with Mr. McCarthy as speaker.

Watch the live session here.

Highlights Show Latest Update 1672913700AOC returns as Rep. Cammack accuses Democrats of being drunk in the House

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shot down accusations from Republican Representative Kat Cammack of Florida after she claimed Democrats were drinking during their vote to nominate a House speaker.

Oliver O’Connell January 5, 2023 10:15 am

1672909200ICYMI: As McCarthy struggles, Michael Fanone visits his office to ‘rub it up’

Oliver O’Connell January 5, 2023 9:00 am

1672907447Boebert says Republican chaos is good because it means US isn’t sending money to Ukraine

Lauren Boebert has said she is fine with the chaos in the Republican Party over the vote to elect Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House of Representatives because it meant the US government was not helping Ukraine in its war effort.

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday, she said she was fine with it since “the government is not spending money to send it to Ukraine, so the American taxpayers are certainly winning.”

Maroosha Muzaffar reports:

Sravasti Dasgupta 5 January 2023 08:30

1672903800Biden calls House GOP dysfunction ‘disgraceful’

President Joe Biden on Wednesday criticized the failure of House Republicans to elect a speaker and begin regular business, telling reporters at the White House that the dysfunction reflects poorly on the United States.

Speaking just outside the White House residence before departing aboard Marine One for an event in Kentucky, Mr. Biden said the spectacle in the lower chamber is “embarrassing” because it takes so long for the House to start doing business.

Oliver O’Connell January 5, 2023 7:30 am

1672902047Photo of AOC laughing as Matt Gaetz gives impassioned speech goes viral

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was caught laughing as she sat behind her Republican opponent Matt Gaetz as he delivered an impassioned speech in the middle of his campaign to resist Kevin McCarthy’s bid to be elected Speaker of the House. Representatives.

Read more in this report:

Sravasti Dasgupta5 January 2023 07:00

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Oliver O’Connell January 5, 2023 6:00 am

1672893050Jake Tapper Goes Viral for Harassing ‘Child Bully’ About Loudspeaker Chaos

After Kevin McCarthy failed to garner enough votes to secure the presidency, CNN anchor Dana Bash speculated that Republicans faced a similar dilemma when Newt Gingrich was forced out as speaker in 1998.

Tapper recalled how that turned out.

Oliver O’Connell January 5, 2023 4:30 am

1672887650Santos shares congressional swearing-in press release… except he hadn’t been

George Santos can add another false statement to the long list of fabrications he has made about his life.

The newly elected congressman from New York was among the new class of lawmakers who arrived on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, eager to be sworn in and begin their duties as elected representatives for their various districts.

But that didn’t happen.

Oliver O’Connell January 5, 2023 3:00 am

1672884030ICYMI: Biden calls House GOP dysfunction ‘disgraceful’ as speaker vote to continue

President Joe Biden on Wednesday criticized the failure of House Republicans to elect a speaker and begin regular business, telling reporters at the White House that the dysfunction reflects poorly on the United States.

Speaking just outside the White House residence before departing aboard Marine One for an event in Kentucky, Mr. Biden said the spectacle in the lower chamber is “embarrassing” because it takes so long for the House to start doing business.

“It’s a bit embarrassing that it’s taking so long and the way they’re treating each other,” he said.

He added that the House’s failure to elect a speaker on the first day of the 118th Congress — the first time in a full century that no candidate won the support of a clear majority of members on the first roll call vote – was not “a good thing. look” and “not a good thing” for the USA.

Andrew Feinberg has the story.

Josh Marcus January 5, 2023 2:00 am

1672882562McCarthy delays next vote until Thursday after six humiliating losses in presidential bid

House lawmakers voted to adjourn for a second day Wednesday night without electing a speaker in a historic defeat for Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and a sign of the total lack of unity that has gripped his caucus.

The House adjourned for several hours after three votes took place throughout the afternoon and each failed to elect a Speaker. Mr McCarthy’s conservative opponents showed no sign of letting up in their efforts to block his election to the role, while at the same time there was little evidence of a consensus candidate emerging to unite the two parties.

The former minority leader’s allies continued an unrelenting barrage of attacks aimed at their conservative colleagues, but appeared no closer to winning any of them. The House of Representatives voted by an extremely narrow margin to adjourn until midday on Thursday, although it remains entirely unclear whether Mr McCarthy will make any progress towards the 218-vote threshold needed to secure the speakership.

If he takes the title of Speaker of the House of Representatives, his tenure will be permanently marred by an astonishing six defeats on the House floor – no major candidate for a party controlling the House has lost on the first speaker’s primary ballot in more than 100 year.

John Bowden has the full story.

Josh Marcus January 5, 2023 1:36 am