You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Home Front: Politix
Republicans Split on Speaker
2023-01-04
[PJMedia] House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy failed to obtain the necessary 218 votes to become the next House speaker during the first vote on Tuesday.

Reps. McCarthy (R-Calif.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) split most of the votes, but no candidate received more than half of the vote (218) which is required to win the election. It has been nearly a century since the majority party failed to elect a speaker on the first vote, explains Fox News.

Given that some Republicans have previously declared their opposition to McCarthy, it was widely expected that he would need more than one round of voting to win the gavel.

A group of five conservatives led by Biggs and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) have publicly stated that they will not support McCarthy under any circumstances and have called on him to stand down to make room for a more viable candidate.
Related:
Kevin McCarthy: 2022-12-14 20 House Republicans call for Homeland Security chief Mayorkas to be impeached over border crisis
Kevin McCarthy: 2022-12-12 'We would've been armed': Marjorie Taylor Greene sparks outrage by saying if she and Steve Bannon had 'organized' January 6th attack on the Capitol 'we would have won' - as she entertained GOP event in NYC
Kevin McCarthy: 2022-12-11 Maxine Waters: GOP 'Not Concerned About Being Successful,' Only There to Destroy Dems
Related:
Andy Biggs: 2022-12-14 20 House Republicans call for Homeland Security chief Mayorkas to be impeached over border crisis
Andy Biggs: 2022-12-14 The border is the 'biggest national security crisis since 9/11': Republicans demand Mayorkas be impeached and fired for 'abandoning' his duty - after 16,000 migrants entered the U.S. at the weekend and with up to 6 MILLION expected this year
Andy Biggs: 2022-08-25 Republicans: Biden Must Disclose How Much Taxpayers Are Paying for NGOs to Fly Illegal Aliens into U.S.
Related:
Hakeem Jeffries: 2022-12-01 Democrats pick Hakeem Jeffries as Nancy Pelosi's replacement: New York congressman becomes first black American to lead major party as part of younger generation of leaders
Hakeem Jeffries: 2022-01-05 Nancy Pelosi expected to 'step down next year'
Hakeem Jeffries: 2021-12-15 Leading House Democrat: 'I fully support' NYC allowing noncitizens to vote
Posted by:Deacon Blues

#18  trump or jordan!!!!!
Posted by: irish rage boy   2023-01-04 18:20  

#17  I'd hate to see Republicans screw around and end up with a Democrat as Speaker but I guess that's why it's called the Stupid Party.

The more likely scenario is McCarthy makes a deal w/ Dem leadership to switch their votes to him.
Posted by: Waldemar the Limber5043   2023-01-04 14:24  

#16  And McCarthy goes down in flames a 4th time. Boebart is calling on him to yield.
Posted by: DarthVader   2023-01-04 14:03  

#15   #1, NN2N1, not all Californians are uber liberal. Most of the loonies are on the coast in places like the Bay Area and Los Angeles. True, that's where most of the votes are but go inland a few miles and you will find some of the more rural areas where people tend to be quite conservative.

I'd hate to see Republicans screw around and end up with a Democrat as Speaker but I guess that's why it's called the Stupid Party.
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2023-01-04 13:05  

#14  I am pleased that we are not in a go along to get along situation. If there are GOP people that will cross the aisle to vote for Jeffries we will have at least identified some moles. Eventually we may see some Dems vote in McCarthy for concessions. Either case of McCarthy or Jefferies would be very bad. Not knowing who we need to get rid of is unacceptable.
Posted by: Super Hose   2023-01-04 12:31  

#13  To borrow an old First Sergeant's phrase:

"They'd damn well better get their shi* together."
Posted by: Besoeker   2023-01-04 12:15  

#12  Trump this morning told them all to line up behind McCarthy. So will that be a coronation or a kiss of death?
Posted by: M. Murcek   2023-01-04 11:48  

#11  Republican House rebels stand their ground: Matt Gaetz says Trump backing McCarthy is 'sad' and 'won't change' his vote - while Chip Roy blasts Newt Gingrich and 'fossils' on Fox News criticizing their plot
Posted by: Skidmark   2023-01-04 11:42  

#10  "A professional politician is a professionally dishonorable man. In order to get anywhere near high office he has to make so many compromises and submit to so many humiliations that he becomes indistinguishable from a streetwalker." - Mencken
Posted by: Skidmark   2023-01-04 11:34  

#9  House Speaker emeritus Nancy Pelosi was re-elected Speaker of the House in 2021 with only 216 votes. In 2015, Former House Speaker John Boehner found himself in this same position and was still voted in as Speaker by the same vote margin. You see, the vote does not have to be among the entire 434 members of Congress, but a plurality. All it takes is a member’s absence or their voting “present.”
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2023-01-04 11:11  

#8  Considering McCarthy is a swamp guy, is great friends with all the swamp dems and the first thing he mentioned when his name first came up is he will not impeach Biden or anyone in his cabinet yeah fuck him.

If they do elect him, they better make sure they get enough concessions and rule changes they can kick him out pretty quick if he ignores them. He has changed his tune when he realized there were enough members that would do exactly what they are doing now.
Posted by: DarthVader   2023-01-04 10:31  

#7  ^ Imagine, a politician whining about having to sell his soul.

I'm all broken up for his angst.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2023-01-04 10:01  

#6  McCarthy: "“Last night I was presented the only way to have 218 votes if I provided certain members with certain positions, certain gavels to take over a committee, to have certain budgets,” Rep. McCarthy said. “And it even came to a position where one Matt Gaetz said I don’t care if we go to a plurality and we elect Hakeem Jeffries and it hurts the new front line members not to get re-elected.”
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2023-01-04 09:49  

#5  The final count was 203 for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., 212 for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., 10 for Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. and 9 for others. Jefferies needs only 6 votes to be speaker.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2023-01-04 09:47  

#4  Bobby, Jeffries is the Dem in line to replace the Wicked Witch of the West but some "Republicans" have threatened to vote for him if McCarthy isn't replaced. The Republicans seem to never miss a chance to shoot themselves (and us) in the foot.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2023-01-04 09:43  

#3  I thought Jeffereis was the Dem in line to replace Pelosi, namely the Dem leader.

But I find the turmoil on both sides refreshing.
Posted by: Bobby   2023-01-04 08:52  

#2  UniParty Republicans Split on Speaker

FIFY
Posted by: Procopius2k   2023-01-04 08:41  

#1  

So let me see if I understand this.
We are basically looking at the choice of House speakers from:

2 UBER Liberal States
and a state that can't count ballots in 4 weeks
Posted by: NN2N1   2023-01-04 06:04  

00:00