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After two days of voting and six rounds of voting, the Republican-dominated House of Representatives has yet to find a speaker to replace Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
With Guillaume Naudin, RFI Washington correspondent
Neither of the two Republican factions is willing to back down. And the image that is usually used here is that it is as if they challenge each other with their eyes, waiting for the other to finally lower their eyes. Except that so far, no one breaks, not an blink of an eye. Kevin McCarthy, supported by the largest number of Republicans elected to replace Nancy Pelosi, shows no intention of giving up despite the successive slights, and neither do the ultra-conservatives, who say they want another way of leading.
Not even Donald Trump’s call to elect Kevin McCarthy could convince these extreme, even hardline, conservatives. Some of them, who were elected in the footsteps of the previous president, even took the liberty of suggesting that he change his position. This speaks volumes for Donald Trump’s loss of influence in the party since the midterm elections. Before the-disappointing-results, he seemed to have the Republican party on his hands. He now he seems to be out of control.
He’s missing about 20 votes.
Three votes were held on Wednesday. And three times Kevin McCarthy got 201 votes, far from the 218 needed. Three times his ultra-opponent, the representative from Florida, the African-American Byron Donalds, obtained 20 votes, the ones that Kevin McCarthy lacks, who thus has six consecutive failures. These elected representatives of the most conservative fringe of the party take advantage of the very narrow Republican majority obtained in the November midterm elections to set their conditions.
The United States wants “a new face, a new vision, a new leadership,” said one of the rogue Republicans, Chip Roy of Texas.
Meanwhile, in all the votes, the Democratic candidate Hakeem Jeffries has emerged victorious, before the satisfied and amused look of his own.
Democratic President Joe Biden called it a “disgrace” and said “the rest of the world” was watching closely the mess in Congress.
But this situation of paralysis cannot continue. It could happen in back room discussions. The session has been suspended twice. It is scheduled to resume this Thursday at noon Washington time. The rebels suggest that good ideas are beginning to emerge. Some of Kevin McCarthy’s supporters half admit that perhaps a change of candidate could unblock the situation.
This situation, unprecedented in the last 100 years, completely paralyzes the institution. Without a president of the chamber, congressmen cannot take the oath and therefore pass any bill.
