Republican Kevin McCarthy convinced more than a dozen colleagues to support him in dramatic votes Friday for House speaker, closing in on victory in the fourth day of consultations that saw ballot number 13 after a grueling negotiation that continues to test American democracy.
The change in the vote by some conservatives put McCarthy close to taking the mace. With 213, he was the 12th poll, the first in which he won more votes than Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, but fell short of a sufficient majority.
A thirteenth ballot quickly opened, this time between just McCarthy and Jeffries, with no other Republican challengers to skew the conservative votes. The Republican took 214 votes, the Democrat with the usual 212.
Friday’s surprising change came after McCarthy agreed to many of his critics’ demands, including reinstating a longstanding House rule that would allow any member to call a vote of no confidence to remove him. That change and others mean the job he fought so hard for will be greatly weakened.
The confrontation that has blocked the new Congress occurred in the context of the second anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on Capitol Hill, which rocked the country when a mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump tried to prevent Congress from certifying the Republican’s 2020 electoral defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.
In response to a request from Louisiana Republican Senator Steve Sacalise, the full House voted to adjourn voting to a new round at 10:00 pm Friday with a positive result for Republicans of 220 to 212 for Democrats.
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