US House of Representatives: The Republicans in chaos

Republican candidate McCarthy failed in the election for speaker of the US House of Representatives. After three rounds without a result, the meeting was adjourned until noon today.

This hasn’t happened in the US House of Representatives for 100 years: the majority party’s candidate for the speaker’s post failed in the first ballot. “No speaker was elected,” said the Executive Chair after the vote.

It was actually supposed to be the highlight of Kevin McCarthy’s career so far. The 57-year-old Republican had previously emphasized: “There could be a fight in the plenum, but it’s a fight for the group and for the country.”

20 votes against in the third ballot

McCarthy was determined to vote as many times as he needed to get a majority. But the first three rounds of voting were a disaster for him. 19 rebels from his own ranks, more than expected, refused him the vote in the first and second ballot. In the third ballot, the number of dissenting votes rose to 20. Last resort: adjournment of the session, which the deputies finally voted for in the early evening – adjournment until noon.

How things will continue is open. One thing is certain: the Republicans are torn. For the rebels on the right fringe of the party, McCarthy is not making a firm enough stand against President Joe Biden’s Democrat front. McCarthy opponent Matt Gaetz told PBS: “If you want to drain the swamp, you can’t hire the biggest alligator to do it.”

McCarthy supporter Lisa McClain said: “I think what Kevin will do is negotiate with the party members who didn’t vote for him. He will ask them what they need to get them to vote yes .” However, McCarthy has already conducted such negotiations in the past few weeks – in the end unsuccessfully.

Several alternative candidates

Former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent told CNN that McCarthy would have to make way for another Republican: “It has to come from his supporters. They have to convince him to back down. But that could take a few days.”

Jim Jordan, a hardliner and supporter of former President Donald Trump, is under discussion as an alternative candidate. Steve Scalise, previously number two in the group behind McCarthy, is considered to be a little more promising.

“It’s just chaos”

The future Speaker of the House of Representatives is formally number three in the hierarchy of power in the United States, after the President and Vice President. Without a new speaker, the House of Representatives cannot function; MPs can only be sworn in and committee chairs named after a successful election.

Democratic MP Daniel Goldman describes the situation on MSNBC as follows: “It’s just chaos. It speaks against the Republicans’ ability to compromise and govern. They will be driven by the extremists in their party in the next Congress.”