WASHINGTON – GOP leader Kevin McCarthy appears to have lost a fourth bid to become House speaker, as Republicans returned to the Capitol Wednesday to do what they couldn’t do Tuesday: elect a new House speaker. The situation has left Congress paralyzed, since no member of the House of Representatives can be sworn in and no rules can be adopted until a speaker is chosen.
The House remained stuck after McCarthy was nominated, for a fourth time in two days, for the top job in that chamber. He appears to have failed again to have secured that job.
On Tuesday, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy failed to secure enough votes from his political party to win the gavel, denied the 218 votes he needed by a cadre of Republican hard-liners in three separate ballots. It was the first time in a century that a speaker was not elected on the first round.
A group of up to 20 conservatives is determined to oppose McCarthy, and the end game remains unclear. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan has emerged as a GOP rival, having drawn the complete support of the anti-McCarthy caucus. But he says he doesn’t want the job and continues to support McCarthy.
Here are the latest developments:
- McCarthy nominated, again. The action began around noon, with McCarthy nominated for a fourth time in two days.
- Biden calls the situation embarrassing. The fighting is “not a good look,” he told reporters at the White House. Ultimately, though, the GOP drama isn’t his problem, he said.
- McCarthy works behind the scenes.…
