Michael Gabriel Hernandez
05 January 2023•Update: 05 January 2023
WASHINGTON
The US House of Representatives voted on Wednesday evening to take a brief recess after six rounds of voting failed to select a new Speaker of the House as Republicans continue an internal feud that has upended the process.
The House is expected to reconvene at 8 p.m. local time (0100 GMT).
Three rounds of voting on Wednesday saw Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy repeatedly fail in his bid to win the office, losing the support of one of his Republicans in the process as his support dipped to 201 votes.
The 20 Republicans who opposed his candidacy continued to do so Wednesday, throwing their weight behind Representative-elect Byron Donalds from Florida after Jim Jordan, their first choice, repeatedly rejected their endorsements in preference for McCarthy on Tuesday.
Indiana Representative-elect Victoria Spartz chose to vote present three times on Wednesday in what were effectively votes against McCarthy.
Formally nominating Donalds during the fourth round, Texas Representative Chip Roy said the incoming lawmaker is reflective of change needed by the country, and by inference, not offered by McCarthy.
"There's an important reason for nominating Byron, and that is this country needs a change. This country needs leadership, that does not reflect this city. This town that is badly broken," said Roy.
"We're not at the place where we need to be to guarantee that we're going to be able to stand up in the face of the swamp that continues to step over the American people on a daily basis and spend money we don't have," he added.
The need for multiple ballots to select a speaker is the first time in 100 years that repeated rounds have been needed.
The very public Republican row was in stark contrast to the uniform support within Democrats for Representative Hakeem Jeffries to assume the speakership. In all, 212 Democrats supported Jeffries, but he is not expected to win the gavel due to a lack of support from Republicans that could get him to cross the 218-vote threshold.
The steadfast opposition from McCarthy's detractors came in defiance of an appeal from former President Donald Trump to halt their opposition and back the Republican leader.
Those opposed to McCarthy are largely aligned with Trump's Make America Great Again movement, but have shown that their resistance to the Republican leader goes beyond Trump’s entreaties, at least for now.
"Even having my favorite president call us and tell us we need to knock this off, I think it actually needs to be reversed," said Representative Lauren Boebert, who nominated Donalds in the fifth round. "The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that, 'Sir, you do not have the votes and it's time to withdraw.'"
McCarthy can afford to lose just four members of his caucus if he is to secure enough votes to claim a majority in the 435-member chamber.
