U.S. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy lost Thursday’s 10th round for House Speaker, marking the longest vote in 164 years.
McCarthy garnered 200 votes, while he needs at least 218 to hold the Speaker’s post. His party colleague Kevin Hern received seven votes, while Byron Donalds garnered 13 endorsements. For his part, the Democratic candidate has remained with the total of 212 supports from his party’s representatives.
The House remains paralyzed in the absence of the election of a Speaker, delaying the swearing in of the new members elected during the midterm legislative elections, as well as investigations or the approval of rules and laws.
The Republican Party, which has a majority in the lower house, is divided to elect the person who will lead the House of Representatives, causing the need to call the eleventh vote, a situation that has not occurred since 1859.
Lawmakers reconvened Thursday to resume voting, after two days without progress, in which supporters of the hard wing of the Republicans have refused to endorse McCarthy.
The GOP leader had made several concessions overnight, including reinstating a rule whereby a single House member could force a vote to oust the chairman, in order to appeal to his detractors, NBC reported.
This deadlock has previously been criticized by U.S. President Joe Biden, who has called the situation in the House «disgraceful.»
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
