House Republicans are squandering any ability to squeeze concessions from Senate Democrats and President Joe Biden in legislative negotiations as a protracted family feud rages over the election of a new speaker.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy , chosen by the vast majority of House Republicans to serve as the speaker, fell short of the required 218 votes Tuesday when a small minority of the conference blocked his ascension. Presumably, McCarthy or an alternative Republican will eventually win the gavel. But with their majority resting on just a handful of seats, House Republicans’ capacity to play hardball with Biden and a Democratic Senate, already tenuous, is severely compromised.
McCarthy, nominated prior to the first vote by Rep. Elise Stefanik , the House Republican Conference chairwoman, garnered 203 votes, with 19 Republicans defecting in favor of other nominated and unnominated candidates. In round two, McCarthy received 203 votes again. However, this time around, the 19 defectors coalesced around Rep. Jim Jordan , who isn’t seeking the gavel and had just finished delivering a rousing speech nominating McCarthy.
Republicans won the House majority in the midterm elections but just barely, leaving McCarthy with just four votes to spare to win the speaker’s gavel — and leaving his conference with just four votes to spare to pass legislation in the 118th Congress versus united Democratic opposition. Such is the case in the vote for speaker. With each vote, all 212 House Democrats voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries , the incoming minority leader.
“Please write back promptly as it seems Mr. McCarthy can no longer be considered Speaker-Designate following today’s balloting,” Gaetz wrote.
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