The US House of Representatives remains at a standstill for a third day as Republicans battle to elect a new speaker and party hardliners hold firm rejecting frontrunner Kevin McCarthy.
Mr McCarthy as speaker would be empowered to frustrate Democratic President Joe Biden's legislative agendaBut he has repeatedly failed to secure the 218 votes needed to be named House speaker, a powerful post that shapes the chamber's agenda and is second in the line of succession to the presidency behind only the vice-president.
The division has prevented House members from beginning their work, including scrutinising actions by Mr Biden's administration and helping constituents navigate the federal bureaucracy."I'm very worried about it and I'm on the intelligence committee," said Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a McCarthy supporter.
He was joined by 17 other Republicans who expressed similar views, with Representative John James accusing the 20 holdouts of "governing on fear".
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