The House will reconvene at noon on Wednesday to resume its leadership elections to select the next House speaker, with lawmakers bracing for what is likely to be another hourslong meeting that may not produce any results.
Lawmakers adjourned just before 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday without selecting a speaker, as no candidate was able to garner the majority vote needed to secure the leadership position. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who has positioned himself as the heir to take the speaker’s gavel, remained confident he will be elected when all is said and done, conceding it may take several days.
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To secure the gavel, McCarthy needs a majority of voting members — in this case, 218 lawmakers — to vote for him. In the new Congress, the GOP only holds a nine-vote advantage in the House, giving McCarthy a challenge as he faces a growing opposition within his party.
Here are five things to watch for as the House speaker vote drags into its second day:
McCarthy faces at least 20 Republican defectors
By the end of the third roll call vote on Tuesday, McCarthy faced at least 20 defectors in the Republican Party who voted against his speakership bid — putting him far below the 218-vote threshold needed to secure the seat.
Nineteen Republicans voted against McCarthy in the first two rounds of voting, with the party leader gaining another defector in Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) in the final roll call. Donalds initially voted for McCarthy in the first two rounds but later acknowledged he was “considering his options” because “at the end of the day, we’ve got to get to 218.”
The other 19 who voted against McCarthy include Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Bob Good (R-VA), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Scott Perry (R-PA), Andy Harris (R-MD), Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Chip Roy (R-TX), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Mary Miller (R-IL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Andy Ogles (R-TN), and Keith Self (R-TX).
Defectors back alternative Republicans who in turn back McCarthy
If McCarthy can’t secure the votes needed to become speaker, it’s not clear who would emerge as the obvious alternative. But his defector Republicans have some ideas.
During the first round of roll call votes, McCarthy’s opponents were split on who to support for the nomination, with Biggs receiving 10 votes, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) receiving six, and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), and Donalds each receiving one.
By the time the vote reached the final round, all 20 defectors cast their votes for Jordan — despite the Ohio Republican himself voting for McCarthy. It’s not clear what would happen if enough Republicans voted for Jordan to give him the victory, as he has maintained there was “no” chance he’d become speaker.
There’s also no precedent in House history for a nominee to withdraw their name from consideration, making it unclear if Jordan can reject the speakership if he is elected.
McCarthy supporters criticize, and even threaten, those who oppose his bid
A number of McCarthy’s supporters also weighed in after the party failed to elect a speaker on Tuesday, with many criticizing their fellow lawmakers for delaying the key appointment.
Going further, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) even went so far as to suggest any Republican who opposes McCarthy should be stripped of their committee assignments in the next Congress, prompting an outcry from other corners of the party. However, Rogers maintained his comments were not just an empty threat.
“I promised it,” he said, according to Politico.
What happens if vote continues to drag on?
Because House Republicans don’t have a clear alternative to McCarthy, and the House Republican has failed to make headway with his opponents, it could take hours, if not days, to settle the matter. Under House rules, the chamber must repeat the roll call vote process until a nominee secures the speakership — something McCarthy has vowed to do.
It is possible for Republicans to choose to adjourn the meeting once again until a future date if the election is still undecided by Wednesday evening. However, that could spell trouble for Republicans as it would delay the party from establishing new committees or passing legislation.
Some GOP lawmakers are reportedly considering making deals with Democrats to elect a centrist Republican, although it looks as though Democratic members are in no hurry to help move the vote along.
McCarthy says the vote could take days, showing no signs of conceding
Shortly after the first roll call vote failed, the first time in a century a House lawmaker failed to secure the speakership on the first round of voting, McCarthy conceded to reporters the vote could last days.
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McCarthy’s failure to clinch the speakership on Tuesday marks the first time a lawmaker has failed to clinch the leadership position in the first round of voting since 1923, when it took nine ballots for Frederick Gillett to obtain the speakership. However, McCarthy’s defeat was not surprising, as the House Republican acknowledged he’d likely lose in the first round and vowed to go through as many roll call votes as necessary to secure the seat.
“If what’s holding up today is simply about a few members who want something they haven’t earned, we can’t give in to that,” McCarthy said before voting began Tuesday. “We have to be strong.”
