McCarthy suffers historic defeat, fails to win US House Speaker in 1st vote

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy failed Tuesday to secure enough votes to become the next Speaker of the US House of Representatives, highlighting persistent infighting within his caucus.

A second round of voting will now be held, marking the first such time in 100 years that a nominee initially failed to win enough support to become the chamber's leader.

McCarthy fell 16 votes short of the necessary 218-vote majority in the House to secure the Speaker's gavel while Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic nominee, expectedly also failed to secure the majority, gaining 211 votes.

McCarthy can afford to lose four fellow Republicans if all of the chamber's 435 members cast their votes for a candidate, and Democrats do not lend any support. A nominee can still win the speakership without an outright majority if some members vote present, but none did during the first round.

All of the chamber's Democrats voted for Jeffries in stark contrast to the tumult rocking Republicans.

Formally nominating McCarthy, Representative Elise Stefanik said "no one in this body has worked harder for this Republican majority than" the California Republican.

"As a Republican leader over the past several years, Kevin has taken the fight to one-party Democrat rule on behalf of the American people," she said.

But 10 Republicans disagreed, throwing their weight behind Representative Andy Biggs to assume the speakership while nine others threw their weight behind other candidates, including Representative Jim Jordan.

The lack of cohesion among House Republicans comes as McCarthy's detractors seek additional concessions from the long-time senior Republican, some of which he has so far rejected.

McCarthy has faced stiff opposition from a core group of the House Freedom Caucus who are staunchly aligned with former President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement.

In a Jan. 1 letter led by Representative Scott Perry, nine of McCarthy's Republican detractors expressed dissatisfaction with concessions he has already put forward, saying he "bears squarely the burden to correct the dysfunction he now explicitly admits across" his 14-year tenure in Republican leadership.

"Thus far, there continues to be missing specific commitments to virtually every component of our entreaties, and thus, no means to ensure whether promises are kept or broken," the Republicans wrote in their New Year's Day missive.

Speaking as he nominated Jeffries for House Speaker, Representative Pete Aguilar made repeated digs at Republicans and their feud.

“Today, Madam Clerk, House Democrats are united," Aguilar said to applause, “united by a speaker who will put people over politics."

"We are unified behind a speaker who is an unapologetic advocate for protecting and expanding our freedoms. He does not traffic in extremism, does not grovel to or make excuses for a twice impeached so-called former president," added the California lawmaker, referring to Trump.