US House votes to adjourn until Friday evening after 2 more McCarthy defeats

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US House of Representatives voted to adjourn until Friday evening after Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was dealt two more defeats despite making inroads with some of his dissenters.

The House will now reconvene at 10 p.m. local time (0300GMT). Two Republican lawmakers allied with McCarthy who had traveled back to their home districts are now expected to return to Washington to vote for the senior Republican.

Despite peeling off the majority of his opponents, McCarthy continues to face stalwart opposition from insurgent members of his caucus who are dead-set on ensuring he does not attain the Speaker's gavel.

McCarthy's most die-hard Republican detractors remained adamant in their refusal after they blocked him from accomplishing his bid in the 12th and 13th rounds of voting. A 14th round is now in the offing with McCarthy and his opponents firmly entrenched in their positions.

Representative Matt Gaetz, who has worked to marshal opposition to McCarthy, was unequivocal in his repudiation, saying as he nominated Representative Jim Jordan that the longtime senior Republican is solely driven by "personal ambition" in his effort to become the next Speaker.

"There is insufficient trust in Kevin McCarthy," said Gaetz as several of his fellow Republicans exited the chamber. "We do not trust Mr. McCarthy with power because we know who he will use it for. And we are concerned it will not be for the American people."

The staunch repudiation comes after days of backroom dealing, overtures and concessions from McCarthy to his holdouts have not moved the vote with any meaningful result. Though the number of McCarthy's opponents dipped, it was not enough to change the endgame.

Friday's second round saw McCarthy gain the support of 214 members of his caucus. He remains without the support of six members of his caucus, two more than he can afford to lose if he is to gain a majority of the House's 435 members.

Byron Donalds, one of the Republicans who recently lined up behind McCarthy after initially serving as an opposing nominee, said he threw his support behind the senior Republican after achieving "significant" progress in negotiations.

"What we’ve witnessed is monumental and a testament to how government should function in our Constitutional Republic. As we continue negotiations, I’m confident our conference is positioned to get the ball over the finish line," he said in a statement.

"The Speaker’s Office must work for We The People, and I believe the concessions we’ve secured achieve this," he added.

The historic impasse crossed a major milestone on Thursday when a ninth round of voting failed to elect a new Speaker, the first time the threshold had been surpassed since the mid-1800's during the thick of the US Civil War.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries gained the support of all 212 of the chamber's Democrats in stark contrast to the mayhem across the aisle.