GOP leader Kevin McCarthy he finally won the election early Saturday morning as Speaker of the House of Representatives in a historic 15-ballot battle.
The California representative secured the position after making major concessions to far-right House members.
McCarthy, who could only afford to lose four votes, took about five days to gain the necessary number of supporters to become Speaker of the House, a historic record.
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What happened: At one point, more than 20 Republican House members opposed McCarthy – considered the frontrunner – in a dramatic back-and-forth over the course of the week.
It all came to an end early Saturday morning when he managed to sway enough resistance to pass the necessary vote threshold.
The victory, almost a showpiece, allows Congress to proceed as usual.
As long as there was a stalemate, the fight for the speaker froze the House, preventing the swearing-in of new representatives.
Representative. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, one of McCarthy’s staunchest opponents who called the five-day debate “sound” paved the way for his election by voting “present”.
Representative. Matthew Gaetzperhaps the most adamant of McCarthy’s opponents, he maintained a “present” vote.
In the end, the final vote tally was 216 for McCarthy and 212 for the Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries from New York.
Because matter: This week hasn’t been a good look for the GOP, which holds a narrow majority over Democrats in the House of Representatives.
“I find it embarrassing,” Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene She said. “I’ve been here for two years with no committees and I’m really ready to get to work.”
This was the longest Speaker of the House election since 1859.
The chaotic week-long process underscores how divided the 118th Congress is.
If Republicans hold out, some of whom were supporters of the former president Donald Trump and the Capitol insurrection, will they cooperate with the Republican establishment remains to be seen.
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