Well this is getting embarrassing for Kevin McCarthy. The California representative has now lost six rounds of votes to become the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
This is the first time in over 100 years that a candidate for the Speaker position has faced such opposition in his own party. Every House Democrat voted against him as well as 20 Republicans. The session adjourned Wednesday night so that the GOP could have a come-to-Jesus moment that could last through the weekend.
The last time this happened was in 1923 when lawmakers had to vote nine times to choose a Speaker. What is the holdout this time? It’s no one thing. Some say that McCarthy is not aligned with MAGA Republicans. Some say he is too involved in the deep state. Some are holding out on committee assignments. Some just want fresh blood. They probably won’t get it. If we had to guess, we’d guess that McCarthy gets there in the end but this is not a smooth transition of power that bodes well for the upcoming legislative session.
