Eko Hot Blog reports that that Kevin McCarthy has been elected as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives after four days of negotiations and 15 rounds of voting.
McCarthy, a Republican, won the gavel after 15 rounds of voting, making it the longest election for speaker in 164 years. It was the fifth-longest contest in history.
The final tally was 216 votes for McCarthy, 212 for Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries with six representatives voting “present.”
The six “present” votes are Republicans who refused to support their caucus leader but their votes helped lower the threshold for the new speaker to win.
Early Saturday morning, in the 14th round, an extraordinary scene erupted, with McCarthy confronting Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose vote on that ballot could have given him the role he has sought for so long.
After a failed motion to adjourn until Monday, McCarthy finally had the votes to secure the position in the 15th round.
US House Speaker, Kevin McCarthy
The entire GOP conference was on their feet clapping. The new speaker hugged many members that came up to him and waved to people in the gallery.
The GOP only holds a slim majority in the chamber, 222 Republicans compared with 212 Democrats, which meant McCarthy could not afford many defections.
McCarthy, who previously served as House minority leader, has already vowed to launch multiple investigations into President Joe Biden and his administration.
The House has now proceeded with the rest of its business, including administering the oath of office to newly elected members.
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