Watch: Strange moments from a chaotic week in Congress
Kevin McCarthy says he now has enough support to become speaker of the US House of Representatives, amid the longest congressional gridlock in more than 150 years.
The front-runner has lost 13 rounds of voting in four days, even though his Republicans hold a majority of seats in the lower house of Congress.
Fifteen of the 20 or so dissenters changed their vote on Friday to support it, but six staunch dissenters remained.
Parliament reconvenes on Friday evening.
The President sets the agenda of the House of Representatives and supervises the legislative work. The position is the second in the presidential line for the vice president of the United States.
After the 13th vote, when the lower house of Congress adjourned until 10:00 p.m. EST (03:00 GMT), Mr. McCarthy told reporters: “I will have the votes.”
In a remarkable turnaround in the 12th round of voting, Mr. McCarthy managed to convince 14 Republican candidates to cast their ballots for him. The 15th rebel followed him on the 13th ballot.
But the California congressman fell three votes short of the 217 he needed to pick up the coveted gavel.
Among the dissidents were also members of the parliamentary group for freedom of the House of Representatives, who claim that Mr. McCarthy is not conservative enough to lead them as they seek to thwart Democratic President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Congressman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania said on Twitter that he would support Mr McCarthy after voting against him 11 times.
“We are at a turning point,” he said.
Two Republicans who missed the vote on Friday were returning to Washington DC to vote for Mr McCarthy.
Mr McCarthy offered various concessions to the rebels, including a seat on the influential Rules Committee, which sets the terms for debating legislation in the chamber.
He also agreed to lower the threshold for triggering a vote to impeach the president to just one member of the House of Representatives, leaving the possibility that the Republican coalition could easily fall apart again even after a potential victory for Mr. McCarthy.
The tide is turning in Kevin McCarthy’s direction
Democrats compared the standoff to riots exactly two years ago on Capitol Hill by Trump supporters who disrupted Mr. Biden’s presidential nomination.
“The same extremist forces continue to hold Republicans in the House,” said Massachusetts Congresswoman Katherine Clark, the chamber’s second-ranking Democrat.
Minority Democrats continued to vote unanimously for their leader, New Yorker Hakeem Jeffries, the first black man to lead the party in Congress.
But it is highly unlikely that he could get any Republican defectors to muster the simple majority of votes in the 435-member chamber needed for the presidency.
Friday was the first day that Mr. McCarthy’s vote count actually exceeded Mr. Jeffries.
Since 1860, during the run-up to the American Civil War, the lower house of Congress has not voted repeatedly to choose a speaker. At that time, 44 rounds of voting were required.
In November’s midterm elections, Republicans won the House by a narrower-than-expected margin of 222 to 212. Democrats retained control of the Senate.
Who is the oldest current member of the Senate?
At 89, Feinstein is the oldest sitting US senator and member of Congress. To see also : Sam’s Club: The 10 Best Frozen Foods to Buy. In March 2021, she became the longest-serving US senator from California, overtaking Hiram Johnson.
Who is the oldest living former member of Congress? Until his death in May 2021, Wolff was the oldest living current or former member of Congress and the last living member born in 1910.
Who is the youngest current member of the Senate?
At 25, Maxwell Frost (D-FL) will become the youngest member of the 118th Congress after being elected in 2022. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is the youngest senator at 35, replacing Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who was the youngest senator of the 116th Congress at the age of 41.
Who are the oldest female senators?
As of January 3, 2023, there are 25 women (15 Democrats, 9 Republicans, and 1 independent) serving as U. Read also : Full Text | National Constitution Centre.S. Senators. At 90, Nancy Landon Kassebaum is currently the oldest living former member of the Senate.
How much do speakers of the House get paid?
| Position | Salary |
|---|---|
| Pro tempore President of the Senate | 193,400 dollars |
| Senate Majority Leader and Minority Leader | 193,400 dollars |
| Majority Leader and Minority Leader in the House of Representatives | 193,400 dollars |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives | 223,500 dollars |
What is the salary of a member of the senate? Note: Since the early 1980s, Senate leaders—majority and minority leaders and the president pro tempore—have received higher salaries than other members. To see also : A Declaration on United Nations Day, 2022. Presently, presenters earn $193,400 per year.
What are the benefits of being in the House of Representatives?
- Health benefits. …
- Benefits for teeth and vision. …
- Flexible consumption accounts. …
- The Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) …
- Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)…
- Flexible working arrangements. …
- Assistance with transportation to work. …
- Annual and sick leave.
How does the Speaker of the House get their job?
Choice. The House of Representatives elects its Speaker at the beginning of a new Congress (ie, every two years, after a general election) or when the Speaker dies, resigns, or is removed from office during a term. Since 1839, the House has elected speakers by roll call.
How does the Speaker of the House get chosen?
At the beginning of the new congress, the president is elected by the majority of representatives from among the candidates who are selected separately by the parliamentary groups of the majority and minority parties. These candidates are elected by the members of their party at organizational assemblies held shortly after the election of the new Congress.
How many votes are needed to get the Speaker of the Parliament? To be elected speaker, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of votes cast as opposed to an absolute majority of the full membership of the House of Representatives – currently 218 votes in the House of 435.
Is the speaker of the House elected or chosen?
To be elected president, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes of the elected members. If no candidate gets a majority, the roll-call vote is repeated until the president is elected. Since 1789, multiple roll calls have only been necessary 15 times (out of 127 presidential elections), most recently in 2023.
Has anyone been president and speaker of the House?
One speaker, James K. Polk, later served as President of the United States, the only one to hold both offices, and two speakers, Schuyler Colfax and John Nance Garner, later became vice presidents.
Which presidents served in Congress after their presidency? Floor panels in National Statuary Hall show the location of the desks during service in the House of Representatives for the following presidents: John Quincy Adams, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, and Andrew Johnson.
Who was the last Republican speaker of the House?
BOEHNER, John Andrew | The US House of Representatives: History, Art, and Archives.
Is the Speaker of the House Higher than the President?
The current speaker is second in line to the presidency of the United States, behind the vice president and ahead of the president pro tempore of the Senate. The current Speaker of the House of Representatives is Republican Kevin McCarthy of California. He was elected on January 7, 2023, at the beginning of the 118th Congress.
Has a speaker of the House ever been president?
First Speaker to Serve as President James K. Polk of Tennessee was the first (and only) speaker to serve as president.
