Rep. Kevin McCarthy failed to secure the House speakership position again early Wednesday afternoon, losing in a series of votes.
In order to become the next House speaker, McCarthy needs to win a simple majority of votes, or 218 if all 435 members vote. McCarthy failed to reach a majority in the first three rounds of votes Tuesday, marking a historic defeat. It was the first time in 100 years that a nominee failed to win the gavel on the first round of votes.
McCarthy headed down a similar path Wednesday afternoon, coming up short again in the fourth and fifth round of votes.
The problem for McCarthy is a group of far-right Republicans who are refusing to back him, even after McCarthy made concessions to appease them. Still, McCarthy has shown no signs of giving up his bid.
“We’re not that far away,” McCarthy told reporters last night. “We only need 11 more votes to win.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo. 3rd District) called on former President Donald Trump to tell McCarthy, "Sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw." Trump had earlier voiced his full support for the embattled nominee.
Voting will continue until a lawmaker receives a simple majority. Either McCarthy will be able to convince enough Republicans to support him, or to not vote for anyone and lower the threshold to reach a majority, or an alternate candidate will emerge. Until then, the House can’t swear in lawmakers, establish rules for the next two years, or pass new legislation. It remains unclear how long the process could take.
Updated with Cheddar writethrough.
The Biden administration has stopped taking mobile app appointments to admit asylum-seekers at a Texas border crossing that connects to a notoriously dangerous Mexican city after advocates warned U.S. authorities that migrants were being targeted there for extortion.
Donald Trump arrived in Florida on Monday ahead of a history-making federal court appearance on dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents and thwarting the Justice Department's efforts to get them back.
The Supreme Court said Monday it won't review North Carolina's decision to stop issuing specialty license plates with the Confederate flag.
The Human Rights Campaign has declared a state of emergency for the lgbtq+ community. The unprecedented move comes after the passage of more than 75 anti-gay bills this year alone. Here with more is Cheddar News senior reporter Chloe Aiello.
President Joe Biden welcomed hundreds to the White House on Saturday for a delayed Pride Month celebration aimed at showing LGBTQ+ people that his administration has their back at a time when advocates are warning of a spike in discriminatory legislation, particularly aimed at the transgender community, sweeping through statehouses.
Silvio Berlusconi, the boastful billionaire media mogul who was Italy’s longest-serving premier despite scandals over his sex-fueled parties and allegations of corruption, died Monday. He was 86.
“Any consumer can tell you that online airline bookings are confusing enough," said William McGee, an aviation expert at the American Economic Liberties Project. "The last thing we need is to roll back an existing protection that provides effective transparency.”
Cheddar News checks in to see what to look out for Next Week on the Street as former president Donald Trump makes an appearance in federal court after being indicted. Investors will also keep an eye on the Federal Reserve meeting to see what comes out of that while earnings continue to pour in.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced Thursday that the U.S. is investing more than $100 million in the Caribbean region to crack down on weapons trafficking, help alleviate Haiti’s humanitarian crisis and support climate change initiatives.
It is arguably the most perilous of multiple legal threats against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House.
