WATCH LIVE: House reconvenes as historic speaker vote drags into third day
Cami Mondeaux
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House lawmakers are convening for their third day of leadership elections, with members bracing for a seventh round of roll-call votes, and possibly more, to elect their next speaker and get the 118th Congress underway.
The House adjourned shortly after 8 p.m. on Wednesday without selecting a speaker as no nominee was able to garner the majority needed to secure the leadership position. Lawmakers will reconvene at noon on Thursday as Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) fights for the speaker’s gavel, facing at least 20 defectors within his own party whom he must win over in order to be elected.
After failing to make headway during votes on Wednesday, McCarthy agreed to a new bout of concessions in an effort to win over some of his most stubborn opponents in the far-right corners of his party. McCarthy has maintained confidence he will win the election when all is said and done, vowing to go through as many roll call votes as necessary to meet the required threshold.
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To secure the gavel, McCarthy needs a majority of members, in this case 218 lawmakers, to vote for him. In the new Congress, the GOP only holds a nine-vote advantage in the House, giving McCarthy a challenge as he faces growing opposition within his party.