Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of the House, overcoming opposition from right-wing opponents who blocked his bid for House leadership for several days. To secure the House gavel, McCarthy took his 15th ballot, winning 216 of his 428 votes cast late Friday. Democrat Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes. In November’s midterm elections, Republicans won by a narrow margin of 222 to 212, giving greater power to the far-right right wing who opposed McCarthy’s leadership. The longest battle for the Presidency came in 1855, lasting over two months, and during the slavery debate leading up to the Civil War, he recorded a staggering 133 votes.
Republican opponents had made a number of demands before agreeing to endorse McCarthy, including changing House rules to allow all lawmakers to vote of no confidence in the Speaker. They also asked for a greater say in the House Rules and Budget Committees. This will allow us to influence the U.S. government’s budget and determine which bills can move forward in Congress. Details of the deal most of them may have voted for McCarthy have not been released. The new House Speaker said he would open a congressional inquiry into the business dealings of Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, an issue Democrats dismissed as a conspiracy theory.
