The US House of Representatives still has no speaker after the 14th ballot. This time, Republican McCarthy has only one vote separating him from the presidency. Before that, chaotic scenes take place on the floor of the Chamber of Deputies. The two Republican camps almost came to blows.
In a dramatic showdown in the US House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy once again failed to win the election as Speaker of the House of Representatives. In the 14th ballot of the chaotic voting series, McCarthy was only missing a single vote for victory that night. However, despite desperate attempts to negotiate, his most bitter opponents allowed him to appear in the plenary chamber at the last minute.
In the meantime, there was a heated exchange between the two camps of supporters and opponents of McCarthy and almost fisticuffs, as could be seen on live video recordings. After that, one of McCarthy's confidants initially requested that the session be adjourned again, this time until Monday. But at the last moment of that vote, when a majority was actually in favor of an adjournment, a large number of Republicans changed their minds - and their voting patterns - to avert an adjournment of the session after all. As long as a vote is still running, it is possible to change your own voting behavior.
Shortly before, McCarthy had briefly spoken again in the plenary hall with one of his toughest opponents, MP Matt Gaetz, who abstained in the 14th ballot and thus sealed McCarthy's renewed defeat. Observers took the turn as a sign that McCarthy could now have the necessary votes together. The Chamber of Congress then began another ballot. Republicans chanted, "One more time."
The election marathon in the House of Representatives is an embarrassment of historic proportions for the opposition Republicans, who have held a majority in the Congress Chamber since the midterm elections in November. The last time an election process lasted longer than the current one dates back to before the American Civil War: in 1856, the members of parliament only agreed after two months and 133 votes.
Without a chair, the deputies cannot be sworn in, form committees and begin drafting legislation. The election is repeated until a candidate achieves a simple majority in the House of Representatives.
