Share
News

McCarthy Finally Nails Down Speaker's Gavel After Shocking Development on House Floor

Share

Kevin McCarthy is the 55th Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The California Republican finally nailed down the speaker’s gavel after fourteen votes in which he failed to secure the position.

McCarthy was elected speaker in the 15th vote for the position, early on Saturday morning, according to The Washington Post.

He only needed 216 votes in the final, conclusive vote.

Five House members voted present, which lowered the threshold for McCarthy’s simple majority.

Trending:
Federal Judge Has Bad News for Hunter Biden, Says There's Zero Evidence His Charges Are Politically Motivated

The late-night votes followed a breakthrough for McCarthy on Friday, in which 15 of his Republican opponents cast their votes for the caucus leader following negotiations in which McCarthy promised reforms to the rules of the House.

Should McCarthy be speaker?

Even the final vote that preceded McCarthy’s election saw its share of drama.

McCarthy directly confronted Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz after he failed to secure the gavel by one vote, with Gaetz voting ‘present’ in that tally.

In his own interaction with Gaetz, Alabama GOP Rep. Mike Rogers was physically restrained by North Carolina Rep. Rich Hudson, also a Republican, after McCarthy came up short in the 14th vote for the office.

Related:
Powerful House Democrat 'Sends a Shockwave' Through Political Scene by Announcing Retirement

Hudson appeared to grab Rodgers by the face in the altercation.

President Joe Biden congratulated McCarthy on his election in a statement released before he had been officially sworn in.

The 15 rounds of voting it took to elect McCarthy amounted to the lengthiest election for a speaker since before the Civil War, according to the Post.

McCarthy was sworn in as speaker after a floor speech that invoked the historical legacy of Abraham Lincoln, and made reference to the everyday families of McCarthy’s Bakersfield-area California district.

After taking his place as speaker, McCarthy swore in the House members of the 118th Congress.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , , , , , , ,
Share

Conversation