Are the Votes In? McCarthy Confident He’ll Win House Speakership Tonight Despite GOP Division
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., center, joined at right by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, pause during a news conference after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected two Republicans chosen for the committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Rep. Jordan, R-Ohio, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. McCarthy is denouncing the decision as “an egregious abuse of power,” by Pelosi. 
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Congressman-elect Kevin McCarthy said he is confident in his ability to win the US House speakership in an election on Friday night despite continued opposition by several Republicans to his leadership bid. “I think you saw we’ve made some very good progress. We’ll come back tonight,” McCarthy told reporters on Friday. “I believe at that time we’ll have the votes to finish this once and for all.”The House adjourned until 10:00 p.m. on Friday after a thirteenth failed speaker ballot. In earlier ballots, a total of 21 Republican congressmen-elect cast votes in opposition to McCarthy. By the thirteenth ballot Friday afternoon, six Republicans remained dissenting. Republicans hold a 222-212 majority in the House, with a majority of votes needed to elect a speaker. On the thirteenth ballot, McCarthy received 214 votes, Democratic Congressman-elect Hakeem Jeffries received 212 and Republican dissenters cast six votes for Congressman-elect Jim Jordan, who himself voted for McCarthy. 
Viral’Best Season of CSPAN’: Twitter Left Cackling as McCarthy Fails House Speaker Vote a Record 11 Times02:42 GMTWith a total of 432 votes cast due to absent members, 216 votes are needed to constitute a majority. The situation marks the first time in a century the House has failed to elect a speaker on the first ballot, and the first time since 1859 the process has taken more than ten ballots. House Republicans will come out of the situation more effective and efficient, McCarthy told reporters. The party “learned how to govern” through the course of the lengthy speaker selection process, he said.
