Ballot Blues: US House Makes History After Chamber Holds More Than 10 Votes to Elect Next Speaker
The dome of the US Capitol is seen reflected on a car door in Washington, DC on November 5, 2021.
US President Joe Biden earlier referred to the ongoing stalemate in the US House as embarrassing but that it ultimately was not his ‘problem’ to correct. Republican lawmakers have been at an impasse since Tuesday.The US House of Representatives adjourned Thursday, closing its latest voting session without electing their next speaker amid a continued deadlock among Republican lawmakers. It will reconvene at noon on Friday.The last vote tally for House speaker saw 212 ballots in favor of Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and 200 votes for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).The lower chamber remained leaderless even after officials carried out their eleventh failed ballot, marking the first time the House has taken ten or more rounds of voting to select a leader since 1859.The days’ events saw Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) go so far as nominating former US President Donald Trump to serve as the lower chamber’s next speaker; however, it was not the first time Gaetz has done so in the three days of voting.House lawmakers are able to vote for whoever is eligible. At present, there are no rules mandating the House speaker be a member of Congress.Trump had jokingly weighed in on the possibility during earlier ballot counts.The House held its first ballot to elect a speaker on Tuesday, when lawmakers met for their first session of the 118th Congress. However, the House Republican majority is divided on whether to elect Congressman Kevin McCarthy to the position, with 21 Republican members declining to vote for him. The Republicans who oppose McCarthy have criticized his ability to lead the lower congressional chamber, proposing alternative candidates instead, including Reps. Byron Donalds, Kevin Hern and Andy Biggs. 
Sputnik ExplainsA House Divided Cannot Stand: What’s Behind MAGA Republicans’ Rebellion Against Kevin McCarthyYesterday, 13:16 GMTThe Republicans hold 222 seats in the House, with 218 votes needed to elect a speaker. The dissenting Republicans have blocked McCarthy’s leadership bid ten times now – the first time it has taken ten or more ballots to select a speaker since 1859. The last time it took the House more than one ballot to elect a speaker was in 1923, when it took nine ballots to choose a leader. In 1859, the chamber took 44 ballots to elect a speaker. The House took a record 133 ballots to elect a speaker in 1855.
