House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has failed to win the speakership on six ballots (Picture: Getty Images)
The House adjourned on the second day of a once-in-a-century deadlock after the Republican Party’s leader fell short of votes for the speaker role for a sixth time.
With no resolution for the second straight day, the House on Wednesday afternoon adjourned for a few hours. Lawmakers were set to reconvene at 8pm.
The adjournment came after Republican Rep Kevin McCarthy failed to garner the 217 votes he needed to win the speakership on the fourth, fifth and sixth ballots.
In all three votes on Wednesday, McCarthy got 201 votes, another Republican nominee Byron Donalds received 20 votes, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries got 212 votes. There was one present vote.
Clerks and lawmakers counting the sixth round of votes for speaker of the House in the US Capitol (Picture: EPA)
While leaving the House floor after the adjournment, McCarthy said he would sit and speak with his colleagues and that ‘we will get to 218 (votes), we’ll solve our problems and we will all work together’.
‘You see the number of votes. We have 90% of the votes,’ McCarthy told CNN. ‘I’ve never seen a body where 10% is going to control the 90%. It just doesn’t happen.’
The House first adjourned late afternoon Tuesday on the opening day of the 118th Congress after McCarthy failed to secure the speakership on three ballots.
Some lawmakers warned that allowing the stalemate to drag on longer could result in McCarthy losing more votes.
Rep Matt Gaetz (bottom right) talks to members as voting for speaker of the House continued on Wednesday (Picture: Shutterstock)
Earlier on Wednesday, McCarthy said he was not concerned if the group of GOP members opposing him grew on the fourth ballot.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said at the time. ‘I have the most votes.’
McCarthy’s allies negotiated with their colleagues on the House floor between votes in an effort to drum up more support.
Ahead of the votes on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump publicly endorsed McCarthy on his Truth Social platform.
Republicans are attempting to break a deadlock with far-right members of their own party over the election of a new speaker (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Some really good conversations took place last night, and it’s now time for all of our GREAT Republican House members to VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY,’ wrote Trump.
‘REPUBLICANS, DO NOT TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT.’
But Trump’s nod failed to swing votes for McCarthy.
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