Al Jazeera – Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy has been elected speaker of the Home of Representatives, overcoming the opposition of right-wing dissenters who had derailed for a number of days his bid to guide the chamber.
It took 15 rounds of voting for McCarthy to safe the Home’s gavel, securing 216 of the 428 votes forged late on Friday. The Democrats’ Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes.
It was the primary time in a century {that a} speaker was not elected within the first spherical.
McCarthy’s speakership bid appeared up within the air earlier than the Home assembly on Friday. He had been negotiating with right-wing dissenters after three days of failure to safe a majority.
Republicans solely narrowly took management of the Home after a disappointing midterm election efficiency in November that noticed Democrats retain management of america Senate.
McCarthy, of California, replaces veteran legislator Nancy Pelosi, who introduced plans to step down from the Democratic Home management final month. Jeffries, a New York Democrat, will function Home minority chief within the new Congress.
McCarthy beforehand vowed to make use of his new function to upset the Democratic agenda and intensify oversight over the administration of President Joe Biden.
The Republican dissenters had offered quite a few calls for earlier than agreeing to again McCarthy, together with altering Home guidelines to permit any member to carry a no-confidence vote on the speaker.
Additionally they sought a much bigger say on the Home Guidelines and Appropriations committees, which might enable them to affect the US authorities finances and assist resolve which payments can transfer ahead within the chamber. Particulars of the attainable deal that noticed most of them change their votes in favour of McCarthy haven’t emerged.
The brand new Home speaker has mentioned he would launch a congressional investigation into the enterprise dealings of Biden’s son, Hunter Biden — a problem that Democrats dismiss as a conspiracy principle.
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