Biden to award Citizens Medal to officers who defended Capitol on Jan. 6

Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Friday is expected to award the Presidential Citizens Medal — the nation’s second-highest civilian honor — to officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, multiple sources told ABC News and a White House official confirmed Thursday.

Biden will present the awards during a ceremony at the White House. Friday marks the second anniversary of the Capitol attack.

The recipients include Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, Capitol Police Officer Carolyn Edwards, retired Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, and retired Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone.

Biden will also bestow the honor posthumously to Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who officials said died of natural causes a day after being assaulted with bear spray while defending the Capitol.

ABC News was the first to report these details.

“To mark two years since the insurrection on the Capitol, Biden will host a ceremony at the White House where he will deliver remarks and award the Presidential Citizens Medal to “individuals who made exemplary contributions to our democracy surrounding January 6, 2021,” a senior White House official said.

Others who will receive the award include Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, mother-daughter election workers who were the target of right-wing conspiracies following the 2020 race. They’ve since discussed living in fear since the attacks against them began, describing how they were forced to leave their jobs.

Several state and local officials who stood up to pressure to overturn the 2020 election results will also receive the honor, including former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt.

“These 12 heroes demonstrated courage and selflessness during a moment of peril for our nation,” the White House official added. “They include Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police, election workers, and officials at the state and local level.”

Many of the officers Biden will recognize on Friday have testified about their harrowing experiences during the insurrection. More than 100 officers were injured as pro-Donald Trump supporters stormed the area.

Dunn, Hodges, Fanone and Gonell described first-hand the violence toward law enforcement during the first hearing of the House Jan. 6 committee, telling lawmakers they all feared for their lives.

Edwards, who testified at a different Jan. 6 committee hearing, said called the Capitol attack a “war scene.”

“There were officers on the ground. You know, they were bleeding. They were throwing up. You know, they had, I mean, I saw friends with blood all over their faces. I was slipping in people’s blood. I was catching people as they fell.”

Biden has repeatedly condemned the Capitol attack as a dark day for American democracy.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday that Biden’s focus on the second anniversary of the attack will be to recognize Americans who “showed those best values of who we are.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New Congress live updates: McCarthy loses seventh vote in speaker standoff Day 3

Michael Godek/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The House Republican leadership standoff is stretching into a third day Thursday after six failed votes to decide on a speaker over Tuesday and Wednesday.

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is so far being stymied by a small group of hardliners demanding concessions or alternative candidates.

The House can conduct no other business — and members can’t be sworn in — until a speaker is chosen.

Here’s how the story is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 05, 1:50 PM EST
McCarthy tells ABC he’s ‘confident’ solution will come as he faces another defeat

As he barreled toward a seventh defeat on Thursday, McCarthy told ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott that he was still confident his party would get to a solution to the historic stalemate over speaker. But he insisted he doesn’t “pick the day.”

Scott pressed McCarthy on whether the concessions he made to his opponents were enough.

“Concessions,” he laughed with a smirk.

“I think we’re having good discussions. I think everybody wants to find a solution. And the good thing about it is we worked this all out at the beginning, so the rest of the Congress will be very productive for the American public,” he said.

When asked if he was confident he would get the votes he needed on Thursday, McCarthy responded: “Look, I don’t pick the day. I’m confident we’ll get to the solution. Otherwise, we won’t be successful. So I think everybody, of the members I’ve talked to, have been very productive. They’ve been productive in their discussions, their ideas, and I just feel in these meetings the attitudes of everyone is they want to find a solution. And that’s positive. So I think we’ll get there.”

Pressed on how to convince his critics who don’t trust him to vote for him, McCarthy laughed again.

“Everybody builds trust,” he said.

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said he expects another round of voting on Thursday.

-with ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, Gabe Ferris and Allison Pecorin

Jan 05, 1:44 PM EST
McCarthy loses 7th round, Gaetz votes for Trump

McCarthy on Thursday lost another election for speaker, failing to pick up any votes despite making new concessions to the conservative GOP rebels opposing his bid.

McCarthy received 201 votes in the seventh round — the same number he received in the three votes held on Wednesday.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., again saw the most support with 212 votes from the Democratic caucus. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., received 19 votes as the GOP’s protest nominee against McCarthy.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, a leading opponent of McCarthy, voted for Donald Trump for House speaker. This is the first time Trump has received a vote. The former president, weighing in on the speaker battle, has thrown his support behind McCarthy.

One lawmaker, Indiana Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz, voted present.

Jan 05, 12:38 PM EST
7th round of voting underway

Members are currently voting for a seventh time to elect a speaker of the House.

The matchup is the same as the previous three rounds: McCarthy is facing Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Republican Rep. Byron Donalds.

The results will show whether McCarthy’s gained any support after offering new concessions to his critics.

“People ask me, ‘What is the end game? How does this end?’ The answer to this question is that this is a dynamic process. All of the decisions on this floor result from the coming together of minds, one way or another,” Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., said as he nominated Donalds. “This is the people’s business. We will resolve the people’s business.”

Jan 05, 12:34 PM EST
Freshman John James nominates Kevin McCarthy for speaker

Freshman Rep. John James, D-Mich., nominated House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Calif., for speaker as the third day of voting got underway.

James compared the vote to that of 1856, when it took months to elect a speaker — but boasted that McCarthy would emerge victorious.

“The leading Republican nominee won then, and the leading Republican nominee will win again today,” he said.

James conceded that “we’re stuck at a malaise, at an impasse, and we will stay here,” but insisted that McCarthy deserved the speakership after Republicans won the House majority.

“You don’t fire a guy who’s winning,” he said, before urging Republicans to accept the victory.

“We need to learn how to win.”

Jan 05, 9:27 AM EST
McCarthy makes new offer to defectors amid speakership showdown

There is now an offer on the table from McCarthy to the small but influential group of hard-line conservatives opposing his bid for speaker, sources familiar with discussions told ABC News.

The Republican leader, who has now notched six successive losses for speaker, has proposed a new round of key concessions that includes making it easier for members to remove him as speaker.

McCarthy’s offer, if approved by the full GOP conference on the floor in the rules package, would make it so a single member from either party could trigger an up-or-down simple majority vote on whether to oust the speaker. This is down from the threshold of five members McCarthy initially agreed to.

It’s unclear if the offer will make a difference, as some hard-line conservatives are digging in against McCarthy. The House is set to reconvene at noon today.

He’s also offered to put more members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus on the House Rules Committee and votes on legislation his opponents have been pushing for, including term limits for members of Congress and border security.

The group of conservative rebels who’ve opposed him are meeting this morning to consider the offer and plot their strategy going forward.

Jan 04, 9:38 PM EST
McCarthy sounds undeterred: ‘We talk until we get this done’

Leaving the chamber after it adjourned for the night on Wednesday, McCarthy — surrounded by a phalanx of security and a mob of reporters — initially joked and razzed a reporter he’s known for more than a decade. He seemingly celebrated a razor-thin GOP vote to adjourn the chamber after another day of unsuccessful attempts to elect him speaker.

He also said “continual votes,” like they been having since Tuesday, are unproductive, instead touting the evening’s closed-door talks as the way forward.

McCarthy asked the reporter, John Bresnahan, “Club for Growth — is that movement for you? You just saw a vote on the floor that the conference voted together on?”

McCarthy was referring to a newly announced deal between a political action committee aligned with him and Club for Growth, another major conservative group.

Bresnahan jokingly replied of the successful adjournment vote, “You’re very proud of that.”

“Hey, I crawl before I walk and walk before I run, and I felt as though we had a very good discussion,” McCarthy said, adding, “I think what you should gauge, being able to do that vote, [is] that the discussions are going well but that doesn’t mean they’re done. That doesn’t mean anything on that. But it’s just in that realm.”

Another reporter asked, “What happens between now and noon tomorrow [when the House returns]?”

“We talk until we get this done,” McCarthy said.

Bresnahan asked if there would be votes tomorrow, to which McCarthy replied: “People know where everybody’s at. These votes don’t really change at all. So I mean, that’s fine. I think these discussions help that. I think from this aspect of seeing the vote here — people want to spend their time discussing than being on the floor.”

A reporter asked if McCarthy has asked Byron Donalds, a GOP protest candidate, to drop out. McCarthy said, “No. No.”

-ABC News’ Trish Turner

Jan 04, 8:54 PM EST
House narrowly agrees to adjourn ’til Thursday after another day of failed votes

The motion to adjourn that was introduced shortly after the House returned from its Wednesday afternoon break passed by a narrow 216-214 vote. The chamber will return at noon on Thursday, presumably for more speaker votes.

Republicans had pushed for the adjournment, while Democrats and four Republicans opposed it, with some Democrats shouting for the clerk to stop the vote while the “no” votes were ahead.

The move to end for the night came after McCarthy held a closed-door meeting with detractors trying to block him from winning the speaker’s gavel. The meeting yielded no deal, but McCarthy said progress was made.

The vote to adjourn marked the climax of a second day of historic failed speaker votes — the first time in a century it has taken more than one round to pick a speaker.

Jan 04, 8:20 PM EST
Lawmakers gather after afternoon break, try to adjourn until Thursday

Lawmakers gathered Wednesday around 8 p.m. in the House after their afternoon adjournment and swiftly launched into a vote to adjourn again until Thursday at noon.

The House clerk asked for a voice vote, with Democrats then pressing for an individual counting of the votes, which is underway.

The effort to adjourn comes after McCarthy said progress had been made with the group of GOP critics blocking him the speakership but that there was no path yet to a firm deal.

Jan 04, 8:02 PM EST
McCarthy says 7th speaker vote would not yet be ‘productive’

Leaving a closed-door meeting during the House’s break from voting for a speaker on Wednesday, McCarthy said progress had been made but that there’s no deal yet and he doesn’t think another vote Wednesday night would be “productive.”

McCarthy, the Republican leader, has so far been blocked from the speakership by 20 members of his party repeatedly voting for other candidates — now across six rounds of voting over two days.

“I think it’s probably best to let people work through this more. I don’t think a vote tonight is productive. Let people work a little more,” McCarthy said after leaving the meeting with critics seeking to stop him from winning the speakership.

McCarthy said that while he didn’t have a deal in hand after meeting with the rebels, he insisted there was movement.

–ABC News’ Will Steakin, Lalee Ibssa and Gabe Ferris

Jan 04, 5:53 PM EST
Sources say House Republicans discuss ‘nuclear option’: Lower vote threshold to be speaker

As McCarthy’s quest to become speaker of the House continues to fall short, some of his allies are exploring a radical idea: lowering the threshold needed to be elected.

Under current House rules, a candidate needs an outright majority of all members voting to be elected speaker. With 433 members voting so far — and one member voting “present,” which doesn’t affect the total — that means McCarthy has repeatedly fallen far short of the 217 currently needed to win a majority.

The rules, however, can be changed: With a simple majority vote, the House could decide to allow a speaker to be elected with a plurality, or whoever has the most votes when no one has a majority. This has happened before, but very rarely.

It’s called the “nuclear option” because it would force anti-McCarthy voters to face a stark choice: vote for him or watch Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries get elected instead. After all, Jeffries has received 212 votes in every single round so far and the most McCarthy has received has been 203.

But would those 20 renegade Republicans continue to vote against McCarthy if doing so would result in electing a Democrat as speaker? Advocates of the option say the change would call the critics’ bluff and force them to vote for McCarthy or take the blame for ceding control of the House to Democrats.

According to two McCarthy allies in the House, the idea is being discussed among House Republicans. They believe Democrats would support the rules change.

One influential Republican voice, however, told ABC News he opposes the idea.

“I know it is an idea that has been floating around,” incoming House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said. “I’d be opposed it.”

He added: “I know Hakeem would like, but I don’t.”

-ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl

Jan 04, 5:00 PM EST
State spokesperson on House speaker vote: ‘Democracy at work’

While the State Department does not frequently weigh in on matters of domestic politics, spokesperson Ned Price on Wednesday afternoon directly addressed the tumult on Capitol Hill, painting a cheerier outlook than President Joe Biden did earlier.

Price was asked what message other countries around the world might take from the prolonged vote for House speaker — the first in a century.

“Our message has never been that democracy is neat or that democracy is seamless in terms of its operations. But what we’re seeing, what the world is seeing, are our democratic institutions at work,” Price said. “They are seeing our democracy at work.”

“Democracy isn’t always without its complications. But when processes are followed, institutions are respected, ultimately the outcome is one that everyone can get behind.”

Reporters asked Price whether the redundant, and so far fruitless, votes in the House — which is keeping the chamber in limbo — might give the impression of an inefficient governing system and if the first failed speaker vote in 100 years was an indicator that U.S. democracy was weakening.

“Look, I’m not going to characterize the U.S. political system,” Price said. “I will just say that there is a process that is being hued to right now by elected lawmakers. That in itself is a testament to the functioning of democracy, even if that functioning may be taking just a little bit longer than it has in the past 100 years or so.”

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Jan 04, 5:06 PM EST
Meet ‘the most famous future member of Congress’

ABC News’ Jay O’Brien caught up with Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., outside of the House floor during the sixth round of votes for speaker — but Gomez wasn’t alone.

He was holding, in a swaddle, who ABC News Live anchor Kyra Phillips called “probably the most famous future member of Congress.”

Gomez had brought along his 4-month-old son Hodge for the votes on Tuesday and Wednesday; photos of the baby had already lit up social media.

“One of the things my wife and I wanted to do is make sure that he was, you know, personable, he got along with people and that he loved people,” Gomez said. “So we started making sure that he was used to it. And then he loved it. He loved being on the floor. Everybody was smiling at him, playing with him … And I think he’s gotten more votes for speaker than I have, maybe even Kevin McCarthy.”

Gomez called his son “my legacy, and I think all kids are our legacy. So I realized I wanted to bring him to the [House] floor to have him witness history, but also to recognize that he is what we’re fighting for. He represents the millions of kids that don’t have the privilege to be on the floor.”

O’Brien noted how well behaved Hodge was in the bustling chamber. Hodge had no comment but seemed to bob his head in response.

Of the news of the day, Gomez said he does not believe any Democrats will break ranks to vote for McCarthy, who has so far failed to unify the GOP majority to vote for him as speaker.

Jan 04, 4:36 PM EST
House adjourns until 8 p.m.

With the Republican conference still divided between a pro-McCarthy majority and 20 anti-McCarthy members, the House has chosen to adjourn until 8 p.m.

The motion from Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., was adopted by voice vote, though Democrats appeared staunchly opposed to the break — but did not call for a recorded vote.

Shortly before adjournment, McCarthy told reporters “we’re gonna break in a little then go meet” when asked what was next after the sixth failed vote.

Jan 04, 4:21 PM EST
McCarthy loses speaker vote for the sixth time

McCarthy, for the sixth time in two days, has failed to get enough votes to become the next speaker of the House.

The vote count for this round was unchanged from the previous two rounds: McCarthy won 201 votes, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries won 212 votes and Rep. Byron Donalds, the current GOP protest candidate against McCarthy, won 20 votes.

Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz also voted “present” for the third time.

Jan 04, 3:56 PM EST
McCarthy says: ‘We’re gonna break … then go meet’

McCarthy is likely to continue negotiating into Wednesday night, after two days of failed speaker votes, and ABC News has learned that he is working to set up talks to attempt to come to an agreement with the group of 20 voting against him.

The logistics of such talks are still being nailed down — and according to people close to him, there is no singular leader of this group of 20.

When this will happen is unclear. Democrats and some Republicans have not yet wanted to adjourn the House, meaning they do not have the votes for adjourning and then continuing negotiations.

Off the House floor during the sixth round of voting, which McCarthy looked set to lose as well, he told reporters that “we’re gonna break in a little then go meet” when asked what’s next. He did not give any other specifics.

The House on Tuesday afternoon adjourned for the day after three rounds of votes, and they could repeat that pattern on Wednesday.

McCarthy has already made some major concessions to his critics without winning their support. He has agreed to lower the threshold to five members to force a vote to remove the speaker — known as a motion to vacate the chair.

Some anti-McCarthy members want this threshold to be lowered to one member.

Others have said that they want more responsibilities on the the panel charged with placing members on committees — known as the steering committee — and have proposed giving more members of the House Freedom Caucus and Republican Study Committee designated seats on it.

McCarthy would likely only agree to this if he knew he was able to flip enough votes.

Former congressman Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party in 2019 and became the first member of Congress to call for Donald Trump to be impeached, is also present on the House floor.

He spoke to reporters, saying he’s here to pitch himself as a consensus speaker candidate if he’s needed and said he plans to speak to members about it. (This is a long shot bid, although the speaker does not need to be a current member of Congress.)

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin

Jan 04, 4:01 PM EST
Perry is latest McCarthy critic to nominates Donalds

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chair of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, nominated Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for speaker in the sixth round of voting.

“He has accomplished many things. He is a man of faith, he is a family man, he is a businessman … he has come from the school of hard knocks,” Perry said. “He’s got a record of accomplishing things. He’s got a record of being on the right side. He is respected. He is trusted.”

Perry also took a swipe at GOP leader McCarthy and his allies, who have suggested the Californian is responsible for heralding in the new Republican majority.

“I think the person that has done the most to make this fabulous, this wonderful Republican majority, is Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and her policies. That’s what has achieved this majority here,” he said.

Donalds is so far earning 20 votes from Republicans in each round. He initially voted for McCarthy in the early rounds but switched his vote, saying McCarthy couldn’t win.

Jan 04, 4:32 PM EST
Cammack sparks Dem outrage after suggesting they brought alcohol to the floor

Remarks from Republican Rep. Kat Cammack suggesting Democrats brought alcohol into the chamber caused an outcry from the party shortly before the sixth round of speaker voting began.

“Diversity of thought is a good thing. But they want us divided. They want us to fight each other. That much has been made clear by the popcorn and blankets and alcohol that has come in over there,” she said as she was nominating McCarthy.

Some Democrats shouted back “take down her words!” — referring to a request to have her comment formally challenged and then stricken — and “make her apologize!”

Many members were also heard vocally reacting, including yelling objections.

Clerk Cheryl Johnson then asked “all members-elect to abide by the established decorum of the House” while nominating candidates for speaker.

Jan 04, 3:22 PM EST
House setting up sixth vote: ‘It’s Groundhog Day’

The House is moving full steam ahead with a sixth round of voting on Wednesday.

“Well, it’s Groundhog Day, again,” Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., said as she began her nomination speech for McCarthy.

“To all Americans watching right now, I want to tell you we hear you, we hear you,” Cammack said. “And we will get this right. No matter how messy this process is, we will emerge better for having been through this because nothing great ever comes easy.”.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York was again nominated by his party, with California Rep. Pete Aguilar again giving the speech.

Jan 04, 3:21 PM EST
Biden jokes that a reporter has just been chosen as speaker

President Joe Biden joked to a reporter outside of Air Force One on Wednesday afternoon that “I’ve got good news for you: They just elected you speaker.”

But in a more substantive comment, he again repeated his concerns about how the House will be able to operate given Republican in-fighting.

“Well obviously I am,” he said, when asked if he was concerned about the dangers of the House not being functional.

“I’s embarrassing for the country. I mean literally … that’s the reality, that to have a Congress that can’t function, is just embarrassing,” he said. “We’re the greatest nation in the world, how can that be? And we’ve had a lot of trouble … with the attacks on our institutions already. And that’s what worries me more than anything else.”

-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Jan 04, 2:46 PM EST
McCarthy loses fifth vote for speaker

McCarthy has lost the fifth round of voting for speaker.

The vote count was the same as the previous round: McCarthy received 201 votes, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes and Rep. Byron Donalds, the latest protest nominee from a faction of GOP lawmakers, received 20 votes.

Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz again voted “present.”

Jan 04, 2:37 PM EST
Boebert calls on McCarthy to withdraw

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., a firebrand conservative and McCarthy foe — while nominating Rep. Byron Donalds in the fifth round of voting — said McCarthy does not have the votes to prevail and should withdraw.

She also said that former President Donald Trump, who has backed McCarthy, should now also call on McCarthy to end his bid..

“The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw.”

Other members booed her as she concluded her remarks.

Jan 04, 1:58 PM EST

5th round of voting underway

The House wasted no time in starting up a fifth round of voting for speaker after Kevin McCarthy’s latest loss.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, stood up to nominate McCarthy shortly after the House clerk announced the vote count for the fourth round, during which McCarthy lost another supporter.

“Can we take a win every now and then? And give hope to the forgotten men and women of America, who no longer believe this place, this people’s house?” Davidson said.

Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar again nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert stood up to again nominate Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

Jan 04, 1:55 PM EST
Who is Byron Donalds, latest protest nominee against McCarthy?

Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds was nominated on Wednesday as the latest protest nominee from within the GOP as leader Kevin McCarthy continues to struggle to win a majority to be elected speaker.

Who is Donalds?

Rep. Chip Roy, who nominated Donalds, called him a “dear friend, a solid conservative and, most importantly, a family man.”

Donalds’ campaign team has described him as a “Trump-supporting, liberty-loving, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment Black man.”

Roy noted in his nominating speech on Wednesday that, because Democrats are also nominating their leader, Hakeem Jeffries, “For the first time in history, there have been two Black Americans placed in nomination for speaker of the House.” That prompted a standing ovation from the chamber.

Donalds, like Jeffries, grew up in Brooklyn but went to college in Florida and built a career there in the financial and insurance industries, according to his House biography.

He was first elected to the House in 2020 after serving as a state representative and now represents Florida’s 19th Congressional District.

He and his wife have three sons.

-ABC News’ Adam Carlson and Benjamin Siegel

Jan 04, 1:22 PM EST
McCarthy fails to gain any support, loses speaker vote for 4th time

Kevin McCarthy has added another loss to his bid for House speaker.

McCarthy received 201 votes in the 4th and latest round, his least amount of support so far. On Tuesday, he had 203 votes in the first two rounds followed by 202 votes in the third round.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries netted 212 votes in this round. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, nominated as an alternative to McCarthy, received 20 votes.

One member, Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, voted present — a departure from her three previous votes for McCarthy. Spartz’s present vote prompted cheers from McCarthy’s critics.

Jan 04, 1:19 PM EST
McCarthy, Pelosi on today’s vote as they headed to House floor

Kevin McCarthy, when walking to the House floor just moments before what appears to be another failed bid to be elected speaker, told reporters he remains just as determined to win the gavel.

But there’s still no strategy emerging. Asked how he gets to 218 votes today, he said, “We’re going to continue to talk; we’ll find an agreement, where we all get together, and we’ll work through this and we’ll get it done.”

McCarthy should not expect Democrats to come to the rescue, at least not according to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“This is a problem of their own making,” Pelosi told reporters.

“Don’t put this at the Democrats’ doorstep – this is their problem, and their lack of respect for this institution; their lack of respect for the responsibility that we all have to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and get the job done for the American people,” Pelosi said as she walked to the floor.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

Jan 04, 12:55 PM EST
McCarthy appears headed for another defeat as Donalds nets critical votes

Rep. Byron Donalds already has 13 votes for speaker — apparently enough to defeat McCarthy’s bid to be speaker for a fourth time.

The vote is ongoing, and the final results are yet to be announced.

Jan 04, 12:40 PM EST
Standing ovation from both sides over Donalds nomination

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, pointed out that this is the first time two Black Americans have been nominated for speaker.

His remarks were met with a standing ovation from both Republicans and Democrats.

“However … we do not seek to judge people by the color of their skin, but rather the content of their character,” Roy said after the applause quieted. “Byron Donalds is a good man, raised by a single mom, who moved past adversity, became a Christian man at the age of 21 and has devoted his life to advancing the cause for his family and for this country. And he has done it admirably.”

Democrats nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who has already made history as the first Black man elected to lead a party in Congress. He will serve as the Democratic caucus leader for the next two years.

The fourth vote for speaker is ongoing.

Jan 04, 11:08 AM EST
GOP leadership in talks to adjourn after House reconvenes at noon

Republican leadership is in talks to adjourn the House right after it reconvenes at noon to resume the votes for speaker, sources familiar with the discussions told ABC News.

Some Kevin McCarthy allies have been pushing for the delay, so they can continue to engage in talks behind the scenes.

The House adjourned Tuesday after three rounds of failed votes to elect McCarthy.

It’s not yet clear if there will be any objections to adjourning. There was no roll call vote to adjourn the House Tuesday, but any member can request one.

If there is a roll call vote, which is likely, 218 votes are needed to adjourn the House.

-ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin

Jan 04, 11:14 AM EST
Biden calls GOP fight over speakership ’embarrassing’

Asked on his way out of the White House about the GOP standoff in the House, President Joe Biden said electing a speaker is “not a good look” to the rest of the world.

“That’s not my problem,” Biden offered reporters. “I just think it’s a little embarrassing, that it’s taking so long and the way that they’re dealing with each other. And the rest of the world is looking, they’re looking at can we get our act together.”

“For the first time in 100 years, we can’t move,” he added later on. “It’s not a good look, it’s not a good thing. This is the United States of America, and I hope they get their act together.”

Biden was on his way to highlight improvements to a bridge that connects Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky, to tout an investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law alongside Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Jan 04, 10:44 AM EST
McCarthy arrives on Capitol Hill: ‘I think we’ll get to 218’

Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy arrived on Capitol Hill moments ago and entered the House speaker’s office, although he’s still fighting for the votes to take the position. McCarthy opponent Rep. Matt Gaetz has called him a “squatter” in the office.

McCarthy and his security pushed through a swarm of reporters and photographers who sprinted up the stairs to chase him.

Asked by ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott if he made any progress, McCarthy said, “I think we’ll get to 218.”

Asked by another reporter what the game plan is, he answered, “same as yesterday.”

Jan 04, 10:48 AM EST
Trump repeats endorsement of McCarthy for speaker

Former President Donald Trump again called on Republicans to support McCarthy as the House remains without a speaker and Republicans appear in disarray.

“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 …” Trump posted on Truth Social this morning. “Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – JUST WATCH!”

The post follows McCarthy telling reporters Tuesday night that the former president had reiterated his support for him. In an earlier interview with NBC News, Trump declined to say whether he supported McCarthy.

Among those Republicans who did not vote for McCarthy are some of Trump’s closest supporters in Congress, including Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

It comes almost two years to the day that McCarthy, on the House floor, said Trump “bears responsibility” for the “attack on Congress by mob rioters” on Jan. 6, before flocking to Mar-a-Lago to see Trump three weeks later.

Jan 03, 9:36 PM EST
Speaker vote expected to resume Wednesday

A fourth round of voting for the House speaker is certain to resume after the chamber gathers again on Wednesday at noon.

Members-elect adjourned until then shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, after three rounds of voting failed to elect a speaker.

Republicans, who hold the majority, did not coalesce behind their chosen leader, McCarthy, with roughly 20 lawmakers choosing other candidates.

Walking off the House floor earlier Tuesday, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told reporters that the conference wants to be unified so they can start on long-promised investigations.

He said he does not want to be the speaker, despite the backing of some McCarthy defectors — he said he wants to chair the judiciary committee.

Jan 03, 5:46 PM EST
Frustration was growing as voting wound down

House lawmakers adjourned until Tuesday as some of them grew restless following the three rounds of unsuccessful voting for a new speaker.

Signs of frustration mounted during the third vote, with Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., saying he was backing McCarthy “because I’m interested in governing.”

The voting took place as lawmakers had family and friends in town, and it was unclear at the time how deep into the night voting would go.

McCarthy had vowed to keep voting until there was a speaker, but the motion to adjourn shortly before 6 p.m. drew little opposition.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Benjamin Siegel

Jan 03, 5:35 PM EST
House adjourns, will resume Wednesday

The House overwhelmingly chose late Tuesday afternoon to adjourn until noon on Wednesday after a motion from Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., was adopted by voice vote

That decision came after three unsuccessful rounds saw no member-elect chosen as speaker, including McCarthy.

It’s the first time in a century that the speaker vote has taken multiple rounds.

Jan 03, 5:39 PM EST
McCarthy defector calls for ‘huddle’ to sort out speaker vote

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who changed his vote for speaker in the third round, said on social media that “continuous votes aren’t working.”

Donalds supported McCarthy during the first two rounds of voting, but then switched his choice to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. On Twitter, Donalds indicated that he does not believe McCarthy has the support to ultimately become speaker.

“Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find someone or work out the next steps…but these continuous votes aren’t working for anyone,” Donalds wrote.

“When the dust settles, we will have a Republican Speaker, now is the time for our conference to debate and come to a consensus.”

“Democracy is messy at times, but we will be ready to govern on behalf of the American people. Debate is healthy,” he added.

Jan 03, 5:07 PM EST
McCarthy loses a supporter — and 3rd round of speaker vote

In the third round of voting, 20 Republican lawmakers voted against McCarthy for speaker — the highest amount so far. Those votes went to Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

In the first two rounds, 19 Republicans voted for a different candidate. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., voted for McCarthy two times before changing his vote to Jordan.

McCarthy received 202 votes in the latest round, making it the third time he’s trailed Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats have already elected Jeffries to be their caucus leader in the new Congress.

Jan 03, 4:33 PM EST
McCarthy to ABC: ‘Their secret candidate nominated me’

“We stay in until we win,” McCarthy said as he headed back onto the House floor ahead of the third round.

After huddling with Reps. Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, Patrick McHenry and a few others off the floor, McCarthy told ABC News on his way back to the House floor that the prolonged vote was exactly what he was expecting to happen.

“This isn’t about me; this is about the conference now,” he said.

“If anybody wants to earn something, committee slots or others, you go through the conference to do that. You don’t get it by leveraging people. It just doesn’t happen,” he added.

McCarthy disputed that he hasn’t shown any progress throughout the afternoon.

“They put [Rep.] Jim Jordan [up as a candidate for speaker]. Remember how they all said they had a secret candidate. Their secret candidate nominated me, so where do they go now?”

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Allison Pecorin

Jan 03, 4:34 PM EST
McCarthy gets new defector in third round of voting

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., switched his vote for speaker after voting for McCarthy in the first two rounds.

Donalds, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, backed Rep. Jim Jordan in the third round of voting. If every candidate who voted for Jordan on the second ballot does so again, the Ohioan will get at least 20 votes.

Jan 03, 4:37 PM EST
Historic 3rd speaker vote underway in the House

Ahead of the House entering a third vote for the speakership, Rep. Pete Aguilar again nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for Democrats, prompting “Hakeem” chants from their side of the chamber, as Republicans remain in disarray.

“For unity in Congress and progress in our country, Democrats are united behind Hakeem Jeffries. I recommend Hakeem Jeffries as our speaker,” Aguilar said to applause.

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas nominated Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, again, despite Jordan losing in prior votes, his saying he didn’t want the position and asking Republicans to unite around McCarthy.

“Now, Jim has said he doesn’t want that nomination, and Jim has been down here nominating Kevin, and I respect that. Again, I have no personal animus toward Kevin,” Roy said. “But we do not have the tools or the leadership yet to stop the swamp from rolling over the American people. Jim has been doing it, he has a track record for doing that, and for those reasons, I’m nominating Jim Jordan for speaker of the House.”

Jan 03, 4:15 PM EST
Scalise says McCarthy critics are obstructing legislation

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., McCarthy’s No. 2, slammed McCarthy’s critics as obstructionists to legislative efforts to tackle issues like immigration and energy reserves.

“We all came here to get things done. To get big things done. To solve the problems. And I hope when we get through today that all the members on both sides of the aisle will get together to solve the problems,” he said when nominating McCarthy before the third round of voting.

However, he said, “we can’t start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy” as speaker.

Scalise’s speech came after Jordan nominated McCarthy. Both men have been floated as potential alternatives if McCarthy is unable to win the majority needed to clinch the speakership.

Jan 03, 4:00 PM EST
Scalise seems to be drafting McCarthy nomination speech

ABC News’ Ben Siegel, on the House floor, spotted Steve Scalise seemingly drafting a nomination speech for Kevin McCarthy.

This would mark another twist as Republicans still struggle to coalesce around any single candidate.

Jan 03, 3:58 PM EST
White House ‘willing to work’ with GOP in new Congress but avoids weighing in on leadership fight

After two failed votes to select a House speaker on Capitol Hill, the White House said it is “certainly not going to insert ourselves” into that process but are
“looking forward to working” with the new Republican-controlled House.

Asked by ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce what the president wants to work on with Republicans once the House GOP leadership is in place, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre didn’t offer any specifics on what policies it wants to be first on the agenda.

“He’s willing to work with Republicans who are willing to continue to deliver for the American people,” she said. “He is very optimistic on what lies ahead and how we are going to move our country forward.”

And when asked whether it may be more difficult to work with Republicans after the ongoing leadership fight, Jean-Pierre repeated President Joe Biden’s optimism and noted bipartisan legislation that was passed in his first two years.

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez

Jan 03, 3:31 PM EST
Jordan says he told Gaetz not to nominate him as speaker

Right after Rep. Jim Jordan spoke on the House floor following the first vote — to support McCarthy in the next round — Rep. Matt Gaetz turned the tables and enthusiastically nominated Jordan to be speaker.

But Jordan told ABC News afterward that he told Matt Gaetz not to nominate him. Jordan would go on to pick up 19 votes in the second ballot.

Gaetz had said weeks ago he thought Jordan would be a good choice for speaker.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Katherine Faulders

Jan 03, 3:27 PM EST
McCarthy loses 2nd ballot as 19 Republicans vote for Jordan

Kevin McCarthy has fallen short of the votes needed to win House speaker for a second time.

Once again, 19 Republicans voted against McCarthy — this time unanimously backing Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

Jordan had urged his colleagues to back McCarthy as he nominated the California congressman for speaker. But Rep. Matt Gaetz stood up to nominate Jordan, calling him the “most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference.”

The House vote was identical to the first round: McCarthy again won 203 votes compared to Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ 212 votes.

Jan 03, 2:45 PM EST
Jordan wins enough votes to deny McCarthy speakership in 2nd vote

Enough Republicans have already voted for Jordan to deny McCarthy the speakership in a second ballot.

Just after Jordan rose to renominate McCarthy before the start of the second round of voting, nine Republicans backed the Ohioan before vote counting even got halfway through the alphabet.

Jordan was able to flip a number of Republicans who opposed McCarthy on the first ballot but didn’t vote for him, including Biggs, who voted for himself during the initial round of voting.

Jan 03, 2:31 PM EST
Gaetz nominates Jordan after Jordan urges colleagues to back McCarthy

After Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio took to the floor to encourage Republicans to back Rep. Kevin McCarthy for speaker, Rep. Matt Gaetz got up to nominate Jordan for the position.

“I rise to nominate the most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference, who just gave a speech with more vision than we have ever heard from the alternative,” the Florida congressman said.

“Jim Jordan is humble. Perhaps today, humble to a fault,” Gaetz continued. “Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants it so bad. Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who has sold shares of themselves for more than a decade to get it.”

In the first round of voting, Jordan received six votes.

Jan 03, 2:28 PM EST
Jim Jordan nominates McCarthy in 2nd round of voting

After receiving six votes of his own on the first ballot, Rep. Jim Jordan nominated Kevin McCarthy in the second round of voting for House speaker.

“I rise to nominate Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House,” Jordan said, prompting applause from several Republican members.

“We need to rally around him, come together, and deal with these three things, because this is what the people sent us here to do,” he added, ticking through Republican priorities in the new Congress.

“We owe it to them, the American people, the good people of this great country, to step forward to come together, get a speaker elected so we can address these three things. I hope you’ll vote for Kevin McCarthy and that’s why I’m proud to nominate him for speaker of the House,” Jordan said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Bob Good, one of the original “Never Kevin” members, said off the House floor that he plans to vote for Jordan on the second ballot despite Jordan’s call to support McCarthy — and expects other detractors will follow.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin

Jan 03, 2:20 PM EST
‘Optics are terrible’: ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on GOP speaker battle

ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl weighed in after the first ballot vote for House speaker.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy fell well short of the majority needed to clinch the position. He received 203 votes, while Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries received 212. Nineteen lawmakers voted for someone else.

“The optics for Republicans is terrible,” Karl told ABC’s David Muir following the vote.

“They’ve taken control, they’ve won control of the House by a narrow majority, and [in the] first act of this Republican House, more votes went to the liberal Democrat candidate for speaker than went for Kevin McCarthy. Think about that David,” Karl said.

Jan 03, 2:13 PM EST
McCarthy to ABC News: Vote against him ‘exactly what we thought it’d be’

McCarthy told ABC News, after stepping off the House floor, that the current vote against him was “exactly what we thought it’d be.”

McCarthy added that this vote could go on for days and that “we got a number of members who are trying to fight for their own personal items” instead of for the country.

When asked how he what he can do to persuade the large number of members who voted against him by voting for others, McCarthy said he needs to convince them that “they don’t win gavels by trying to threaten or leverage somebody … I don’t think that’s what their constituents elected.”

-ABC News’ Will Steakin

Jan 03, 1:54 PM EST
McCarthy falls short in first speaker vote

After the first round of voting, no member obtained the 218 votes needed to become House speaker, but Democrat Hakeem Jeffries earned more votes than Kevin McCarthy — on the first day of a new Republican-controlled House.

Jeffries received 212 votes to McCarthy’s 203. Far-right Republican Andy Biggs of Arizona received 10 votes, and there were nine votes for others, including six for Rep. Jim Jordan, and, in a surprise move, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas voted for Florida’s Byron Donalds.

Nineteen Republicans broke from McCarthy, who could only afford to lose four, marking a stunning defeat by 15 votes. Despite having a majority this Congress, McCarthy got fewer votes this time than the last time he ran for speaker against Nancy Pelosi.

For the first time since 1923 — and the first time since floor proceedings have been televised — the speaker’s vote appears headed towards a second ballot.

While McCarthy has signaled he’s up for more voting rounds, he faces a steep hurdle in a second vote with so many lawmakers to win over — and the potential for Republicans to nominate another member, such as No. 2 Steve Scalise.

Jan 03, 1:37 PM EST
McCarthy gets quick standing ovation after voting for himself

After standing to cast a voice vote for himself, Kevin McCarthy smiled as he got a round of applause from his GOP supporters – even as it appeared that he would lose the first ballot for speaker.

McCarthy faced enough defections from his conference – with some voting for Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona or Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio – to likely not prevail in the first tally.

But the quick standing ovation for McCarthy was both indicative of the support he still has in the House Republican Conference and the challenges of a slim Republican House majority.

Jan 03, 1:41 PM EST
Appears McCarthy will not have votes on first ballot to be elected

The majority of House Republicans applauded when Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to nominate Kevin McCarthy — but more than a dozen, most of them sitting by the center aisle in the second to last row of the chamber, sat on their hands. The applause for McCarthy was hardly thunderous.

And with every vote against McCarthy, the sounds of murmuring in the chamber grew, as it also grew more obvious that McCarthy will not have the votes on the first ballot to be elected speaker.

In contrast, Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., had a sustained standing ovation when he nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY. Once the applause died down, Aguilar declared, “Today, House Democrats are united” — prompting even louder and more sustained applause from Democrats — while McCarthy sat silently and stone-faced on the other side of the aisle.

As McCarthy entered the rear of the chamber through the center door about 15 minutes earlier, he did so quietly and with little fanfare. Most people on the floor seemed not to notice. He walked all the way down to the area in front of the clerk before somebody went to talk to him, and it was a staffer for Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.

-ABC News’ Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl

Jan 03, 1:00 PM EST
Tense roll call vote begins

A tense roll call vote for speaker is beginning.

In alphabetical order, members are being asked to say aloud whom they are voting for as speaker.

-ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel

Jan 03, 12:53 PM EST
Aguilar declares Democrats ‘united’ behind Hakeem Jeffries

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., has nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York to be the House minority leader.

Jeffries has made history as the first Black leader to be elected leader a congressional caucus. He was elected by Democrats in late November after Rep. Nancy Pelosi announced she was stepping down from the role.

“Today, madam clerk, House Democrats are united by a speaker who will people over politics,” Aguilar declared, an apparent dig at Republicans as the party struggles to unite behind a candidate for speaker.

“Hakeem Jeffries has worked his entire life to improve economic opportunity for all people. He’s committed to strengthening the American dream by lowering costs for working families, building safer communities by taking weapons of war off streets and by creating good-paying jobs in industries of the future.”

“He does not traffic in extremism,” Aguilar continued. “He does not grovel to or make excuses for a twice impeached so-called former president. Madam clerk, he does not bend a knee to everyone who would seek to undermine our democracy because, madam clerk, that’s not what leaders do.”

Jeffries and Pelosi greeted each other on the House floor on Tuesday morning.

Jan 03, 12:46 PM EST
Stefanik introduces McCarthy as GOP nominee for speaker

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., introduced Kevin McCarthy on the House floor as the GOP nominee for speaker.

Stefanik, a McCarthy ally, touted the Californian’s efforts to bolster House Republicans’ ranks by campaigning for diverse candidates from coast to coast.

“Since the day Kevin was elected as our leader, House Republicans have only gained seats and won,” she said. “Kevin knows what we stand for, he knows when to engage in the fight, and he knows how to build consensus.”

“His relentless effort has yielded an extraordinary House Republican majority,” she added. “Today’s House Republican Conference is the most diverse Republican conference in our nation’s history.”

And while her speech was mostly focused on building up McCarthy, Stefanik also offered a dig at his detractors, boasting that “Kevin McCarthy has earned this speakership of the ‘People’s House.'”

Jan 03, 12:44 PM EST
Magnetometers at House chamber entrances removed

Ahead of the vote for speaker, the magnetometers placed outside the doors of the House chamber in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol have been removed, as the new GOP majority demanded.

The GOP’s new proposed House rules had called for removing the magnetometers.

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, Will Steakin and Nicole Moeder

Jan 03, 12:33 PM EST
VP Kamala Harris swears in new senators

As House Republicans enter the 118th Congress in disarray over who will hold the speaker’s gavel, the Democrat-controlled Senate opened with Vice President Kamala Harris swearing in new members and those who won reelection in November.

Among the new faces in the chamber are Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, Alabama’s Katie Britt and Missouri’s Eric Schmitt.

Arizona’s Mark Kelly and Georgia’s Raphael Warnock were sworn in for their first full, six-year terms.

Despite losing majority control in the House, Democrats expanded their advantage in the Senate by one seat.

Jan 03, 10:39 AM EST
McCarthy tells Republicans ‘I earned this job’: Source

In a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, Kevin McCarthy made a last-ditch case for speaker.

“I’m not going to go away. I’m going to stand until the last four friends stand with me,” he told the GOP members, according to a source in the room.

“I earned this job,” McCarthy said. “We earned this majority, and goddammit we are going to win it today.”

Jan 03, 10:33 AM EST
Rep.-elect George Santos arrives near House office

Rep.-elect George Santos, who has faced controversy and national attention for lying about or embellishing details of his background, was spotted by reporters in Congress Tuesday morning.

Santos was walking toward his office in the Longworth House Office Building, accompanied by a staffer, when he stopped and turned the other way once he saw reporters.

He declined to answer most questions, but told ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa he will vote for Kevin McCarthy for speaker.

Santos faced calls for accountability from some Republicans, but not from current Republican House leadership. He has said he will serve out his term in the House.

New members of the House will not be sworn in until a speaker is elected.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa, and Oren Oppenheim

Jan 03, 10:20 AM EST
McCarthy ready to battle for speaker’s gavel, sources say

As Republicans met behind closed doors ahead of the speaker vote, it appeared Kevin McCarthy still did not have the votes needed to be elected.

Sources close to the Republican leader say he’s ready to battle it out. It could go into multiple rounds of votes — something that hasn’t happened in 100 years — and the floor fight could drag on for hours, if not days. The longest battle for speaker was in 1856, and it took two months and 133 votes to resolve.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, who opposes McCarthy’s bid, has warned, “We may see the cherry blossoms bloom in Washington, D.C. before a speaker is elected.”

All of this overshadows the start of the new Congress where Republicans have a majority in the House for the first time since 2018.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott

Jan 03, 9:43 AM EST
McCarthy arrives for GOP meeting: ‘We are going to have a good day’

Rep. McCarthy has arrived for a closed-door meeting with his fellow Republicans.

“We are going to have a good day today,” McCarthy said as he walked by reporters, who asked if he had the votes for speaker.

The California congressman then laughed as a reporter asked if he’d support Rep. Steve Scalise for speaker should he fail to get enough votes.

Jan 03, 9:42 AM EST
‘Follow Kevin McCarthy’ sign posted outside speaker’s office

Hours before the vote to elect a new House speaker, a sign has appeared in front of the speaker’s office with the message: “Follow Kevin McCarthy.”

McCarthy was set to shore up more support for his speaker bid in a closed-door meeting with the Republican caucus this morning. He faces opposition from a group of hard-line conservatives, who could sink what is his second attempt to hold the gavel.

The California congressman’s belongings have been brought into the speaker’s suite, but if he doesn’t get enough votes, he’ll have to move out.

Jan 03, 8:52 AM EST
GOP conference to hold last-minute meeting before speaker vote

The House Republican conference will meet behind closed doors at 9:30 a.m., just hours before the speaker vote begins at noon.

While McCarthy might be able to garner more support in a last-ditch appeal, his detractors have boasted that they’ll be able to muster the necessary opposition to block his bid.

Rep. Scott Perry, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus who is leading the group of hard-line conservatives opposing McCarthy’s bid, released a new statement Tuesday morning blasting the California congressman.

“In his 14 years in Republican Leadership, McCarthy has repeatedly failed to demonstrate any desire to meaningfully change the status quo in Washington,” Perry said.

Jan 03, 8:36 AM EST
McCarthy’s rise from California politics to GOP leader

Kevin McCarthy began his career as a staffer to then-Rep. Bill Thomas before chairing the California Young Republicans and later the Young Republican National Federation.

He was first elected to office in 2002, serving in the California state Assembly until 2007, when was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. At the time, he was dubbed one of the “young guns” of the next generation of conservative leadership.

McCarthy tried to become speaker in 2015 but his chance evaporated after resistance from the same kind of conservatives who are trying to block his path Tuesday. When Democrats took control of the House in 2018, McCarthy was elected House minority leader.

Jan 03, 8:26 AM EST
McCarthy’s bid for speaker unclear as new Congress set to begin

Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker of the House is still clouded in uncertainty as lawmakers head to Capitol Hill for the first day of the 118th Congress.

McCarthy and his staffers spent the day Monday setting up the speaker’s office but he may have to move his belongings out if he fails to clinch the votes needed to secure the position.

A few dozen members piled into McCarthy’s office throughout the day Monday to go over last-minute strategy. ABC News spotted three McCarthy critics during the afternoon meeting: Reps. Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert and Scott Perry.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a McCarthy supporter, told ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, “the problem is the people need to realize the art of the deal. They are all Trump supporters, and you can’t be successful if you’re not willing to take the wins when you get them” when asked about those in her party who are trying to tank McCarthy’s bid.

Rep. Jim Jordan, whose name has been floated around as a potential speaker candidate, said he believes McCarthy “can get there.”

McCarthy, however, didn’t directly answer reporter’s questions about how the vote could go, telling them, “I hope you all have a very nice New Year’s” as he exited the Capitol on Monday night.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Biden to make first trip to US-Mexico border as president on Sunday

Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden plans to visit the southern border with Mexico on Sunday, for the first time since taking office, according to an administration official.

Biden will visit El Paso, Texas, “to address border enforcement operations and meet with local officials, who have been important partners in managing the historic number of migrants fleeing political oppression and gang violence in Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua and Cuba,” the official said.

Since he became president, Republicans have hammered Biden on his handling of immigration and the persistent migrant crisis at the southern border, making it a top campaign issue in last year’s midterm elections.

Despite that pressure, Biden has resisted their calls for him to actually visit the border.

Biden had already planned to visit Mexico City on Monday and Tuesday to meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. That so-called “North American Leaders Summit,” also known as the “Three Amigos Summit,” will focus on climate change, migration, the environment, the economy and other topics, the White House has said.

The Biden administration also announced Thursday it planned to send more migrants back to Mexico, even as it fights in court to end the “Title 42” pandemic-era restrictions the federal government is currently enforcing. Working with the Mexican government, the administration expects to send as many as 30,000 unauthorized Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants to Mexico each month.

While not an official expansion of Title 42 — given that there have never been nationality-based exceptions to the protocols – Mexico’s acceptance of Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans will effectively allow for more Title 42 expulsions while the order remains in place. Diplomatic tensions have caused difficulties in organizing removal flights to those countries. Mexico’s agreement to accept them will allow for more removals under Title 42 or by other means.

Simultaneously, the president plans to deliver remarks Thursday about a new policy expansion that will admit up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Venezuelans had already been able to apply for admission as part of the parole program which allows migrants to seek asylum.

The migrants must meet certain sponsorship criteria and who pass background checks and additional vetting, according to the Biden administration.

The administration also plans to expand expedited removal processes which could result in non-Mexicans getting sent to Mexico even without Title 42, officials said Thursday.

Expedited removal under Title 8 of the U.S. code is separate from Title 42 and has been part of the standard method for handling unauthorized migration across administrations. Title 8 also allows authorities to apply legal consequences for illegal crossings, including a 5-year ban on reentry into the U.S.

Biden’s focus on the border came on a day when the GOP was distracted by a leadership battle in the House of Representatives, where Rep. Kevin McCarthy struggled to fend off a rebellion by staunch conservatives.

That fight for speaker of the House had muted what might have been a stronger response from congressional Republicans, who in the past have slammed Biden for what they say is a lack of attention to border security.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New Congress live updates: Rebels mull McCarthy offer as speaker standoff enters Day 3

Michael Godek/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The House Republican leadership standoff is stretching into a third day Thursday after six failed votes to decide on a speaker over Tuesday and Wednesday.

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is so far being stymied by a small group of hardliners demanding concessions or alternative candidates.

The House can conduct no other business — and members can’t be sworn in — until a speaker is chosen.

Here’s how the story is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 05, 9:27 AM EST
McCarthy makes new offer to defectors amid speakership showdown

There is now an offer on the table from McCarthy to the small but influential group of hard-line conservatives opposing his bid for speaker, sources familiar with discussions told ABC News.

The Republican leader, who has now notched six successive losses for speaker, has proposed a new round of key concessions that includes making it easier for members to remove him as speaker.

McCarthy’s offer, if approved by the full GOP conference on the floor in the rules package, would make it so a single member from either party could trigger an up-or-down simple majority vote on whether to oust the speaker. This is down from the threshold of five members McCarthy initially agreed to.

It’s unclear if the offer will make a difference, as some hard-line conservatives are digging in against McCarthy. The House is set to reconvene at noon today.

He’s also offered to put more members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus on the House Rules Committee and votes on legislation his opponents have been pushing for, including term limits for members of Congress and border security.

The group of conservative rebels who’ve opposed him are meeting this morning to consider the offer and plot their strategy going forward.

Jan 04, 9:38 PM EST
McCarthy sounds undeterred: ‘We talk until we get this done’

Leaving the chamber after it adjourned for the night on Wednesday, McCarthy — surrounded by a phalanx of security and a mob of reporters — initially joked and razzed a reporter he’s known for more than a decade. He seemingly celebrated a razor-thin GOP vote to adjourn the chamber after another day of unsuccessful attempts to elect him speaker.

He also said “continual votes,” like they been having since Tuesday, are unproductive, instead touting the evening’s closed-door talks as the way forward.

McCarthy asked the reporter, John Bresnahan, “Club for Growth — is that movement for you? You just saw a vote on the floor that the conference voted together on?”

McCarthy was referring to a newly announced deal between a political action committee aligned with him and Club for Growth, another major conservative group.

Bresnahan jokingly replied of the successful adjournment vote, “You’re very proud of that.”

“Hey, I crawl before I walk and walk before I run, and I felt as though we had a very good discussion,” McCarthy said, adding, “I think what you should gauge, being able to do that vote, [is] that the discussions are going well but that doesn’t mean they’re done. That doesn’t mean anything on that. But it’s just in that realm.”

Another reporter asked, “What happens between now and noon tomorrow [when the House returns]?”

“We talk until we get this done,” McCarthy said.

Bresnahan asked if there would be votes tomorrow, to which McCarthy replied: “People know where everybody’s at. These votes don’t really change at all. So I mean, that’s fine. I think these discussions help that. I think from this aspect of seeing the vote here — people want to spend their time discussing than being on the floor.”

A reporter asked if McCarthy has asked Byron Donalds, a GOP protest candidate, to drop out. McCarthy said, “No. No.”

-ABC News’ Trish Turner

Jan 04, 8:54 PM EST
House narrowly agrees to adjourn ’til Thursday after another day of failed votes

The motion to adjourn that was introduced shortly after the House returned from its Wednesday afternoon break passed by a narrow 216-214 vote. The chamber will return at noon on Thursday, presumably for more speaker votes.

Republicans had pushed for the adjournment, while Democrats and four Republicans opposed it, with some Democrats shouting for the clerk to stop the vote while the “no” votes were ahead.

The move to end for the night came after McCarthy held a closed-door meeting with detractors trying to block him from winning the speaker’s gavel. The meeting yielded no deal, but McCarthy said progress was made.

The vote to adjourn marked the climax of a second day of historic failed speaker votes — the first time in a century it has taken more than one round to pick a speaker.

Jan 04, 8:20 PM EST
Lawmakers gather after afternoon break, try to adjourn until Thursday

Lawmakers gathered Wednesday around 8 p.m. in the House after their afternoon adjournment and swiftly launched into a vote to adjourn again until Thursday at noon.

The House clerk asked for a voice vote, with Democrats then pressing for an individual counting of the votes, which is underway.

The effort to adjourn comes after McCarthy said progress had been made with the group of GOP critics blocking him the speakership but that there was no path yet to a firm deal.

Jan 04, 8:02 PM EST
McCarthy says 7th speaker vote would not yet be ‘productive’

Leaving a closed-door meeting during the House’s break from voting for a speaker on Wednesday, McCarthy said progress had been made but that there’s no deal yet and he doesn’t think another vote Wednesday night would be “productive.”

McCarthy, the Republican leader, has so far been blocked from the speakership by 20 members of his party repeatedly voting for other candidates — now across six rounds of voting over two days.

“I think it’s probably best to let people work through this more. I don’t think a vote tonight is productive. Let people work a little more,” McCarthy said after leaving the meeting with critics seeking to stop him from winning the speakership.

McCarthy said that while he didn’t have a deal in hand after meeting with the rebels, he insisted there was movement.

–ABC News’ Will Steakin, Lalee Ibssa and Gabe Ferris

Jan 04, 5:53 PM EST
Sources say House Republicans discuss ‘nuclear option’: Lower vote threshold to be speaker

As McCarthy’s quest to become speaker of the House continues to fall short, some of his allies are exploring a radical idea: lowering the threshold needed to be elected.

Under current House rules, a candidate needs an outright majority of all members voting to be elected speaker. With 433 members voting so far — and one member voting “present,” which doesn’t affect the total — that means McCarthy has repeatedly fallen far short of the 217 currently needed to win a majority.

The rules, however, can be changed: With a simple majority vote, the House could decide to allow a speaker to be elected with a plurality, or whoever has the most votes when no one has a majority. This has happened before, but very rarely.

It’s called the “nuclear option” because it would force anti-McCarthy voters to face a stark choice: vote for him or watch Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries get elected instead. After all, Jeffries has received 212 votes in every single round so far and the most McCarthy has received has been 203.

But would those 20 renegade Republicans continue to vote against McCarthy if doing so would result in electing a Democrat as speaker? Advocates of the option say the change would call the critics’ bluff and force them to vote for McCarthy or take the blame for ceding control of the House to Democrats.

According to two McCarthy allies in the House, the idea is being discussed among House Republicans. They believe Democrats would support the rules change.

One influential Republican voice, however, told ABC News he opposes the idea.

“I know it is an idea that has been floating around,” incoming House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said. “I’d be opposed it.”

He added: “I know Hakeem would like, but I don’t.”

-ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl

Jan 04, 5:00 PM EST
State spokesperson on House speaker vote: ‘Democracy at work’

While the State Department does not frequently weigh in on matters of domestic politics, spokesperson Ned Price on Wednesday afternoon directly addressed the tumult on Capitol Hill, painting a cheerier outlook than President Joe Biden did earlier.

Price was asked what message other countries around the world might take from the prolonged vote for House speaker — the first in a century.

“Our message has never been that democracy is neat or that democracy is seamless in terms of its operations. But what we’re seeing, what the world is seeing, are our democratic institutions at work,” Price said. “They are seeing our democracy at work.”

“Democracy isn’t always without its complications. But when processes are followed, institutions are respected, ultimately the outcome is one that everyone can get behind.”

Reporters asked Price whether the redundant, and so far fruitless, votes in the House — which is keeping the chamber in limbo — might give the impression of an inefficient governing system and if the first failed speaker vote in 100 years was an indicator that U.S. democracy was weakening.

“Look, I’m not going to characterize the U.S. political system,” Price said. “I will just say that there is a process that is being hued to right now by elected lawmakers. That in itself is a testament to the functioning of democracy, even if that functioning may be taking just a little bit longer than it has in the past 100 years or so.”

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Jan 04, 5:06 PM EST
Meet ‘the most famous future member of Congress’

ABC News’ Jay O’Brien caught up with Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., outside of the House floor during the sixth round of votes for speaker — but Gomez wasn’t alone.

He was holding, in a swaddle, who ABC News Live anchor Kyra Phillips called “probably the most famous future member of Congress.”

Gomez had brought along his 4-month-old son Hodge for the votes on Tuesday and Wednesday; photos of the baby had already lit up social media.

“One of the things my wife and I wanted to do is make sure that he was, you know, personable, he got along with people and that he loved people,” Gomez said. “So we started making sure that he was used to it. And then he loved it. He loved being on the floor. Everybody was smiling at him, playing with him … And I think he’s gotten more votes for speaker than I have, maybe even Kevin McCarthy.”

Gomez called his son “my legacy, and I think all kids are our legacy. So I realized I wanted to bring him to the [House] floor to have him witness history, but also to recognize that he is what we’re fighting for. He represents the millions of kids that don’t have the privilege to be on the floor.”

O’Brien noted how well behaved Hodge was in the bustling chamber. Hodge had no comment but seemed to bob his head in response.

Of the news of the day, Gomez said he does not believe any Democrats will break ranks to vote for McCarthy, who has so far failed to unify the GOP majority to vote for him as speaker.

Jan 04, 4:36 PM EST
House adjourns until 8 p.m.

With the Republican conference still divided between a pro-McCarthy majority and 20 anti-McCarthy members, the House has chosen to adjourn until 8 p.m.

The motion from Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., was adopted by voice vote, though Democrats appeared staunchly opposed to the break — but did not call for a recorded vote.

Shortly before adjournment, McCarthy told reporters “we’re gonna break in a little then go meet” when asked what was next after the sixth failed vote.

Jan 04, 4:21 PM EST
McCarthy loses speaker vote for the sixth time

McCarthy, for the sixth time in two days, has failed to get enough votes to become the next speaker of the House.

The vote count for this round was unchanged from the previous two rounds: McCarthy won 201 votes, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries won 212 votes and Rep. Byron Donalds, the current GOP protest candidate against McCarthy, won 20 votes.

Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz also voted “present” for the third time.

Jan 04, 3:56 PM EST
McCarthy says: ‘We’re gonna break … then go meet’

McCarthy is likely to continue negotiating into Wednesday night, after two days of failed speaker votes, and ABC News has learned that he is working to set up talks to attempt to come to an agreement with the group of 20 voting against him.

The logistics of such talks are still being nailed down — and according to people close to him, there is no singular leader of this group of 20.

When this will happen is unclear. Democrats and some Republicans have not yet wanted to adjourn the House, meaning they do not have the votes for adjourning and then continuing negotiations.

Off the House floor during the sixth round of voting, which McCarthy looked set to lose as well, he told reporters that “we’re gonna break in a little then go meet” when asked what’s next. He did not give any other specifics.

The House on Tuesday afternoon adjourned for the day after three rounds of votes, and they could repeat that pattern on Wednesday.

McCarthy has already made some major concessions to his critics without winning their support. He has agreed to lower the threshold to five members to force a vote to remove the speaker — known as a motion to vacate the chair.

Some anti-McCarthy members want this threshold to be lowered to one member.

Others have said that they want more responsibilities on the the panel charged with placing members on committees — known as the steering committee — and have proposed giving more members of the House Freedom Caucus and Republican Study Committee designated seats on it.

McCarthy would likely only agree to this if he knew he was able to flip enough votes.

Former congressman Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party in 2019 and became the first member of Congress to call for Donald Trump to be impeached, is also present on the House floor.

He spoke to reporters, saying he’s here to pitch himself as a consensus speaker candidate if he’s needed and said he plans to speak to members about it. (This is a long shot bid, although the speaker does not need to be a current member of Congress.)

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin

Jan 04, 4:01 PM EST
Perry is latest McCarthy critic to nominates Donalds

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chair of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, nominated Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for speaker in the sixth round of voting.

“He has accomplished many things. He is a man of faith, he is a family man, he is a businessman … he has come from the school of hard knocks,” Perry said. “He’s got a record of accomplishing things. He’s got a record of being on the right side. He is respected. He is trusted.”

Perry also took a swipe at GOP leader McCarthy and his allies, who have suggested the Californian is responsible for heralding in the new Republican majority.

“I think the person that has done the most to make this fabulous, this wonderful Republican majority, is Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and her policies. That’s what has achieved this majority here,” he said.

Donalds is so far earning 20 votes from Republicans in each round. He initially voted for McCarthy in the early rounds but switched his vote, saying McCarthy couldn’t win.

Jan 04, 4:32 PM EST
Cammack sparks Dem outrage after suggesting they brought alcohol to the floor

Remarks from Republican Rep. Kat Cammack suggesting Democrats brought alcohol into the chamber caused an outcry from the party shortly before the sixth round of speaker voting began.

“Diversity of thought is a good thing. But they want us divided. They want us to fight each other. That much has been made clear by the popcorn and blankets and alcohol that has come in over there,” she said as she was nominating McCarthy.

Some Democrats shouted back “take down her words!” — referring to a request to have her comment formally challenged and then stricken — and “make her apologize!”

Many members were also heard vocally reacting, including yelling objections.

Clerk Cheryl Johnson then asked “all members-elect to abide by the established decorum of the House” while nominating candidates for speaker.

Jan 04, 3:22 PM EST
House setting up sixth vote: ‘It’s Groundhog Day’

The House is moving full steam ahead with a sixth round of voting on Wednesday.

“Well, it’s Groundhog Day, again,” Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., said as she began her nomination speech for McCarthy.

“To all Americans watching right now, I want to tell you we hear you, we hear you,” Cammack said. “And we will get this right. No matter how messy this process is, we will emerge better for having been through this because nothing great ever comes easy.”.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York was again nominated by his party, with California Rep. Pete Aguilar again giving the speech.

Jan 04, 3:21 PM EST
Biden jokes that a reporter has just been chosen as speaker

President Joe Biden joked to a reporter outside of Air Force One on Wednesday afternoon that “I’ve got good news for you: They just elected you speaker.”

But in a more substantive comment, he again repeated his concerns about how the House will be able to operate given Republican in-fighting.

“Well obviously I am,” he said, when asked if he was concerned about the dangers of the House not being functional.

“I’s embarrassing for the country. I mean literally … that’s the reality, that to have a Congress that can’t function, is just embarrassing,” he said. “We’re the greatest nation in the world, how can that be? And we’ve had a lot of trouble … with the attacks on our institutions already. And that’s what worries me more than anything else.”

-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Jan 04, 2:46 PM EST
McCarthy loses fifth vote for speaker

McCarthy has lost the fifth round of voting for speaker.

The vote count was the same as the previous round: McCarthy received 201 votes, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes and Rep. Byron Donalds, the latest protest nominee from a faction of GOP lawmakers, received 20 votes.

Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz again voted “present.”

Jan 04, 2:37 PM EST
Boebert calls on McCarthy to withdraw

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., a firebrand conservative and McCarthy foe — while nominating Rep. Byron Donalds in the fifth round of voting — said McCarthy does not have the votes to prevail and should withdraw.

She also said that former President Donald Trump, who has backed McCarthy, should now also call on McCarthy to end his bid..

“The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw.”

Other members booed her as she concluded her remarks.

Jan 04, 1:58 PM EST

5th round of voting underway

The House wasted no time in starting up a fifth round of voting for speaker after Kevin McCarthy’s latest loss.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, stood up to nominate McCarthy shortly after the House clerk announced the vote count for the fourth round, during which McCarthy lost another supporter.

“Can we take a win every now and then? And give hope to the forgotten men and women of America, who no longer believe this place, this people’s house?” Davidson said.

Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar again nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert stood up to again nominate Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

Jan 04, 1:55 PM EST
Who is Byron Donalds, latest protest nominee against McCarthy?

Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds was nominated on Wednesday as the latest protest nominee from within the GOP as leader Kevin McCarthy continues to struggle to win a majority to be elected speaker.

Who is Donalds?

Rep. Chip Roy, who nominated Donalds, called him a “dear friend, a solid conservative and, most importantly, a family man.”

Donalds’ campaign team has described him as a “Trump-supporting, liberty-loving, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment Black man.”

Roy noted in his nominating speech on Wednesday that, because Democrats are also nominating their leader, Hakeem Jeffries, “For the first time in history, there have been two Black Americans placed in nomination for speaker of the House.” That prompted a standing ovation from the chamber.

Donalds, like Jeffries, grew up in Brooklyn but went to college in Florida and built a career there in the financial and insurance industries, according to his House biography.

He was first elected to the House in 2020 after serving as a state representative and now represents Florida’s 19th Congressional District.

He and his wife have three sons.

-ABC News’ Adam Carlson and Benjamin Siegel

Jan 04, 1:22 PM EST
McCarthy fails to gain any support, loses speaker vote for 4th time

Kevin McCarthy has added another loss to his bid for House speaker.

McCarthy received 201 votes in the 4th and latest round, his least amount of support so far. On Tuesday, he had 203 votes in the first two rounds followed by 202 votes in the third round.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries netted 212 votes in this round. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, nominated as an alternative to McCarthy, received 20 votes.

One member, Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, voted present — a departure from her three previous votes for McCarthy. Spartz’s present vote prompted cheers from McCarthy’s critics.

Jan 04, 1:19 PM EST
McCarthy, Pelosi on today’s vote as they headed to House floor

Kevin McCarthy, when walking to the House floor just moments before what appears to be another failed bid to be elected speaker, told reporters he remains just as determined to win the gavel.

But there’s still no strategy emerging. Asked how he gets to 218 votes today, he said, “We’re going to continue to talk; we’ll find an agreement, where we all get together, and we’ll work through this and we’ll get it done.”

McCarthy should not expect Democrats to come to the rescue, at least not according to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“This is a problem of their own making,” Pelosi told reporters.

“Don’t put this at the Democrats’ doorstep – this is their problem, and their lack of respect for this institution; their lack of respect for the responsibility that we all have to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and get the job done for the American people,” Pelosi said as she walked to the floor.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

Jan 04, 12:55 PM EST
McCarthy appears headed for another defeat as Donalds nets critical votes

Rep. Byron Donalds already has 13 votes for speaker — apparently enough to defeat McCarthy’s bid to be speaker for a fourth time.

The vote is ongoing, and the final results are yet to be announced.

Jan 04, 12:40 PM EST
Standing ovation from both sides over Donalds nomination

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, pointed out that this is the first time two Black Americans have been nominated for speaker.

His remarks were met with a standing ovation from both Republicans and Democrats.

“However … we do not seek to judge people by the color of their skin, but rather the content of their character,” Roy said after the applause quieted. “Byron Donalds is a good man, raised by a single mom, who moved past adversity, became a Christian man at the age of 21 and has devoted his life to advancing the cause for his family and for this country. And he has done it admirably.”

Democrats nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who has already made history as the first Black man elected to lead a party in Congress. He will serve as the Democratic caucus leader for the next two years.

The fourth vote for speaker is ongoing.

Jan 04, 11:08 AM EST
GOP leadership in talks to adjourn after House reconvenes at noon

Republican leadership is in talks to adjourn the House right after it reconvenes at noon to resume the votes for speaker, sources familiar with the discussions told ABC News.

Some Kevin McCarthy allies have been pushing for the delay, so they can continue to engage in talks behind the scenes.

The House adjourned Tuesday after three rounds of failed votes to elect McCarthy.

It’s not yet clear if there will be any objections to adjourning. There was no roll call vote to adjourn the House Tuesday, but any member can request one.

If there is a roll call vote, which is likely, 218 votes are needed to adjourn the House.

-ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin

Jan 04, 11:14 AM EST
Biden calls GOP fight over speakership ’embarrassing’

Asked on his way out of the White House about the GOP standoff in the House, President Joe Biden said electing a speaker is “not a good look” to the rest of the world.

“That’s not my problem,” Biden offered reporters. “I just think it’s a little embarrassing, that it’s taking so long and the way that they’re dealing with each other. And the rest of the world is looking, they’re looking at can we get our act together.”

“For the first time in 100 years, we can’t move,” he added later on. “It’s not a good look, it’s not a good thing. This is the United States of America, and I hope they get their act together.”

Biden was on his way to highlight improvements to a bridge that connects Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky, to tout an investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law alongside Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Jan 04, 10:44 AM EST
McCarthy arrives on Capitol Hill: ‘I think we’ll get to 218’

Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy arrived on Capitol Hill moments ago and entered the House speaker’s office, although he’s still fighting for the votes to take the position. McCarthy opponent Rep. Matt Gaetz has called him a “squatter” in the office.

McCarthy and his security pushed through a swarm of reporters and photographers who sprinted up the stairs to chase him.

Asked by ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott if he made any progress, McCarthy said, “I think we’ll get to 218.”

Asked by another reporter what the game plan is, he answered, “same as yesterday.”

Jan 04, 10:48 AM EST
Trump repeats endorsement of McCarthy for speaker

Former President Donald Trump again called on Republicans to support McCarthy as the House remains without a speaker and Republicans appear in disarray.

“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 …” Trump posted on Truth Social this morning. “Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – JUST WATCH!”

The post follows McCarthy telling reporters Tuesday night that the former president had reiterated his support for him. In an earlier interview with NBC News, Trump declined to say whether he supported McCarthy.

Among those Republicans who did not vote for McCarthy are some of Trump’s closest supporters in Congress, including Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

It comes almost two years to the day that McCarthy, on the House floor, said Trump “bears responsibility” for the “attack on Congress by mob rioters” on Jan. 6, before flocking to Mar-a-Lago to see Trump three weeks later.

Jan 03, 9:36 PM EST
Speaker vote expected to resume Wednesday

A fourth round of voting for the House speaker is certain to resume after the chamber gathers again on Wednesday at noon.

Members-elect adjourned until then shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, after three rounds of voting failed to elect a speaker.

Republicans, who hold the majority, did not coalesce behind their chosen leader, McCarthy, with roughly 20 lawmakers choosing other candidates.

Walking off the House floor earlier Tuesday, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told reporters that the conference wants to be unified so they can start on long-promised investigations.

He said he does not want to be the speaker, despite the backing of some McCarthy defectors — he said he wants to chair the judiciary committee.

Jan 03, 5:46 PM EST
Frustration was growing as voting wound down

House lawmakers adjourned until Tuesday as some of them grew restless following the three rounds of unsuccessful voting for a new speaker.

Signs of frustration mounted during the third vote, with Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., saying he was backing McCarthy “because I’m interested in governing.”

The voting took place as lawmakers had family and friends in town, and it was unclear at the time how deep into the night voting would go.

McCarthy had vowed to keep voting until there was a speaker, but the motion to adjourn shortly before 6 p.m. drew little opposition.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Benjamin Siegel

Jan 03, 5:35 PM EST
House adjourns, will resume Wednesday

The House overwhelmingly chose late Tuesday afternoon to adjourn until noon on Wednesday after a motion from Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., was adopted by voice vote

That decision came after three unsuccessful rounds saw no member-elect chosen as speaker, including McCarthy.

It’s the first time in a century that the speaker vote has taken multiple rounds.

Jan 03, 5:39 PM EST
McCarthy defector calls for ‘huddle’ to sort out speaker vote

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who changed his vote for speaker in the third round, said on social media that “continuous votes aren’t working.”

Donalds supported McCarthy during the first two rounds of voting, but then switched his choice to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. On Twitter, Donalds indicated that he does not believe McCarthy has the support to ultimately become speaker.

“Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find someone or work out the next steps…but these continuous votes aren’t working for anyone,” Donalds wrote.

“When the dust settles, we will have a Republican Speaker, now is the time for our conference to debate and come to a consensus.”

“Democracy is messy at times, but we will be ready to govern on behalf of the American people. Debate is healthy,” he added.

Jan 03, 5:07 PM EST
McCarthy loses a supporter — and 3rd round of speaker vote

In the third round of voting, 20 Republican lawmakers voted against McCarthy for speaker — the highest amount so far. Those votes went to Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

In the first two rounds, 19 Republicans voted for a different candidate. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., voted for McCarthy two times before changing his vote to Jordan.

McCarthy received 202 votes in the latest round, making it the third time he’s trailed Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats have already elected Jeffries to be their caucus leader in the new Congress.

Jan 03, 4:33 PM EST
McCarthy to ABC: ‘Their secret candidate nominated me’

“We stay in until we win,” McCarthy said as he headed back onto the House floor ahead of the third round.

After huddling with Reps. Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, Patrick McHenry and a few others off the floor, McCarthy told ABC News on his way back to the House floor that the prolonged vote was exactly what he was expecting to happen.

“This isn’t about me; this is about the conference now,” he said.

“If anybody wants to earn something, committee slots or others, you go through the conference to do that. You don’t get it by leveraging people. It just doesn’t happen,” he added.

McCarthy disputed that he hasn’t shown any progress throughout the afternoon.

“They put [Rep.] Jim Jordan [up as a candidate for speaker]. Remember how they all said they had a secret candidate. Their secret candidate nominated me, so where do they go now?”

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Allison Pecorin

Jan 03, 4:34 PM EST
McCarthy gets new defector in third round of voting

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., switched his vote for speaker after voting for McCarthy in the first two rounds.

Donalds, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, backed Rep. Jim Jordan in the third round of voting. If every candidate who voted for Jordan on the second ballot does so again, the Ohioan will get at least 20 votes.

Jan 03, 4:37 PM EST
Historic 3rd speaker vote underway in the House

Ahead of the House entering a third vote for the speakership, Rep. Pete Aguilar again nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for Democrats, prompting “Hakeem” chants from their side of the chamber, as Republicans remain in disarray.

“For unity in Congress and progress in our country, Democrats are united behind Hakeem Jeffries. I recommend Hakeem Jeffries as our speaker,” Aguilar said to applause.

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas nominated Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, again, despite Jordan losing in prior votes, his saying he didn’t want the position and asking Republicans to unite around McCarthy.

“Now, Jim has said he doesn’t want that nomination, and Jim has been down here nominating Kevin, and I respect that. Again, I have no personal animus toward Kevin,” Roy said. “But we do not have the tools or the leadership yet to stop the swamp from rolling over the American people. Jim has been doing it, he has a track record for doing that, and for those reasons, I’m nominating Jim Jordan for speaker of the House.”

Jan 03, 4:15 PM EST
Scalise says McCarthy critics are obstructing legislation

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., McCarthy’s No. 2, slammed McCarthy’s critics as obstructionists to legislative efforts to tackle issues like immigration and energy reserves.

“We all came here to get things done. To get big things done. To solve the problems. And I hope when we get through today that all the members on both sides of the aisle will get together to solve the problems,” he said when nominating McCarthy before the third round of voting.

However, he said, “we can’t start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy” as speaker.

Scalise’s speech came after Jordan nominated McCarthy. Both men have been floated as potential alternatives if McCarthy is unable to win the majority needed to clinch the speakership.

Jan 03, 4:00 PM EST
Scalise seems to be drafting McCarthy nomination speech

ABC News’ Ben Siegel, on the House floor, spotted Steve Scalise seemingly drafting a nomination speech for Kevin McCarthy.

This would mark another twist as Republicans still struggle to coalesce around any single candidate.

Jan 03, 3:58 PM EST
White House ‘willing to work’ with GOP in new Congress but avoids weighing in on leadership fight

After two failed votes to select a House speaker on Capitol Hill, the White House said it is “certainly not going to insert ourselves” into that process but are
“looking forward to working” with the new Republican-controlled House.

Asked by ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce what the president wants to work on with Republicans once the House GOP leadership is in place, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre didn’t offer any specifics on what policies it wants to be first on the agenda.

“He’s willing to work with Republicans who are willing to continue to deliver for the American people,” she said. “He is very optimistic on what lies ahead and how we are going to move our country forward.”

And when asked whether it may be more difficult to work with Republicans after the ongoing leadership fight, Jean-Pierre repeated President Joe Biden’s optimism and noted bipartisan legislation that was passed in his first two years.

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez

Jan 03, 3:31 PM EST
Jordan says he told Gaetz not to nominate him as speaker

Right after Rep. Jim Jordan spoke on the House floor following the first vote — to support McCarthy in the next round — Rep. Matt Gaetz turned the tables and enthusiastically nominated Jordan to be speaker.

But Jordan told ABC News afterward that he told Matt Gaetz not to nominate him. Jordan would go on to pick up 19 votes in the second ballot.

Gaetz had said weeks ago he thought Jordan would be a good choice for speaker.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Katherine Faulders

Jan 03, 3:27 PM EST
McCarthy loses 2nd ballot as 19 Republicans vote for Jordan

Kevin McCarthy has fallen short of the votes needed to win House speaker for a second time.

Once again, 19 Republicans voted against McCarthy — this time unanimously backing Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

Jordan had urged his colleagues to back McCarthy as he nominated the California congressman for speaker. But Rep. Matt Gaetz stood up to nominate Jordan, calling him the “most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference.”

The House vote was identical to the first round: McCarthy again won 203 votes compared to Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ 212 votes.

Jan 03, 2:45 PM EST
Jordan wins enough votes to deny McCarthy speakership in 2nd vote

Enough Republicans have already voted for Jordan to deny McCarthy the speakership in a second ballot.

Just after Jordan rose to renominate McCarthy before the start of the second round of voting, nine Republicans backed the Ohioan before vote counting even got halfway through the alphabet.

Jordan was able to flip a number of Republicans who opposed McCarthy on the first ballot but didn’t vote for him, including Biggs, who voted for himself during the initial round of voting.

Jan 03, 2:31 PM EST
Gaetz nominates Jordan after Jordan urges colleagues to back McCarthy

After Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio took to the floor to encourage Republicans to back Rep. Kevin McCarthy for speaker, Rep. Matt Gaetz got up to nominate Jordan for the position.

“I rise to nominate the most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference, who just gave a speech with more vision than we have ever heard from the alternative,” the Florida congressman said.

“Jim Jordan is humble. Perhaps today, humble to a fault,” Gaetz continued. “Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants it so bad. Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who has sold shares of themselves for more than a decade to get it.”

In the first round of voting, Jordan received six votes.

Jan 03, 2:28 PM EST
Jim Jordan nominates McCarthy in 2nd round of voting

After receiving six votes of his own on the first ballot, Rep. Jim Jordan nominated Kevin McCarthy in the second round of voting for House speaker.

“I rise to nominate Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House,” Jordan said, prompting applause from several Republican members.

“We need to rally around him, come together, and deal with these three things, because this is what the people sent us here to do,” he added, ticking through Republican priorities in the new Congress.

“We owe it to them, the American people, the good people of this great country, to step forward to come together, get a speaker elected so we can address these three things. I hope you’ll vote for Kevin McCarthy and that’s why I’m proud to nominate him for speaker of the House,” Jordan said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Bob Good, one of the original “Never Kevin” members, said off the House floor that he plans to vote for Jordan on the second ballot despite Jordan’s call to support McCarthy — and expects other detractors will follow.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin

Jan 03, 2:20 PM EST
‘Optics are terrible’: ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on GOP speaker battle

ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl weighed in after the first ballot vote for House speaker.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy fell well short of the majority needed to clinch the position. He received 203 votes, while Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries received 212. Nineteen lawmakers voted for someone else.

“The optics for Republicans is terrible,” Karl told ABC’s David Muir following the vote.

“They’ve taken control, they’ve won control of the House by a narrow majority, and [in the] first act of this Republican House, more votes went to the liberal Democrat candidate for speaker than went for Kevin McCarthy. Think about that David,” Karl said.

Jan 03, 2:13 PM EST
McCarthy to ABC News: Vote against him ‘exactly what we thought it’d be’

McCarthy told ABC News, after stepping off the House floor, that the current vote against him was “exactly what we thought it’d be.”

McCarthy added that this vote could go on for days and that “we got a number of members who are trying to fight for their own personal items” instead of for the country.

When asked how he what he can do to persuade the large number of members who voted against him by voting for others, McCarthy said he needs to convince them that “they don’t win gavels by trying to threaten or leverage somebody … I don’t think that’s what their constituents elected.”

-ABC News’ Will Steakin

Jan 03, 1:54 PM EST
McCarthy falls short in first speaker vote

After the first round of voting, no member obtained the 218 votes needed to become House speaker, but Democrat Hakeem Jeffries earned more votes than Kevin McCarthy — on the first day of a new Republican-controlled House.

Jeffries received 212 votes to McCarthy’s 203. Far-right Republican Andy Biggs of Arizona received 10 votes, and there were nine votes for others, including six for Rep. Jim Jordan, and, in a surprise move, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas voted for Florida’s Byron Donalds.

Nineteen Republicans broke from McCarthy, who could only afford to lose four, marking a stunning defeat by 15 votes. Despite having a majority this Congress, McCarthy got fewer votes this time than the last time he ran for speaker against Nancy Pelosi.

For the first time since 1923 — and the first time since floor proceedings have been televised — the speaker’s vote appears headed towards a second ballot.

While McCarthy has signaled he’s up for more voting rounds, he faces a steep hurdle in a second vote with so many lawmakers to win over — and the potential for Republicans to nominate another member, such as No. 2 Steve Scalise.

Jan 03, 1:37 PM EST
McCarthy gets quick standing ovation after voting for himself

After standing to cast a voice vote for himself, Kevin McCarthy smiled as he got a round of applause from his GOP supporters – even as it appeared that he would lose the first ballot for speaker.

McCarthy faced enough defections from his conference – with some voting for Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona or Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio – to likely not prevail in the first tally.

But the quick standing ovation for McCarthy was both indicative of the support he still has in the House Republican Conference and the challenges of a slim Republican House majority.

Jan 03, 1:41 PM EST
Appears McCarthy will not have votes on first ballot to be elected

The majority of House Republicans applauded when Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to nominate Kevin McCarthy — but more than a dozen, most of them sitting by the center aisle in the second to last row of the chamber, sat on their hands. The applause for McCarthy was hardly thunderous.

And with every vote against McCarthy, the sounds of murmuring in the chamber grew, as it also grew more obvious that McCarthy will not have the votes on the first ballot to be elected speaker.

In contrast, Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., had a sustained standing ovation when he nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY. Once the applause died down, Aguilar declared, “Today, House Democrats are united” — prompting even louder and more sustained applause from Democrats — while McCarthy sat silently and stone-faced on the other side of the aisle.

As McCarthy entered the rear of the chamber through the center door about 15 minutes earlier, he did so quietly and with little fanfare. Most people on the floor seemed not to notice. He walked all the way down to the area in front of the clerk before somebody went to talk to him, and it was a staffer for Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.

-ABC News’ Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl

Jan 03, 1:00 PM EST
Tense roll call vote begins

A tense roll call vote for speaker is beginning.

In alphabetical order, members are being asked to say aloud whom they are voting for as speaker.

-ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel

Jan 03, 12:53 PM EST
Aguilar declares Democrats ‘united’ behind Hakeem Jeffries

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., has nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York to be the House minority leader.

Jeffries has made history as the first Black leader to be elected leader a congressional caucus. He was elected by Democrats in late November after Rep. Nancy Pelosi announced she was stepping down from the role.

“Today, madam clerk, House Democrats are united by a speaker who will people over politics,” Aguilar declared, an apparent dig at Republicans as the party struggles to unite behind a candidate for speaker.

“Hakeem Jeffries has worked his entire life to improve economic opportunity for all people. He’s committed to strengthening the American dream by lowering costs for working families, building safer communities by taking weapons of war off streets and by creating good-paying jobs in industries of the future.”

“He does not traffic in extremism,” Aguilar continued. “He does not grovel to or make excuses for a twice impeached so-called former president. Madam clerk, he does not bend a knee to everyone who would seek to undermine our democracy because, madam clerk, that’s not what leaders do.”

Jeffries and Pelosi greeted each other on the House floor on Tuesday morning.

Jan 03, 12:46 PM EST
Stefanik introduces McCarthy as GOP nominee for speaker

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., introduced Kevin McCarthy on the House floor as the GOP nominee for speaker.

Stefanik, a McCarthy ally, touted the Californian’s efforts to bolster House Republicans’ ranks by campaigning for diverse candidates from coast to coast.

“Since the day Kevin was elected as our leader, House Republicans have only gained seats and won,” she said. “Kevin knows what we stand for, he knows when to engage in the fight, and he knows how to build consensus.”

“His relentless effort has yielded an extraordinary House Republican majority,” she added. “Today’s House Republican Conference is the most diverse Republican conference in our nation’s history.”

And while her speech was mostly focused on building up McCarthy, Stefanik also offered a dig at his detractors, boasting that “Kevin McCarthy has earned this speakership of the ‘People’s House.'”

Jan 03, 12:44 PM EST
Magnetometers at House chamber entrances removed

Ahead of the vote for speaker, the magnetometers placed outside the doors of the House chamber in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol have been removed, as the new GOP majority demanded.

The GOP’s new proposed House rules had called for removing the magnetometers.

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, Will Steakin and Nicole Moeder

Jan 03, 12:33 PM EST
VP Kamala Harris swears in new senators

As House Republicans enter the 118th Congress in disarray over who will hold the speaker’s gavel, the Democrat-controlled Senate opened with Vice President Kamala Harris swearing in new members and those who won reelection in November.

Among the new faces in the chamber are Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, Alabama’s Katie Britt and Missouri’s Eric Schmitt.

Arizona’s Mark Kelly and Georgia’s Raphael Warnock were sworn in for their first full, six-year terms.

Despite losing majority control in the House, Democrats expanded their advantage in the Senate by one seat.

Jan 03, 10:39 AM EST
McCarthy tells Republicans ‘I earned this job’: Source

In a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, Kevin McCarthy made a last-ditch case for speaker.

“I’m not going to go away. I’m going to stand until the last four friends stand with me,” he told the GOP members, according to a source in the room.

“I earned this job,” McCarthy said. “We earned this majority, and goddammit we are going to win it today.”

Jan 03, 10:33 AM EST
Rep.-elect George Santos arrives near House office

Rep.-elect George Santos, who has faced controversy and national attention for lying about or embellishing details of his background, was spotted by reporters in Congress Tuesday morning.

Santos was walking toward his office in the Longworth House Office Building, accompanied by a staffer, when he stopped and turned the other way once he saw reporters.

He declined to answer most questions, but told ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa he will vote for Kevin McCarthy for speaker.

Santos faced calls for accountability from some Republicans, but not from current Republican House leadership. He has said he will serve out his term in the House.

New members of the House will not be sworn in until a speaker is elected.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa, and Oren Oppenheim

Jan 03, 10:20 AM EST
McCarthy ready to battle for speaker’s gavel, sources say

As Republicans met behind closed doors ahead of the speaker vote, it appeared Kevin McCarthy still did not have the votes needed to be elected.

Sources close to the Republican leader say he’s ready to battle it out. It could go into multiple rounds of votes — something that hasn’t happened in 100 years — and the floor fight could drag on for hours, if not days. The longest battle for speaker was in 1856, and it took two months and 133 votes to resolve.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, who opposes McCarthy’s bid, has warned, “We may see the cherry blossoms bloom in Washington, D.C. before a speaker is elected.”

All of this overshadows the start of the new Congress where Republicans have a majority in the House for the first time since 2018.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott

Jan 03, 9:43 AM EST
McCarthy arrives for GOP meeting: ‘We are going to have a good day’

Rep. McCarthy has arrived for a closed-door meeting with his fellow Republicans.

“We are going to have a good day today,” McCarthy said as he walked by reporters, who asked if he had the votes for speaker.

The California congressman then laughed as a reporter asked if he’d support Rep. Steve Scalise for speaker should he fail to get enough votes.

Jan 03, 9:42 AM EST
‘Follow Kevin McCarthy’ sign posted outside speaker’s office

Hours before the vote to elect a new House speaker, a sign has appeared in front of the speaker’s office with the message: “Follow Kevin McCarthy.”

McCarthy was set to shore up more support for his speaker bid in a closed-door meeting with the Republican caucus this morning. He faces opposition from a group of hard-line conservatives, who could sink what is his second attempt to hold the gavel.

The California congressman’s belongings have been brought into the speaker’s suite, but if he doesn’t get enough votes, he’ll have to move out.

Jan 03, 8:52 AM EST
GOP conference to hold last-minute meeting before speaker vote

The House Republican conference will meet behind closed doors at 9:30 a.m., just hours before the speaker vote begins at noon.

While McCarthy might be able to garner more support in a last-ditch appeal, his detractors have boasted that they’ll be able to muster the necessary opposition to block his bid.

Rep. Scott Perry, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus who is leading the group of hard-line conservatives opposing McCarthy’s bid, released a new statement Tuesday morning blasting the California congressman.

“In his 14 years in Republican Leadership, McCarthy has repeatedly failed to demonstrate any desire to meaningfully change the status quo in Washington,” Perry said.

Jan 03, 8:36 AM EST
McCarthy’s rise from California politics to GOP leader

Kevin McCarthy began his career as a staffer to then-Rep. Bill Thomas before chairing the California Young Republicans and later the Young Republican National Federation.

He was first elected to office in 2002, serving in the California state Assembly until 2007, when was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. At the time, he was dubbed one of the “young guns” of the next generation of conservative leadership.

McCarthy tried to become speaker in 2015 but his chance evaporated after resistance from the same kind of conservatives who are trying to block his path Tuesday. When Democrats took control of the House in 2018, McCarthy was elected House minority leader.

Jan 03, 8:26 AM EST
McCarthy’s bid for speaker unclear as new Congress set to begin

Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker of the House is still clouded in uncertainty as lawmakers head to Capitol Hill for the first day of the 118th Congress.

McCarthy and his staffers spent the day Monday setting up the speaker’s office but he may have to move his belongings out if he fails to clinch the votes needed to secure the position.

A few dozen members piled into McCarthy’s office throughout the day Monday to go over last-minute strategy. ABC News spotted three McCarthy critics during the afternoon meeting: Reps. Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert and Scott Perry.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a McCarthy supporter, told ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, “the problem is the people need to realize the art of the deal. They are all Trump supporters, and you can’t be successful if you’re not willing to take the wins when you get them” when asked about those in her party who are trying to tank McCarthy’s bid.

Rep. Jim Jordan, whose name has been floated around as a potential speaker candidate, said he believes McCarthy “can get there.”

McCarthy, however, didn’t directly answer reporter’s questions about how the vote could go, telling them, “I hope you all have a very nice New Year’s” as he exited the Capitol on Monday night.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ohio man, jailed for fake Facebook page, asks SCOTUS to let him sue police

ABC News

(PARMA, Ohio) — The parking lot arrest in 2016 stunned Anthony Novak as much as the charge: alleged disruption of law enforcement operations for making a parody of his local police department’s page on Facebook.

“They said, ‘put your hands behind your back.’ They said, ‘fake Parma Facebook page,'” Novak recounted to ABC News of the moment Parma police officers took him into custody outside a neighborhood convenience store in 2016.

Novak, 33, went on to spend four days in jail. A local jury later acquitted him of any wrongdoing. Now, he’s trying to sue the police for alleged violation of his civil rights.

A federal appeals court earlier this year acknowledged “difficult questions” in the case, but said the officers were protected by qualified immunity and dismissed Novak’s claims.

Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide whether to take up his appeal.

“I made something that was completely legal. I was allowed to make a parody page about the police,” Novak said. “And then, they raided my house, they took my electronics, they arrested me. My image was blasted all over the news, and I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I don’t want them to think that’s okay, because I kind of think they do,” Novak added. “I don’t want it to happen to someone else.”

Novak claims it was all “obviously a joke” — protected by a right to free speech — and that he was jailed as payback. The spoof page included the slogan “We No Crime” and a series of satirical posts, including an announcement banning residents from feeding the homeless and an offer of free abortions from a police van.

The police department did not see humor. Police Lt. Kevin Riley told local reporters at the time that the posts were “crude, demeaning and inflammatory,” adding, “there’s a fine line between satire and endangering the public.”

The city said later in court documents that Novak’s social media spoof prompted 11 phone calls to the police department’s non-emergency number and necessitated a public warning on the city’s official Facebook page about a fake.

Shortly after the spoof went online, the department announced a criminal investigation into the creator of the page poking fun at their officers. Novak says he then deleted the account, which had been online for just 12 hours.

“Unless there are some consequences for police essentially taking offense to protected speech online and showing up at people’s houses and arresting them, all signs are that they will continue doing that,” said Patrick Jaicomo, senior attorney with Institute for Justice which is representing Novak.

The City of Parma declined ABC News’ request for an interview but said in a statement that its officers did nothing wrong and that Novak’s suit is “groundless.”

“The courts concluded that the police [acted] within the bounds of warrants issued by judges,” the city said through its attorney, adding Novak “went beyond mimicry” by reposting on his fake page an official warning from the city about the fake site.

“The legal theory here is just staggeringly broad and dangerous for all sorts of free speech,” Jaicomo said in response to the city’s claim.

Experts say the case could have a significant impact on parody — a form of humor defined by being true to life, wielding criticism by imitation. From TV skits to satirical headlines, parodies at least momentarily fool a viewer or reader into thinking they could be real.

“It’s the ability to tell a joke with a straight face,” said Mike Gillis, head writer at The Onion, the popular satirical web publication that mimics a newspaper and pokes fun at just about everyone and everything.

When Gillis heard about Novak’s case, he and The Onion filed their first ever brief with the U.S. Supreme Court late last year, citing a “self-serving interest in preventing political authorities from imprisoning humorists.” They urged the justices to defend the ability to deceive without a disclaimer.

“There are powerful individuals in this country who seem to think that they should be the sole arbiters of [legitimate parody]. And I think judges and police officers and figures of authority, the people who are most susceptible to parody, should be as far away from that lever as possible,” Gillis said. “I think we should leave it to the average American to make that choice.”

Novak says he is done poking fun at the police but not giving up on parody, hoping The Onion’s support of his case will help inspire the nation’s highest court to hear his appeal.

“I hope that it defines even more something I think is already defined: that you can make fun of the government. It is your First Amendment right to make parody, especially. And government shouldn’t come after you and attack you,” Novak said. “I want to weaken the idea that the government can just come and arrest you and have no accountability.”

The court will decide whether to take up the case at a private conference next month.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

First lady Jill Biden to have small lesion found during skin cancer screening removed ‘in an abundance of caution’

Alex Wong/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — First lady Jill Biden will undergo a dermatological procedure next week to remove a small lesion found during a “routine skin cancer screening,” White House officials said.

The lesion is located above her right eye, White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said in a memo to the first lady’s press secretary released Wednesday.

“In an abundance of caution, doctors have recommended that it be removed,” O’Connor said.

Jill Biden, 71, will undergo the outpatient procedure on Jan. 11 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to “remove and definitively examine the tissue,” O’Connor said.

The White House physician said he plans to provide an update once the procedure, known as Mohs surgery, is done and more information is available.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New Congress live updates: House narrowly agrees to adjourn to day 3 after more failed speaker votes

Michael Godek/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The House Republican leadership standoff is in a second day Wednesday after three failed votes to decide on a speaker Tuesday.

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is so far being stymied by a small group of hardliners demanding concessions or alternative candidates.

The House can conduct no other business — and members can’t be sworn in — until a speaker is chosen.

Here’s how the story is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 04, 9:38 PM EST
McCarthy sounds undeterred: ‘We talk until we get this done’

Leaving the chamber after it adjourned for the night on Wednesday, McCarthy — surrounded by a phalanx of security and a mob of reporters — initially joked and razzed a reporter he’s known for more than a decade. He seemingly celebrated a razor-thin GOP vote to adjourn the chamber after another day of unsuccessful attempts to elect him speaker.

He also said “continual votes,” like they been having since Tuesday, are unproductive, instead touting the evening’s closed-door talks as the way forward.

McCarthy asked the reporter, John Bresnahan, “Club for Growth — is that movement for you? You just saw a vote on the floor that the conference voted together on?”

McCarthy was referring to a newly announced deal between a political action committee aligned with him and Club for Growth, another major conservative group.

Bresnahan jokingly replied of the successful adjournment vote, “You’re very proud of that.”

“Hey, I crawl before I walk and walk before I run, and I felt as though we had a very good discussion,” McCarthy said, adding, “I think what you should gauge, being able to do that vote, [is] that the discussions are going well but that doesn’t mean they’re done. That doesn’t mean anything on that. But it’s just in that realm.”

Another reporter asked, “What happens between now and noon tomorrow [when the House returns]?”

“We talk until we get this done,” McCarthy said.

Bresnahan asked if there would be votes tomorrow, to which McCarthy replied: “People know where everybody’s at. These votes don’t really change at all. So I mean, that’s fine. I think these discussions help that. I think from this aspect of seeing the vote here — people want to spend their time discussing than being on the floor.”

A reporter asked if McCarthy has asked Byron Donalds, a GOP protest candidate, to drop out. McCarthy said, “No. No.”

-ABC News’ Trish Turner

Jan 04, 8:54 PM EST
House narrowly agrees to adjourn ’til Thursday after another day of failed votes

The motion to adjourn that was introduced shortly after the House returned from its Wednesday afternoon break passed by a narrow 216-214 vote. The chamber will return at noon on Thursday, presumably for more speaker votes.

Republicans had pushed for the adjournment, while Democrats and four Republicans opposed it, with some Democrats shouting for the clerk to stop the vote while the “no” votes were ahead.

The move to end for the night came after McCarthy held a closed-door meeting with detractors trying to block him from winning the speaker’s gavel. The meeting yielded no deal, but McCarthy said progress was made.

The vote to adjourn marked the climax of a second day of historic failed speaker votes — the first time in a century it has taken more than one round to pick a speaker.

Jan 04, 8:20 PM EST
Lawmakers gather after afternoon break, try to adjourn until Thursday

Lawmakers gathered Wednesday around 8 p.m. in the House after their afternoon adjournment and swiftly launched into a vote to adjourn again until Thursday at noon.

The House clerk asked for a voice vote, with Democrats then pressing for an individual counting of the votes, which is underway.

The effort to adjourn comes after McCarthy said progress had been made with the group of GOP critics blocking him the speakership but that there was no path yet to a firm deal.

Jan 04, 8:02 PM EST
McCarthy says 7th speaker vote would not yet be ‘productive’

Leaving a closed-door meeting during the House’s break from voting for a speaker on Wednesday, McCarthy said progress had been made but that there’s no deal yet and he doesn’t think another vote Wednesday night would be “productive.”

McCarthy, the Republican leader, has so far been blocked from the speakership by 20 members of his party repeatedly voting for other candidates — now across six rounds of voting over two days.

“I think it’s probably best to let people work through this more. I don’t think a vote tonight is productive. Let people work a little more,” McCarthy said after leaving the meeting with critics seeking to stop him from winning the speakership.

McCarthy said that while he didn’t have a deal in hand after meeting with the rebels, he insisted there was movement.

–ABC News’ Will Steakin, Lalee Ibssa and Gabe Ferris

Jan 04, 5:53 PM EST
Sources say House Republicans discuss ‘nuclear option’: Lower vote threshold to be speaker

As McCarthy’s quest to become speaker of the House continues to fall short, some of his allies are exploring a radical idea: lowering the threshold needed to be elected.

Under current House rules, a candidate needs an outright majority of all members voting to be elected speaker. With 433 members voting so far — and one member voting “present,” which doesn’t affect the total — that means McCarthy has repeatedly fallen far short of the 217 currently needed to win a majority.

The rules, however, can be changed: With a simple majority vote, the House could decide to allow a speaker to be elected with a plurality, or whoever has the most votes when no one has a majority. This has happened before, but very rarely.

It’s called the “nuclear option” because it would force anti-McCarthy voters to face a stark choice: vote for him or watch Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries get elected instead. After all, Jeffries has received 212 votes in every single round so far and the most McCarthy has received has been 203.

But would those 20 renegade Republicans continue to vote against McCarthy if doing so would result in electing a Democrat as speaker? Advocates of the option say the change would call the critics’ bluff and force them to vote for McCarthy or take the blame for ceding control of the House to Democrats.

According to two McCarthy allies in the House, the idea is being discussed among House Republicans. They believe Democrats would support the rules change.

One influential Republican voice, however, told ABC News he opposes the idea.

“I know it is an idea that has been floating around,” incoming House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said. “I’d be opposed it.”

He added: “I know Hakeem would like, but I don’t.”

-ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl

Jan 04, 5:00 PM EST
State spokesperson on House speaker vote: ‘Democracy at work’

While the State Department does not frequently weigh in on matters of domestic politics, spokesperson Ned Price on Wednesday afternoon directly addressed the tumult on Capitol Hill, painting a cheerier outlook than President Joe Biden did earlier.

Price was asked what message other countries around the world might take from the prolonged vote for House speaker — the first in a century.

“Our message has never been that democracy is neat or that democracy is seamless in terms of its operations. But what we’re seeing, what the world is seeing, are our democratic institutions at work,” Price said. “They are seeing our democracy at work.”

“Democracy isn’t always without its complications. But when processes are followed, institutions are respected, ultimately the outcome is one that everyone can get behind.”

Reporters asked Price whether the redundant, and so far fruitless, votes in the House — which is keeping the chamber in limbo — might give the impression of an inefficient governing system and if the first failed speaker vote in 100 years was an indicator that U.S. democracy was weakening.

“Look, I’m not going to characterize the U.S. political system,” Price said. “I will just say that there is a process that is being hued to right now by elected lawmakers. That in itself is a testament to the functioning of democracy, even if that functioning may be taking just a little bit longer than it has in the past 100 years or so.”

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Jan 04, 5:06 PM EST
Meet ‘the most famous future member of Congress’

ABC News’ Jay O’Brien caught up with Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., outside of the House floor during the sixth round of votes for speaker — but Gomez wasn’t alone.

He was holding, in a swaddle, who ABC News Live anchor Kyra Phillips called “probably the most famous future member of Congress.”

Gomez had brought along his 4-month-old son Hodge for the votes on Tuesday and Wednesday; photos of the baby had already lit up social media.

“One of the things my wife and I wanted to do is make sure that he was, you know, personable, he got along with people and that he loved people,” Gomez said. “So we started making sure that he was used to it. And then he loved it. He loved being on the floor. Everybody was smiling at him, playing with him … And I think he’s gotten more votes for speaker than I have, maybe even Kevin McCarthy.”

Gomez called his son “my legacy, and I think all kids are our legacy. So I realized I wanted to bring him to the [House] floor to have him witness history, but also to recognize that he is what we’re fighting for. He represents the millions of kids that don’t have the privilege to be on the floor.”

O’Brien noted how well behaved Hodge was in the bustling chamber. Hodge had no comment but seemed to bob his head in response.

Of the news of the day, Gomez said he does not believe any Democrats will break ranks to vote for McCarthy, who has so far failed to unify the GOP majority to vote for him as speaker.

Jan 04, 4:36 PM EST
House adjourns until 8 p.m.

With the Republican conference still divided between a pro-McCarthy majority and 20 anti-McCarthy members, the House has chosen to adjourn until 8 p.m.

The motion from Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., was adopted by voice vote, though Democrats appeared staunchly opposed to the break — but did not call for a recorded vote.

Shortly before adjournment, McCarthy told reporters “we’re gonna break in a little then go meet” when asked what was next after the sixth failed vote.

Jan 04, 4:21 PM EST
McCarthy loses speaker vote for the sixth time

McCarthy, for the sixth time in two days, has failed to get enough votes to become the next speaker of the House.

The vote count for this round was unchanged from the previous two rounds: McCarthy won 201 votes, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries won 212 votes and Rep. Byron Donalds, the current GOP protest candidate against McCarthy, won 20 votes.

Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz also voted “present” for the third time.

Jan 04, 3:56 PM EST
McCarthy says: ‘We’re gonna break … then go meet’

McCarthy is likely to continue negotiating into Wednesday night, after two days of failed speaker votes, and ABC News has learned that he is working to set up talks to attempt to come to an agreement with the group of 20 voting against him.

The logistics of such talks are still being nailed down — and according to people close to him, there is no singular leader of this group of 20.

When this will happen is unclear. Democrats and some Republicans have not yet wanted to adjourn the House, meaning they do not have the votes for adjourning and then continuing negotiations.

Off the House floor during the sixth round of voting, which McCarthy looked set to lose as well, he told reporters that “we’re gonna break in a little then go meet” when asked what’s next. He did not give any other specifics.

The House on Tuesday afternoon adjourned for the day after three rounds of votes, and they could repeat that pattern on Wednesday.

McCarthy has already made some major concessions to his critics without winning their support. He has agreed to lower the threshold to five members to force a vote to remove the speaker — known as a motion to vacate the chair.

Some anti-McCarthy members want this threshold to be lowered to one member.

Others have said that they want more responsibilities on the the panel charged with placing members on committees — known as the steering committee — and have proposed giving more members of the House Freedom Caucus and Republican Study Committee designated seats on it.

McCarthy would likely only agree to this if he knew he was able to flip enough votes.

Former congressman Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party in 2019 and became the first member of Congress to call for Donald Trump to be impeached, is also present on the House floor.

He spoke to reporters, saying he’s here to pitch himself as a consensus speaker candidate if he’s needed and said he plans to speak to members about it. (This is a long shot bid, although the speaker does not need to be a current member of Congress.)

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin

Jan 04, 4:01 PM EST
Perry is latest McCarthy critic to nominates Donalds

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chair of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, nominated Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for speaker in the sixth round of voting.

“He has accomplished many things. He is a man of faith, he is a family man, he is a businessman … he has come from the school of hard knocks,” Perry said. “He’s got a record of accomplishing things. He’s got a record of being on the right side. He is respected. He is trusted.”

Perry also took a swipe at GOP leader McCarthy and his allies, who have suggested the Californian is responsible for heralding in the new Republican majority.

“I think the person that has done the most to make this fabulous, this wonderful Republican majority, is Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and her policies. That’s what has achieved this majority here,” he said.

Donalds is so far earning 20 votes from Republicans in each round. He initially voted for McCarthy in the early rounds but switched his vote, saying McCarthy couldn’t win.

Jan 04, 4:32 PM EST
Cammack sparks Dem outrage after suggesting they brought alcohol to the floor

Remarks from Republican Rep. Kat Cammack suggesting Democrats brought alcohol into the chamber caused an outcry from the party shortly before the sixth round of speaker voting began.

“Diversity of thought is a good thing. But they want us divided. They want us to fight each other. That much has been made clear by the popcorn and blankets and alcohol that has come in over there,” she said as she was nominating McCarthy.

Some Democrats shouted back “take down her words!” — referring to a request to have her comment formally challenged and then stricken — and “make her apologize!”

Many members were also heard vocally reacting, including yelling objections.

Clerk Cheryl Johnson then asked “all members-elect to abide by the established decorum of the House” while nominating candidates for speaker.

Jan 04, 3:22 PM EST
House setting up sixth vote: ‘It’s Groundhog Day’

The House is moving full steam ahead with a sixth round of voting on Wednesday.

“Well, it’s Groundhog Day, again,” Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., said as she began her nomination speech for McCarthy.

“To all Americans watching right now, I want to tell you we hear you, we hear you,” Cammack said. “And we will get this right. No matter how messy this process is, we will emerge better for having been through this because nothing great ever comes easy.”.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York was again nominated by his party, with California Rep. Pete Aguilar again giving the speech.

Jan 04, 3:21 PM EST
Biden jokes that a reporter has just been chosen as speaker

President Joe Biden joked to a reporter outside of Air Force One on Wednesday afternoon that “I’ve got good news for you: They just elected you speaker.”

But in a more substantive comment, he again repeated his concerns about how the House will be able to operate given Republican in-fighting.

“Well obviously I am,” he said, when asked if he was concerned about the dangers of the House not being functional.

“I’s embarrassing for the country. I mean literally … that’s the reality, that to have a Congress that can’t function, is just embarrassing,” he said. “We’re the greatest nation in the world, how can that be? And we’ve had a lot of trouble … with the attacks on our institutions already. And that’s what worries me more than anything else.”

-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Jan 04, 2:46 PM EST
McCarthy loses fifth vote for speaker

McCarthy has lost the fifth round of voting for speaker.

The vote count was the same as the previous round: McCarthy received 201 votes, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes and Rep. Byron Donalds, the latest protest nominee from a faction of GOP lawmakers, received 20 votes.

Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz again voted “present.”

Jan 04, 2:37 PM EST
Boebert calls on McCarthy to withdraw

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., a firebrand conservative and McCarthy foe — while nominating Rep. Byron Donalds in the fifth round of voting — said McCarthy does not have the votes to prevail and should withdraw.

She also said that former President Donald Trump, who has backed McCarthy, should now also call on McCarthy to end his bid..

“The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw.”

Other members booed her as she concluded her remarks.

Jan 04, 1:58 PM EST

5th round of voting underway

The House wasted no time in starting up a fifth round of voting for speaker after Kevin McCarthy’s latest loss.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, stood up to nominate McCarthy shortly after the House clerk announced the vote count for the fourth round, during which McCarthy lost another supporter.

“Can we take a win every now and then? And give hope to the forgotten men and women of America, who no longer believe this place, this people’s house?” Davidson said.

Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar again nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert stood up to again nominate Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

Jan 04, 1:55 PM EST
Who is Byron Donalds, latest protest nominee against McCarthy?

Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds was nominated on Wednesday as the latest protest nominee from within the GOP as leader Kevin McCarthy continues to struggle to win a majority to be elected speaker.

Who is Donalds?

Rep. Chip Roy, who nominated Donalds, called him a “dear friend, a solid conservative and, most importantly, a family man.”

Donalds’ campaign team has described him as a “Trump-supporting, liberty-loving, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment Black man.”

Roy noted in his nominating speech on Wednesday that, because Democrats are also nominating their leader, Hakeem Jeffries, “For the first time in history, there have been two Black Americans placed in nomination for speaker of the House.” That prompted a standing ovation from the chamber.

Donalds, like Jeffries, grew up in Brooklyn but went to college in Florida and built a career there in the financial and insurance industries, according to his House biography.

He was first elected to the House in 2020 after serving as a state representative and now represents Florida’s 19th Congressional District.

He and his wife have three sons.

-ABC News’ Adam Carlson and Benjamin Siegel

Jan 04, 1:22 PM EST
McCarthy fails to gain any support, loses speaker vote for 4th time

Kevin McCarthy has added another loss to his bid for House speaker.

McCarthy received 201 votes in the 4th and latest round, his least amount of support so far. On Tuesday, he had 203 votes in the first two rounds followed by 202 votes in the third round.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries netted 212 votes in this round. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, nominated as an alternative to McCarthy, received 20 votes.

One member, Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, voted present — a departure from her three previous votes for McCarthy. Spartz’s present vote prompted cheers from McCarthy’s critics.

Jan 04, 1:19 PM EST
McCarthy, Pelosi on today’s vote as they headed to House floor

Kevin McCarthy, when walking to the House floor just moments before what appears to be another failed bid to be elected speaker, told reporters he remains just as determined to win the gavel.

But there’s still no strategy emerging. Asked how he gets to 218 votes today, he said, “We’re going to continue to talk; we’ll find an agreement, where we all get together, and we’ll work through this and we’ll get it done.”

McCarthy should not expect Democrats to come to the rescue, at least not according to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“This is a problem of their own making,” Pelosi told reporters.

“Don’t put this at the Democrats’ doorstep – this is their problem, and their lack of respect for this institution; their lack of respect for the responsibility that we all have to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and get the job done for the American people,” Pelosi said as she walked to the floor.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

Jan 04, 12:55 PM EST
McCarthy appears headed for another defeat as Donalds nets critical votes

Rep. Byron Donalds already has 13 votes for speaker — apparently enough to defeat McCarthy’s bid to be speaker for a fourth time.

The vote is ongoing, and the final results are yet to be announced.

Jan 04, 12:40 PM EST
Standing ovation from both sides over Donalds nomination

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, pointed out that this is the first time two Black Americans have been nominated for speaker.

His remarks were met with a standing ovation from both Republicans and Democrats.

“However … we do not seek to judge people by the color of their skin, but rather the content of their character,” Roy said after the applause quieted. “Byron Donalds is a good man, raised by a single mom, who moved past adversity, became a Christian man at the age of 21 and has devoted his life to advancing the cause for his family and for this country. And he has done it admirably.”

Democrats nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who has already made history as the first Black man elected to lead a party in Congress. He will serve as the Democratic caucus leader for the next two years.

The fourth vote for speaker is ongoing.

Jan 04, 11:08 AM EST
GOP leadership in talks to adjourn after House reconvenes at noon

Republican leadership is in talks to adjourn the House right after it reconvenes at noon to resume the votes for speaker, sources familiar with the discussions told ABC News.

Some Kevin McCarthy allies have been pushing for the delay, so they can continue to engage in talks behind the scenes.

The House adjourned Tuesday after three rounds of failed votes to elect McCarthy.

It’s not yet clear if there will be any objections to adjourning. There was no roll call vote to adjourn the House Tuesday, but any member can request one.

If there is a roll call vote, which is likely, 218 votes are needed to adjourn the House.

-ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin

Jan 04, 11:14 AM EST
Biden calls GOP fight over speakership ’embarrassing’

Asked on his way out of the White House about the GOP standoff in the House, President Joe Biden said electing a speaker is “not a good look” to the rest of the world.

“That’s not my problem,” Biden offered reporters. “I just think it’s a little embarrassing, that it’s taking so long and the way that they’re dealing with each other. And the rest of the world is looking, they’re looking at can we get our act together.”

“For the first time in 100 years, we can’t move,” he added later on. “It’s not a good look, it’s not a good thing. This is the United States of America, and I hope they get their act together.”

Biden was on his way to highlight improvements to a bridge that connects Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky, to tout an investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law alongside Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Jan 04, 10:44 AM EST
McCarthy arrives on Capitol Hill: ‘I think we’ll get to 218’

Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy arrived on Capitol Hill moments ago and entered the House speaker’s office, although he’s still fighting for the votes to take the position. McCarthy opponent Rep. Matt Gaetz has called him a “squatter” in the office.

McCarthy and his security pushed through a swarm of reporters and photographers who sprinted up the stairs to chase him.

Asked by ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott if he made any progress, McCarthy said, “I think we’ll get to 218.”

Asked by another reporter what the game plan is, he answered, “same as yesterday.”

Jan 04, 10:48 AM EST
Trump repeats endorsement of McCarthy for speaker

Former President Donald Trump again called on Republicans to support McCarthy as the House remains without a speaker and Republicans appear in disarray.

“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 …” Trump posted on Truth Social this morning. “Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – JUST WATCH!”

The post follows McCarthy telling reporters Tuesday night that the former president had reiterated his support for him. In an earlier interview with NBC News, Trump declined to say whether he supported McCarthy.

Among those Republicans who did not vote for McCarthy are some of Trump’s closest supporters in Congress, including Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

It comes almost two years to the day that McCarthy, on the House floor, said Trump “bears responsibility” for the “attack on Congress by mob rioters” on Jan. 6, before flocking to Mar-a-Lago to see Trump three weeks later.

Jan 03, 9:36 PM EST
Speaker vote expected to resume Wednesday

A fourth round of voting for the House speaker is certain to resume after the chamber gathers again on Wednesday at noon.

Members-elect adjourned until then shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, after three rounds of voting failed to elect a speaker.

Republicans, who hold the majority, did not coalesce behind their chosen leader, McCarthy, with roughly 20 lawmakers choosing other candidates.

Walking off the House floor earlier Tuesday, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told reporters that the conference wants to be unified so they can start on long-promised investigations.

He said he does not want to be the speaker, despite the backing of some McCarthy defectors — he said he wants to chair the judiciary committee.

Jan 03, 5:46 PM EST
Frustration was growing as voting wound down

House lawmakers adjourned until Tuesday as some of them grew restless following the three rounds of unsuccessful voting for a new speaker.

Signs of frustration mounted during the third vote, with Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., saying he was backing McCarthy “because I’m interested in governing.”

The voting took place as lawmakers had family and friends in town, and it was unclear at the time how deep into the night voting would go.

McCarthy had vowed to keep voting until there was a speaker, but the motion to adjourn shortly before 6 p.m. drew little opposition.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Benjamin Siegel

Jan 03, 5:35 PM EST
House adjourns, will resume Wednesday

The House overwhelmingly chose late Tuesday afternoon to adjourn until noon on Wednesday after a motion from Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., was adopted by voice vote

That decision came after three unsuccessful rounds saw no member-elect chosen as speaker, including McCarthy.

It’s the first time in a century that the speaker vote has taken multiple rounds.

Jan 03, 5:39 PM EST
McCarthy defector calls for ‘huddle’ to sort out speaker vote

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who changed his vote for speaker in the third round, said on social media that “continuous votes aren’t working.”

Donalds supported McCarthy during the first two rounds of voting, but then switched his choice to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. On Twitter, Donalds indicated that he does not believe McCarthy has the support to ultimately become speaker.

“Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find someone or work out the next steps…but these continuous votes aren’t working for anyone,” Donalds wrote.

“When the dust settles, we will have a Republican Speaker, now is the time for our conference to debate and come to a consensus.”

“Democracy is messy at times, but we will be ready to govern on behalf of the American people. Debate is healthy,” he added.

Jan 03, 5:07 PM EST
McCarthy loses a supporter — and 3rd round of speaker vote

In the third round of voting, 20 Republican lawmakers voted against McCarthy for speaker — the highest amount so far. Those votes went to Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

In the first two rounds, 19 Republicans voted for a different candidate. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., voted for McCarthy two times before changing his vote to Jordan.

McCarthy received 202 votes in the latest round, making it the third time he’s trailed Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats have already elected Jeffries to be their caucus leader in the new Congress.

Jan 03, 4:33 PM EST
McCarthy to ABC: ‘Their secret candidate nominated me’

“We stay in until we win,” McCarthy said as he headed back onto the House floor ahead of the third round.

After huddling with Reps. Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, Patrick McHenry and a few others off the floor, McCarthy told ABC News on his way back to the House floor that the prolonged vote was exactly what he was expecting to happen.

“This isn’t about me; this is about the conference now,” he said.

“If anybody wants to earn something, committee slots or others, you go through the conference to do that. You don’t get it by leveraging people. It just doesn’t happen,” he added.

McCarthy disputed that he hasn’t shown any progress throughout the afternoon.

“They put [Rep.] Jim Jordan [up as a candidate for speaker]. Remember how they all said they had a secret candidate. Their secret candidate nominated me, so where do they go now?”

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Allison Pecorin

Jan 03, 4:34 PM EST
McCarthy gets new defector in third round of voting

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., switched his vote for speaker after voting for McCarthy in the first two rounds.

Donalds, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, backed Rep. Jim Jordan in the third round of voting. If every candidate who voted for Jordan on the second ballot does so again, the Ohioan will get at least 20 votes.

Jan 03, 4:37 PM EST
Historic 3rd speaker vote underway in the House

Ahead of the House entering a third vote for the speakership, Rep. Pete Aguilar again nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for Democrats, prompting “Hakeem” chants from their side of the chamber, as Republicans remain in disarray.

“For unity in Congress and progress in our country, Democrats are united behind Hakeem Jeffries. I recommend Hakeem Jeffries as our speaker,” Aguilar said to applause.

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas nominated Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, again, despite Jordan losing in prior votes, his saying he didn’t want the position and asking Republicans to unite around McCarthy.

“Now, Jim has said he doesn’t want that nomination, and Jim has been down here nominating Kevin, and I respect that. Again, I have no personal animus toward Kevin,” Roy said. “But we do not have the tools or the leadership yet to stop the swamp from rolling over the American people. Jim has been doing it, he has a track record for doing that, and for those reasons, I’m nominating Jim Jordan for speaker of the House.”

Jan 03, 4:15 PM EST
Scalise says McCarthy critics are obstructing legislation

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., McCarthy’s No. 2, slammed McCarthy’s critics as obstructionists to legislative efforts to tackle issues like immigration and energy reserves.

“We all came here to get things done. To get big things done. To solve the problems. And I hope when we get through today that all the members on both sides of the aisle will get together to solve the problems,” he said when nominating McCarthy before the third round of voting.

However, he said, “we can’t start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy” as speaker.

Scalise’s speech came after Jordan nominated McCarthy. Both men have been floated as potential alternatives if McCarthy is unable to win the majority needed to clinch the speakership.

Jan 03, 4:00 PM EST
Scalise seems to be drafting McCarthy nomination speech

ABC News’ Ben Siegel, on the House floor, spotted Steve Scalise seemingly drafting a nomination speech for Kevin McCarthy.

This would mark another twist as Republicans still struggle to coalesce around any single candidate.

Jan 03, 3:58 PM EST
White House ‘willing to work’ with GOP in new Congress but avoids weighing in on leadership fight

After two failed votes to select a House speaker on Capitol Hill, the White House said it is “certainly not going to insert ourselves” into that process but are
“looking forward to working” with the new Republican-controlled House.

Asked by ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce what the president wants to work on with Republicans once the House GOP leadership is in place, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre didn’t offer any specifics on what policies it wants to be first on the agenda.

“He’s willing to work with Republicans who are willing to continue to deliver for the American people,” she said. “He is very optimistic on what lies ahead and how we are going to move our country forward.”

And when asked whether it may be more difficult to work with Republicans after the ongoing leadership fight, Jean-Pierre repeated President Joe Biden’s optimism and noted bipartisan legislation that was passed in his first two years.

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez

Jan 03, 3:31 PM EST
Jordan says he told Gaetz not to nominate him as speaker

Right after Rep. Jim Jordan spoke on the House floor following the first vote — to support McCarthy in the next round — Rep. Matt Gaetz turned the tables and enthusiastically nominated Jordan to be speaker.

But Jordan told ABC News afterward that he told Matt Gaetz not to nominate him. Jordan would go on to pick up 19 votes in the second ballot.

Gaetz had said weeks ago he thought Jordan would be a good choice for speaker.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Katherine Faulders

Jan 03, 3:27 PM EST
McCarthy loses 2nd ballot as 19 Republicans vote for Jordan

Kevin McCarthy has fallen short of the votes needed to win House speaker for a second time.

Once again, 19 Republicans voted against McCarthy — this time unanimously backing Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

Jordan had urged his colleagues to back McCarthy as he nominated the California congressman for speaker. But Rep. Matt Gaetz stood up to nominate Jordan, calling him the “most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference.”

The House vote was identical to the first round: McCarthy again won 203 votes compared to Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ 212 votes.

Jan 03, 2:45 PM EST
Jordan wins enough votes to deny McCarthy speakership in 2nd vote

Enough Republicans have already voted for Jordan to deny McCarthy the speakership in a second ballot.

Just after Jordan rose to renominate McCarthy before the start of the second round of voting, nine Republicans backed the Ohioan before vote counting even got halfway through the alphabet.

Jordan was able to flip a number of Republicans who opposed McCarthy on the first ballot but didn’t vote for him, including Biggs, who voted for himself during the initial round of voting.

Jan 03, 2:31 PM EST
Gaetz nominates Jordan after Jordan urges colleagues to back McCarthy

After Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio took to the floor to encourage Republicans to back Rep. Kevin McCarthy for speaker, Rep. Matt Gaetz got up to nominate Jordan for the position.

“I rise to nominate the most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference, who just gave a speech with more vision than we have ever heard from the alternative,” the Florida congressman said.

“Jim Jordan is humble. Perhaps today, humble to a fault,” Gaetz continued. “Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants it so bad. Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who has sold shares of themselves for more than a decade to get it.”

In the first round of voting, Jordan received six votes.

Jan 03, 2:28 PM EST
Jim Jordan nominates McCarthy in 2nd round of voting

After receiving six votes of his own on the first ballot, Rep. Jim Jordan nominated Kevin McCarthy in the second round of voting for House speaker.

“I rise to nominate Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House,” Jordan said, prompting applause from several Republican members.

“We need to rally around him, come together, and deal with these three things, because this is what the people sent us here to do,” he added, ticking through Republican priorities in the new Congress.

“We owe it to them, the American people, the good people of this great country, to step forward to come together, get a speaker elected so we can address these three things. I hope you’ll vote for Kevin McCarthy and that’s why I’m proud to nominate him for speaker of the House,” Jordan said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Bob Good, one of the original “Never Kevin” members, said off the House floor that he plans to vote for Jordan on the second ballot despite Jordan’s call to support McCarthy — and expects other detractors will follow.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin

Jan 03, 2:20 PM EST
‘Optics are terrible’: ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on GOP speaker battle

ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl weighed in after the first ballot vote for House speaker.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy fell well short of the majority needed to clinch the position. He received 203 votes, while Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries received 212. Nineteen lawmakers voted for someone else.

“The optics for Republicans is terrible,” Karl told ABC’s David Muir following the vote.

“They’ve taken control, they’ve won control of the House by a narrow majority, and [in the] first act of this Republican House, more votes went to the liberal Democrat candidate for speaker than went for Kevin McCarthy. Think about that David,” Karl said.

Jan 03, 2:13 PM EST
McCarthy to ABC News: Vote against him ‘exactly what we thought it’d be’

McCarthy told ABC News, after stepping off the House floor, that the current vote against him was “exactly what we thought it’d be.”

McCarthy added that this vote could go on for days and that “we got a number of members who are trying to fight for their own personal items” instead of for the country.

When asked how he what he can do to persuade the large number of members who voted against him by voting for others, McCarthy said he needs to convince them that “they don’t win gavels by trying to threaten or leverage somebody … I don’t think that’s what their constituents elected.”

-ABC News’ Will Steakin

Jan 03, 1:54 PM EST
McCarthy falls short in first speaker vote

After the first round of voting, no member obtained the 218 votes needed to become House speaker, but Democrat Hakeem Jeffries earned more votes than Kevin McCarthy — on the first day of a new Republican-controlled House.

Jeffries received 212 votes to McCarthy’s 203. Far-right Republican Andy Biggs of Arizona received 10 votes, and there were nine votes for others, including six for Rep. Jim Jordan, and, in a surprise move, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas voted for Florida’s Byron Donalds.

Nineteen Republicans broke from McCarthy, who could only afford to lose four, marking a stunning defeat by 15 votes. Despite having a majority this Congress, McCarthy got fewer votes this time than the last time he ran for speaker against Nancy Pelosi.

For the first time since 1923 — and the first time since floor proceedings have been televised — the speaker’s vote appears headed towards a second ballot.

While McCarthy has signaled he’s up for more voting rounds, he faces a steep hurdle in a second vote with so many lawmakers to win over — and the potential for Republicans to nominate another member, such as No. 2 Steve Scalise.

Jan 03, 1:37 PM EST
McCarthy gets quick standing ovation after voting for himself

After standing to cast a voice vote for himself, Kevin McCarthy smiled as he got a round of applause from his GOP supporters – even as it appeared that he would lose the first ballot for speaker.

McCarthy faced enough defections from his conference – with some voting for Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona or Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio – to likely not prevail in the first tally.

But the quick standing ovation for McCarthy was both indicative of the support he still has in the House Republican Conference and the challenges of a slim Republican House majority.

Jan 03, 1:41 PM EST
Appears McCarthy will not have votes on first ballot to be elected

The majority of House Republicans applauded when Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to nominate Kevin McCarthy — but more than a dozen, most of them sitting by the center aisle in the second to last row of the chamber, sat on their hands. The applause for McCarthy was hardly thunderous.

And with every vote against McCarthy, the sounds of murmuring in the chamber grew, as it also grew more obvious that McCarthy will not have the votes on the first ballot to be elected speaker.

In contrast, Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., had a sustained standing ovation when he nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY. Once the applause died down, Aguilar declared, “Today, House Democrats are united” — prompting even louder and more sustained applause from Democrats — while McCarthy sat silently and stone-faced on the other side of the aisle.

As McCarthy entered the rear of the chamber through the center door about 15 minutes earlier, he did so quietly and with little fanfare. Most people on the floor seemed not to notice. He walked all the way down to the area in front of the clerk before somebody went to talk to him, and it was a staffer for Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.

-ABC News’ Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl

Jan 03, 1:00 PM EST
Tense roll call vote begins

A tense roll call vote for speaker is beginning.

In alphabetical order, members are being asked to say aloud whom they are voting for as speaker.

-ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel

Jan 03, 12:53 PM EST
Aguilar declares Democrats ‘united’ behind Hakeem Jeffries

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., has nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York to be the House minority leader.

Jeffries has made history as the first Black leader to be elected leader a congressional caucus. He was elected by Democrats in late November after Rep. Nancy Pelosi announced she was stepping down from the role.

“Today, madam clerk, House Democrats are united by a speaker who will people over politics,” Aguilar declared, an apparent dig at Republicans as the party struggles to unite behind a candidate for speaker.

“Hakeem Jeffries has worked his entire life to improve economic opportunity for all people. He’s committed to strengthening the American dream by lowering costs for working families, building safer communities by taking weapons of war off streets and by creating good-paying jobs in industries of the future.”

“He does not traffic in extremism,” Aguilar continued. “He does not grovel to or make excuses for a twice impeached so-called former president. Madam clerk, he does not bend a knee to everyone who would seek to undermine our democracy because, madam clerk, that’s not what leaders do.”

Jeffries and Pelosi greeted each other on the House floor on Tuesday morning.

Jan 03, 12:46 PM EST
Stefanik introduces McCarthy as GOP nominee for speaker

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., introduced Kevin McCarthy on the House floor as the GOP nominee for speaker.

Stefanik, a McCarthy ally, touted the Californian’s efforts to bolster House Republicans’ ranks by campaigning for diverse candidates from coast to coast.

“Since the day Kevin was elected as our leader, House Republicans have only gained seats and won,” she said. “Kevin knows what we stand for, he knows when to engage in the fight, and he knows how to build consensus.”

“His relentless effort has yielded an extraordinary House Republican majority,” she added. “Today’s House Republican Conference is the most diverse Republican conference in our nation’s history.”

And while her speech was mostly focused on building up McCarthy, Stefanik also offered a dig at his detractors, boasting that “Kevin McCarthy has earned this speakership of the ‘People’s House.'”

Jan 03, 12:44 PM EST
Magnetometers at House chamber entrances removed

Ahead of the vote for speaker, the magnetometers placed outside the doors of the House chamber in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol have been removed, as the new GOP majority demanded.

The GOP’s new proposed House rules had called for removing the magnetometers.

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, Will Steakin and Nicole Moeder

Jan 03, 12:33 PM EST
VP Kamala Harris swears in new senators

As House Republicans enter the 118th Congress in disarray over who will hold the speaker’s gavel, the Democrat-controlled Senate opened with Vice President Kamala Harris swearing in new members and those who won reelection in November.

Among the new faces in the chamber are Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, Alabama’s Katie Britt and Missouri’s Eric Schmitt.

Arizona’s Mark Kelly and Georgia’s Raphael Warnock were sworn in for their first full, six-year terms.

Despite losing majority control in the House, Democrats expanded their advantage in the Senate by one seat.

Jan 03, 10:39 AM EST
McCarthy tells Republicans ‘I earned this job’: Source

In a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, Kevin McCarthy made a last-ditch case for speaker.

“I’m not going to go away. I’m going to stand until the last four friends stand with me,” he told the GOP members, according to a source in the room.

“I earned this job,” McCarthy said. “We earned this majority, and goddammit we are going to win it today.”

Jan 03, 10:33 AM EST
Rep.-elect George Santos arrives near House office

Rep.-elect George Santos, who has faced controversy and national attention for lying about or embellishing details of his background, was spotted by reporters in Congress Tuesday morning.

Santos was walking toward his office in the Longworth House Office Building, accompanied by a staffer, when he stopped and turned the other way once he saw reporters.

He declined to answer most questions, but told ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa he will vote for Kevin McCarthy for speaker.

Santos faced calls for accountability from some Republicans, but not from current Republican House leadership. He has said he will serve out his term in the House.

New members of the House will not be sworn in until a speaker is elected.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa, and Oren Oppenheim

Jan 03, 10:20 AM EST
McCarthy ready to battle for speaker’s gavel, sources say

As Republicans met behind closed doors ahead of the speaker vote, it appeared Kevin McCarthy still did not have the votes needed to be elected.

Sources close to the Republican leader say he’s ready to battle it out. It could go into multiple rounds of votes — something that hasn’t happened in 100 years — and the floor fight could drag on for hours, if not days. The longest battle for speaker was in 1856, and it took two months and 133 votes to resolve.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, who opposes McCarthy’s bid, has warned, “We may see the cherry blossoms bloom in Washington, D.C. before a speaker is elected.”

All of this overshadows the start of the new Congress where Republicans have a majority in the House for the first time since 2018.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott

Jan 03, 9:43 AM EST
McCarthy arrives for GOP meeting: ‘We are going to have a good day’

Rep. McCarthy has arrived for a closed-door meeting with his fellow Republicans.

“We are going to have a good day today,” McCarthy said as he walked by reporters, who asked if he had the votes for speaker.

The California congressman then laughed as a reporter asked if he’d support Rep. Steve Scalise for speaker should he fail to get enough votes.

Jan 03, 9:42 AM EST
‘Follow Kevin McCarthy’ sign posted outside speaker’s office

Hours before the vote to elect a new House speaker, a sign has appeared in front of the speaker’s office with the message: “Follow Kevin McCarthy.”

McCarthy was set to shore up more support for his speaker bid in a closed-door meeting with the Republican caucus this morning. He faces opposition from a group of hard-line conservatives, who could sink what is his second attempt to hold the gavel.

The California congressman’s belongings have been brought into the speaker’s suite, but if he doesn’t get enough votes, he’ll have to move out.

Jan 03, 8:52 AM EST
GOP conference to hold last-minute meeting before speaker vote

The House Republican conference will meet behind closed doors at 9:30 a.m., just hours before the speaker vote begins at noon.

While McCarthy might be able to garner more support in a last-ditch appeal, his detractors have boasted that they’ll be able to muster the necessary opposition to block his bid.

Rep. Scott Perry, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus who is leading the group of hard-line conservatives opposing McCarthy’s bid, released a new statement Tuesday morning blasting the California congressman.

“In his 14 years in Republican Leadership, McCarthy has repeatedly failed to demonstrate any desire to meaningfully change the status quo in Washington,” Perry said.

Jan 03, 8:36 AM EST
McCarthy’s rise from California politics to GOP leader

Kevin McCarthy began his career as a staffer to then-Rep. Bill Thomas before chairing the California Young Republicans and later the Young Republican National Federation.

He was first elected to office in 2002, serving in the California state Assembly until 2007, when was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. At the time, he was dubbed one of the “young guns” of the next generation of conservative leadership.

McCarthy tried to become speaker in 2015 but his chance evaporated after resistance from the same kind of conservatives who are trying to block his path Tuesday. When Democrats took control of the House in 2018, McCarthy was elected House minority leader.

Jan 03, 8:26 AM EST
McCarthy’s bid for speaker unclear as new Congress set to begin

Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker of the House is still clouded in uncertainty as lawmakers head to Capitol Hill for the first day of the 118th Congress.

McCarthy and his staffers spent the day Monday setting up the speaker’s office but he may have to move his belongings out if he fails to clinch the votes needed to secure the position.

A few dozen members piled into McCarthy’s office throughout the day Monday to go over last-minute strategy. ABC News spotted three McCarthy critics during the afternoon meeting: Reps. Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert and Scott Perry.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a McCarthy supporter, told ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, “the problem is the people need to realize the art of the deal. They are all Trump supporters, and you can’t be successful if you’re not willing to take the wins when you get them” when asked about those in her party who are trying to tank McCarthy’s bid.

Rep. Jim Jordan, whose name has been floated around as a potential speaker candidate, said he believes McCarthy “can get there.”

McCarthy, however, didn’t directly answer reporter’s questions about how the vote could go, telling them, “I hope you all have a very nice New Year’s” as he exited the Capitol on Monday night.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Donald Trump’s McCarthy endorsement a non-factor in GOP speaker standoff

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — As Kevin McCarthy faced Day 2 of his struggle to become House speaker, he got an enthusiastic vote of confidence from Donald Trump.

The former president did more than endorse McCarthy for speaker (something he had already done months ago); he warned Republicans that failing to elect McCarthy would be a disaster for the Republican Party.

“VOTE FOR KEVIN,” Trump admonished in all-caps on his Truth Social platform Wednesday morning. “DO NOT TURN A GREAT TRUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT.”

And what happened? Not a single anti-McCarthy Republican did what Trump asked. In fact, the number of votes for McCarthy actually went down in the round of balloting after Trump’s statement, as Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., switched from voting in favor of McCarthy to voting “present.”

Afterward, Spartz was utterly dismissive of Trump’s McCarthy endorsement.

“I am an independent legislator,” she told reporters. “I what my people say and the people who elected me.”

Anti-McCarthy hardliner and die-hard Trump-backer Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado not only disregarded his warning — she called him out on the House floor.

“Let’s stop with the campaign smears and tactics to get people to turn against us, even having my favorite president call us and tell us we need to knock this off, I think it actually needs to be reversed. The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that, sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw.”

Donald Trump’s inability to sway a single Republican vote says as much about Trump as it does about McCarthy.

The anti-McCarthy revolt has been led by some of the most fervently pro-Trump Republicans in the House. If Trump is powerless to influence even their votes, what power does Trump really have?

McCarthy worked hard to get Trump’s endorsement. He cultivated a close relationship with Trump while he was president and became the first Republican leader to visit Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House, famously posing a photo with Trump a mere three weeks after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

In a way, McCarthy’s strategy worked. Trump has consistently supported McCarthy’s bid for speaker, endorsing him even before Republicans won the majority las November.

Trump has even made calls to House Republicans urging them to vote for McCarthy. But winning Trump’s support, hasn’t helped McCarthy win the speakership.

As one close adviser to Trump told ABC News, “To be brutally frank, I’m not sure he’s moved one vote.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New Congress live updates: House breaks again after McCarthy loses six speaker votes

Michael Godek/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The House Republican leadership standoff is in a second day Wednesday after three failed votes to decide on a speaker Tuesday.

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is so far being stymied by a small group of hardliners demanding concessions or alternative candidates.

The House can conduct no other business — and members can’t be sworn in — until a speaker is chosen.

Here’s how the story is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 04, 5:00 PM EST
State spokesperson on House speaker vote: ‘Democracy at work’

While the State Department does not frequently weigh in on matters of domestic politics, spokesperson Ned Price on Wednesday afternoon directly addressed the tumult on Capitol Hill, painting a cheerier outlook than President Joe Biden did earlier.

Price was asked what message other countries around the world might take from the prolonged vote for House speaker — the first in a century.

“Our message has never been that democracy is neat or that democracy is seamless in terms of its operations. But what we’re seeing, what the world is seeing, are our democratic institutions at work,” Price said. “They are seeing our democracy at work.”

“Democracy isn’t always without its complications. But when processes are followed, institutions are respected, ultimately the outcome is one that everyone can get behind.”

Reporters asked Price whether the redundant, and so far fruitless, votes in the House — which is keeping the chamber in limbo — might give the impression of an inefficient governing system and if the first failed speaker vote in 100 years was an indicator that U.S. democracy was weakening.

“Look, I’m not going to characterize the U.S. political system,” Price said. “I will just say that there is a process that is being hued to right now by elected lawmakers. That in itself is a testament to the functioning of democracy, even if that functioning may be taking just a little bit longer than it has in the past 100 years or so.”

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Jan 04, 5:06 PM EST
Meet ‘the most famous future member of Congress’

ABC News’ Jay O’Brien caught up with Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., outside of the House floor during the sixth round of votes for speaker — but Gomez wasn’t alone.

He was holding, in a swaddle, who ABC News Live anchor Kyra Phillips called “probably the most famous future member of Congress.”

Gomez had brought along his 4-month-old son Hodge for the votes on Tuesday and Wednesday; photos of the baby had already lit up social media.

“One of the things my wife and I wanted to do is make sure that he was, you know, personable, he got along with people and that he loved people,” Gomez said. “So we started making sure that he was used to it. And then he loved it. He loved being on the floor. Everybody was smiling at him, playing with him … And I think he’s gotten more votes for speaker than I have, maybe even Kevin McCarthy.”

Gomez called his son “my legacy, and I think all kids are our legacy. So I realized I wanted to bring him to the [House] floor to have him witness history, but also to recognize that he is what we’re fighting for. He represents the millions of kids that don’t have the privilege to be on the floor.”

O’Brien noted how well behaved Hodge was in the bustling chamber. Hodge had no comment but seemed to bob his head in response.

Of the news of the day, Gomez said he does not believe any Democrats will break ranks to vote for McCarthy, who has so far failed to unify the GOP majority to vote for him as speaker.

Jan 04, 4:36 PM EST
House adjourns until 8 p.m.

With the Republican conference still divided between a pro-McCarthy majority and 20 anti-McCarthy members, the House has chosen to adjourn until 8 p.m.

The motion from Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., was adopted by voice vote, though Democrats appeared staunchly opposed to the break — but did not call for a recorded vote.

Shortly before adjournment, McCarthy told reporters “we’re gonna break in a little then go meet” when asked what was next after the sixth failed vote.

Jan 04, 4:21 PM EST
McCarthy loses speaker vote for the sixth time

McCarthy, for the sixth time in two days, has failed to get enough votes to become the next speaker of the House.

The vote count for this round was unchanged from the previous two rounds: McCarthy won 201 votes, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries won 212 votes and Rep. Byron Donalds, the current GOP protest candidate against McCarthy, won 20 votes.

Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz also voted “present” for the third time.

Jan 04, 3:56 PM EST
McCarthy says: ‘We’re gonna break … then go meet’

McCarthy is likely to continue negotiating into Wednesday night, after two days of failed speaker votes, and ABC News has learned that he is working to set up talks to attempt to come to an agreement with the group of 20 voting against him.

The logistics of such talks are still being nailed down — and according to people close to him, there is no singular leader of this group of 20.

When this will happen is unclear. Democrats and some Republicans have not yet wanted to adjourn the House, meaning they do not have the votes for adjourning and then continuing negotiations.

Off the House floor during the sixth round of voting, which McCarthy looked set to lose as well, he told reporters that “we’re gonna break in a little then go meet” when asked what’s next. He did not give any other specifics.

The House on Tuesday afternoon adjourned for the day after three rounds of votes, and they could repeat that pattern on Wednesday.

McCarthy has already made some major concessions to his critics without winning their support. He has agreed to lower the threshold to five members to force a vote to remove the speaker — known as a motion to vacate the chair.

Some anti-McCarthy members want this threshold to be lowered to one member.

Others have said that they want more responsibilities on the the panel charged with placing members on committees — known as the steering committee — and have proposed giving more members of the House Freedom Caucus and Republican Study Committee designated seats on it.

McCarthy would likely only agree to this if he knew he was able to flip enough votes.

Former congressman Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party in 2019 and became the first member of Congress to call for Donald Trump to be impeached, is also present on the House floor.

He spoke to reporters, saying he’s here to pitch himself as a consensus speaker candidate if he’s needed and said he plans to speak to members about it. (This is a long shot bid, although the speaker does not need to be a current member of Congress.)

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin

Jan 04, 4:01 PM EST
Perry is latest McCarthy critic to nominates Donalds

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chair of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, nominated Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for speaker in the sixth round of voting.

“He has accomplished many things. He is a man of faith, he is a family man, he is a businessman … he has come from the school of hard knocks,” Perry said. “He’s got a record of accomplishing things. He’s got a record of being on the right side. He is respected. He is trusted.”

Perry also took a swipe at GOP leader McCarthy and his allies, who have suggested the Californian is responsible for heralding in the new Republican majority.

“I think the person that has done the most to make this fabulous, this wonderful Republican majority, is Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and her policies. That’s what has achieved this majority here,” he said.

Donalds is so far earning 20 votes from Republicans in each round. He initially voted for McCarthy in the early rounds but switched his vote, saying McCarthy couldn’t win.

Jan 04, 4:32 PM EST
Cammack sparks Dem outrage after suggesting they brought alcohol to the floor

Remarks from Republican Rep. Kat Cammack suggesting Democrats brought alcohol into the chamber caused an outcry from the party shortly before the sixth round of speaker voting began.

“Diversity of thought is a good thing. But they want us divided. They want us to fight each other. That much has been made clear by the popcorn and blankets and alcohol that has come in over there,” she said as she was nominating McCarthy.

Some Democrats shouted back “take down her words!” — referring to a request to have her comment formally challenged and then stricken — and “make her apologize!”

Many members were also heard vocally reacting, including yelling objections.

Clerk Cheryl Johnson then asked “all members-elect to abide by the established decorum of the House” while nominating candidates for speaker.

Jan 04, 3:22 PM EST
House setting up sixth vote: ‘It’s Groundhog Day’

The House is moving full steam ahead with a sixth round of voting on Wednesday.

“Well, it’s Groundhog Day, again,” Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., said as she began her nomination speech for McCarthy.

“To all Americans watching right now, I want to tell you we hear you, we hear you,” Cammack said. “And we will get this right. No matter how messy this process is, we will emerge better for having been through this because nothing great ever comes easy.”.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York was again nominated by his party, with California Rep. Pete Aguilar again giving the speech.

Jan 04, 3:21 PM EST
Biden jokes that a reporter has just been chosen as speaker

President Joe Biden joked to a reporter outside of Air Force One on Wednesday afternoon that “I’ve got good news for you: They just elected you speaker.”

But in a more substantive comment, he again repeated his concerns about how the House will be able to operate given Republican in-fighting.

“Well obviously I am,” he said, when asked if he was concerned about the dangers of the House not being functional.

“I’s embarrassing for the country. I mean literally … that’s the reality, that to have a Congress that can’t function, is just embarrassing,” he said. “We’re the greatest nation in the world, how can that be? And we’ve had a lot of trouble … with the attacks on our institutions already. And that’s what worries me more than anything else.”

-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Jan 04, 2:46 PM EST
McCarthy loses fifth vote for speaker

McCarthy has lost the fifth round of voting for speaker.

The vote count was the same as the previous round: McCarthy received 201 votes, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes and Rep. Byron Donalds, the latest protest nominee from a faction of GOP lawmakers, received 20 votes.

Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz again voted “present.”

Jan 04, 2:37 PM EST
Boebert calls on McCarthy to withdraw

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., a firebrand conservative and McCarthy foe — while nominating Rep. Byron Donalds in the fifth round of voting — said McCarthy does not have the votes to prevail and should withdraw.

She also said that former President Donald Trump, who has backed McCarthy, should now also call on McCarthy to end his bid..

“The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw.”

Other members booed her as she concluded her remarks.

Jan 04, 1:58 PM EST

5th round of voting underway

The House wasted no time in starting up a fifth round of voting for speaker after Kevin McCarthy’s latest loss.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, stood up to nominate McCarthy shortly after the House clerk announced the vote count for the fourth round, during which McCarthy lost another supporter.

“Can we take a win every now and then? And give hope to the forgotten men and women of America, who no longer believe this place, this people’s house?” Davidson said.

Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar again nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert stood up to again nominate Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

Jan 04, 1:55 PM EST
Who is Byron Donalds, latest protest nominee against McCarthy?

Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds was nominated on Wednesday as the latest protest nominee from within the GOP as leader Kevin McCarthy continues to struggle to win a majority to be elected speaker.

Who is Donalds?

Rep. Chip Roy, who nominated Donalds, called him a “dear friend, a solid conservative and, most importantly, a family man.”

Donalds’ campaign team has described him as a “Trump-supporting, liberty-loving, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment Black man.”

Roy noted in his nominating speech on Wednesday that, because Democrats are also nominating their leader, Hakeem Jeffries, “For the first time in history, there have been two Black Americans placed in nomination for speaker of the House.” That prompted a standing ovation from the chamber.

Donalds, like Jeffries, grew up in Brooklyn but went to college in Florida and built a career there in the financial and insurance industries, according to his House biography.

He was first elected to the House in 2020 after serving as a state representative and now represents Florida’s 19th Congressional District.

He and his wife have three sons.

-ABC News’ Adam Carlson and Benjamin Siegel

Jan 04, 1:22 PM EST
McCarthy fails to gain any support, loses speaker vote for 4th time

Kevin McCarthy has added another loss to his bid for House speaker.

McCarthy received 201 votes in the 4th and latest round, his least amount of support so far. On Tuesday, he had 203 votes in the first two rounds followed by 202 votes in the third round.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries netted 212 votes in this round. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, nominated as an alternative to McCarthy, received 20 votes.

One member, Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, voted present — a departure from her three previous votes for McCarthy. Spartz’s present vote prompted cheers from McCarthy’s critics.

Jan 04, 1:19 PM EST
McCarthy, Pelosi on today’s vote as they headed to House floor

Kevin McCarthy, when walking to the House floor just moments before what appears to be another failed bid to be elected speaker, told reporters he remains just as determined to win the gavel.

But there’s still no strategy emerging. Asked how he gets to 218 votes today, he said, “We’re going to continue to talk; we’ll find an agreement, where we all get together, and we’ll work through this and we’ll get it done.”

McCarthy should not expect Democrats to come to the rescue, at least not according to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“This is a problem of their own making,” Pelosi told reporters.

“Don’t put this at the Democrats’ doorstep – this is their problem, and their lack of respect for this institution; their lack of respect for the responsibility that we all have to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and get the job done for the American people,” Pelosi said as she walked to the floor.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

Jan 04, 12:55 PM EST
McCarthy appears headed for another defeat as Donalds nets critical votes

Rep. Byron Donalds already has 13 votes for speaker — apparently enough to defeat McCarthy’s bid to be speaker for a fourth time.

The vote is ongoing, and the final results are yet to be announced.

Jan 04, 12:40 PM EST
Standing ovation from both sides over Donalds nomination

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, pointed out that this is the first time two Black Americans have been nominated for speaker.

His remarks were met with a standing ovation from both Republicans and Democrats.

“However … we do not seek to judge people by the color of their skin, but rather the content of their character,” Roy said after the applause quieted. “Byron Donalds is a good man, raised by a single mom, who moved past adversity, became a Christian man at the age of 21 and has devoted his life to advancing the cause for his family and for this country. And he has done it admirably.”

Democrats nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who has already made history as the first Black man elected to lead a party in Congress. He will serve as the Democratic caucus leader for the next two years.

The fourth vote for speaker is ongoing.

Jan 04, 11:08 AM EST
GOP leadership in talks to adjourn after House reconvenes at noon

Republican leadership is in talks to adjourn the House right after it reconvenes at noon to resume the votes for speaker, sources familiar with the discussions told ABC News.

Some Kevin McCarthy allies have been pushing for the delay, so they can continue to engage in talks behind the scenes.

The House adjourned Tuesday after three rounds of failed votes to elect McCarthy.

It’s not yet clear if there will be any objections to adjourning. There was no roll call vote to adjourn the House Tuesday, but any member can request one.

If there is a roll call vote, which is likely, 218 votes are needed to adjourn the House.

-ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin

Jan 04, 11:14 AM EST
Biden calls GOP fight over speakership ’embarrassing’

Asked on his way out of the White House about the GOP standoff in the House, President Joe Biden said electing a speaker is “not a good look” to the rest of the world.

“That’s not my problem,” Biden offered reporters. “I just think it’s a little embarrassing, that it’s taking so long and the way that they’re dealing with each other. And the rest of the world is looking, they’re looking at can we get our act together.”

“For the first time in 100 years, we can’t move,” he added later on. “It’s not a good look, it’s not a good thing. This is the United States of America, and I hope they get their act together.”

Biden was on his way to highlight improvements to a bridge that connects Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky, to tout an investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law alongside Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Jan 04, 10:44 AM EST
McCarthy arrives on Capitol Hill: ‘I think we’ll get to 218’

Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy arrived on Capitol Hill moments ago and entered the House speaker’s office, although he’s still fighting for the votes to take the position. McCarthy opponent Rep. Matt Gaetz has called him a “squatter” in the office.

McCarthy and his security pushed through a swarm of reporters and photographers who sprinted up the stairs to chase him.

Asked by ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott if he made any progress, McCarthy said, “I think we’ll get to 218.”

Asked by another reporter what the game plan is, he answered, “same as yesterday.”

Jan 04, 10:48 AM EST
Trump repeats endorsement of McCarthy for speaker

Former President Donald Trump again called on Republicans to support McCarthy as the House remains without a speaker and Republicans appear in disarray.

“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 …” Trump posted on Truth Social this morning. “Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – JUST WATCH!”

The post follows McCarthy telling reporters Tuesday night that the former president had reiterated his support for him. In an earlier interview with NBC News, Trump declined to say whether he supported McCarthy.

Among those Republicans who did not vote for McCarthy are some of Trump’s closest supporters in Congress, including Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

It comes almost two years to the day that McCarthy, on the House floor, said Trump “bears responsibility” for the “attack on Congress by mob rioters” on Jan. 6, before flocking to Mar-a-Lago to see Trump three weeks later.

Jan 03, 9:36 PM EST
Speaker vote expected to resume Wednesday

A fourth round of voting for the House speaker is certain to resume after the chamber gathers again on Wednesday at noon.

Members-elect adjourned until then shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, after three rounds of voting failed to elect a speaker.

Republicans, who hold the majority, did not coalesce behind their chosen leader, McCarthy, with roughly 20 lawmakers choosing other candidates.

Walking off the House floor earlier Tuesday, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told reporters that the conference wants to be unified so they can start on long-promised investigations.

He said he does not want to be the speaker, despite the backing of some McCarthy defectors — he said he wants to chair the judiciary committee.

Jan 03, 5:46 PM EST
Frustration was growing as voting wound down

House lawmakers adjourned until Tuesday as some of them grew restless following the three rounds of unsuccessful voting for a new speaker.

Signs of frustration mounted during the third vote, with Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., saying he was backing McCarthy “because I’m interested in governing.”

The voting took place as lawmakers had family and friends in town, and it was unclear at the time how deep into the night voting would go.

McCarthy had vowed to keep voting until there was a speaker, but the motion to adjourn shortly before 6 p.m. drew little opposition.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Benjamin Siegel

Jan 03, 5:35 PM EST
House adjourns, will resume Wednesday

The House overwhelmingly chose late Tuesday afternoon to adjourn until noon on Wednesday after a motion from Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., was adopted by voice vote

That decision came after three unsuccessful rounds saw no member-elect chosen as speaker, including McCarthy.

It’s the first time in a century that the speaker vote has taken multiple rounds.

Jan 03, 5:39 PM EST
McCarthy defector calls for ‘huddle’ to sort out speaker vote

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who changed his vote for speaker in the third round, said on social media that “continuous votes aren’t working.”

Donalds supported McCarthy during the first two rounds of voting, but then switched his choice to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. On Twitter, Donalds indicated that he does not believe McCarthy has the support to ultimately become speaker.

“Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find someone or work out the next steps…but these continuous votes aren’t working for anyone,” Donalds wrote.

“When the dust settles, we will have a Republican Speaker, now is the time for our conference to debate and come to a consensus.”

“Democracy is messy at times, but we will be ready to govern on behalf of the American people. Debate is healthy,” he added.

Jan 03, 5:07 PM EST
McCarthy loses a supporter — and 3rd round of speaker vote

In the third round of voting, 20 Republican lawmakers voted against McCarthy for speaker — the highest amount so far. Those votes went to Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

In the first two rounds, 19 Republicans voted for a different candidate. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., voted for McCarthy two times before changing his vote to Jordan.

McCarthy received 202 votes in the latest round, making it the third time he’s trailed Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats have already elected Jeffries to be their caucus leader in the new Congress.

Jan 03, 4:33 PM EST
McCarthy to ABC: ‘Their secret candidate nominated me’

“We stay in until we win,” McCarthy said as he headed back onto the House floor ahead of the third round.

After huddling with Reps. Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, Patrick McHenry and a few others off the floor, McCarthy told ABC News on his way back to the House floor that the prolonged vote was exactly what he was expecting to happen.

“This isn’t about me; this is about the conference now,” he said.

“If anybody wants to earn something, committee slots or others, you go through the conference to do that. You don’t get it by leveraging people. It just doesn’t happen,” he added.

McCarthy disputed that he hasn’t shown any progress throughout the afternoon.

“They put [Rep.] Jim Jordan [up as a candidate for speaker]. Remember how they all said they had a secret candidate. Their secret candidate nominated me, so where do they go now?”

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Allison Pecorin

Jan 03, 4:34 PM EST
McCarthy gets new defector in third round of voting

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., switched his vote for speaker after voting for McCarthy in the first two rounds.

Donalds, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, backed Rep. Jim Jordan in the third round of voting. If every candidate who voted for Jordan on the second ballot does so again, the Ohioan will get at least 20 votes.

Jan 03, 4:37 PM EST
Historic 3rd speaker vote underway in the House

Ahead of the House entering a third vote for the speakership, Rep. Pete Aguilar again nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for Democrats, prompting “Hakeem” chants from their side of the chamber, as Republicans remain in disarray.

“For unity in Congress and progress in our country, Democrats are united behind Hakeem Jeffries. I recommend Hakeem Jeffries as our speaker,” Aguilar said to applause.

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas nominated Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, again, despite Jordan losing in prior votes, his saying he didn’t want the position and asking Republicans to unite around McCarthy.

“Now, Jim has said he doesn’t want that nomination, and Jim has been down here nominating Kevin, and I respect that. Again, I have no personal animus toward Kevin,” Roy said. “But we do not have the tools or the leadership yet to stop the swamp from rolling over the American people. Jim has been doing it, he has a track record for doing that, and for those reasons, I’m nominating Jim Jordan for speaker of the House.”

Jan 03, 4:15 PM EST
Scalise says McCarthy critics are obstructing legislation

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., McCarthy’s No. 2, slammed McCarthy’s critics as obstructionists to legislative efforts to tackle issues like immigration and energy reserves.

“We all came here to get things done. To get big things done. To solve the problems. And I hope when we get through today that all the members on both sides of the aisle will get together to solve the problems,” he said when nominating McCarthy before the third round of voting.

However, he said, “we can’t start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy” as speaker.

Scalise’s speech came after Jordan nominated McCarthy. Both men have been floated as potential alternatives if McCarthy is unable to win the majority needed to clinch the speakership.

Jan 03, 4:00 PM EST
Scalise seems to be drafting McCarthy nomination speech

ABC News’ Ben Siegel, on the House floor, spotted Steve Scalise seemingly drafting a nomination speech for Kevin McCarthy.

This would mark another twist as Republicans still struggle to coalesce around any single candidate.

Jan 03, 3:58 PM EST
White House ‘willing to work’ with GOP in new Congress but avoids weighing in on leadership fight

After two failed votes to select a House speaker on Capitol Hill, the White House said it is “certainly not going to insert ourselves” into that process but are
“looking forward to working” with the new Republican-controlled House.

Asked by ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce what the president wants to work on with Republicans once the House GOP leadership is in place, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre didn’t offer any specifics on what policies it wants to be first on the agenda.

“He’s willing to work with Republicans who are willing to continue to deliver for the American people,” she said. “He is very optimistic on what lies ahead and how we are going to move our country forward.”

And when asked whether it may be more difficult to work with Republicans after the ongoing leadership fight, Jean-Pierre repeated President Joe Biden’s optimism and noted bipartisan legislation that was passed in his first two years.

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez

Jan 03, 3:31 PM EST
Jordan says he told Gaetz not to nominate him as speaker

Right after Rep. Jim Jordan spoke on the House floor following the first vote — to support McCarthy in the next round — Rep. Matt Gaetz turned the tables and enthusiastically nominated Jordan to be speaker.

But Jordan told ABC News afterward that he told Matt Gaetz not to nominate him. Jordan would go on to pick up 19 votes in the second ballot.

Gaetz had said weeks ago he thought Jordan would be a good choice for speaker.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Katherine Faulders

Jan 03, 3:27 PM EST
McCarthy loses 2nd ballot as 19 Republicans vote for Jordan

Kevin McCarthy has fallen short of the votes needed to win House speaker for a second time.

Once again, 19 Republicans voted against McCarthy — this time unanimously backing Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

Jordan had urged his colleagues to back McCarthy as he nominated the California congressman for speaker. But Rep. Matt Gaetz stood up to nominate Jordan, calling him the “most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference.”

The House vote was identical to the first round: McCarthy again won 203 votes compared to Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ 212 votes.

Jan 03, 2:45 PM EST
Jordan wins enough votes to deny McCarthy speakership in 2nd vote

Enough Republicans have already voted for Jordan to deny McCarthy the speakership in a second ballot.

Just after Jordan rose to renominate McCarthy before the start of the second round of voting, nine Republicans backed the Ohioan before vote counting even got halfway through the alphabet.

Jordan was able to flip a number of Republicans who opposed McCarthy on the first ballot but didn’t vote for him, including Biggs, who voted for himself during the initial round of voting.

Jan 03, 2:31 PM EST
Gaetz nominates Jordan after Jordan urges colleagues to back McCarthy

After Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio took to the floor to encourage Republicans to back Rep. Kevin McCarthy for speaker, Rep. Matt Gaetz got up to nominate Jordan for the position.

“I rise to nominate the most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference, who just gave a speech with more vision than we have ever heard from the alternative,” the Florida congressman said.

“Jim Jordan is humble. Perhaps today, humble to a fault,” Gaetz continued. “Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants it so bad. Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who has sold shares of themselves for more than a decade to get it.”

In the first round of voting, Jordan received six votes.

Jan 03, 2:28 PM EST
Jim Jordan nominates McCarthy in 2nd round of voting

After receiving six votes of his own on the first ballot, Rep. Jim Jordan nominated Kevin McCarthy in the second round of voting for House speaker.

“I rise to nominate Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House,” Jordan said, prompting applause from several Republican members.

“We need to rally around him, come together, and deal with these three things, because this is what the people sent us here to do,” he added, ticking through Republican priorities in the new Congress.

“We owe it to them, the American people, the good people of this great country, to step forward to come together, get a speaker elected so we can address these three things. I hope you’ll vote for Kevin McCarthy and that’s why I’m proud to nominate him for speaker of the House,” Jordan said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Bob Good, one of the original “Never Kevin” members, said off the House floor that he plans to vote for Jordan on the second ballot despite Jordan’s call to support McCarthy — and expects other detractors will follow.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin

Jan 03, 2:20 PM EST
‘Optics are terrible’: ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on GOP speaker battle

ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl weighed in after the first ballot vote for House speaker.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy fell well short of the majority needed to clinch the position. He received 203 votes, while Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries received 212. Nineteen lawmakers voted for someone else.

“The optics for Republicans is terrible,” Karl told ABC’s David Muir following the vote.

“They’ve taken control, they’ve won control of the House by a narrow majority, and [in the] first act of this Republican House, more votes went to the liberal Democrat candidate for speaker than went for Kevin McCarthy. Think about that David,” Karl said.

Jan 03, 2:13 PM EST
McCarthy to ABC News: Vote against him ‘exactly what we thought it’d be’

McCarthy told ABC News, after stepping off the House floor, that the current vote against him was “exactly what we thought it’d be.”

McCarthy added that this vote could go on for days and that “we got a number of members who are trying to fight for their own personal items” instead of for the country.

When asked how he what he can do to persuade the large number of members who voted against him by voting for others, McCarthy said he needs to convince them that “they don’t win gavels by trying to threaten or leverage somebody … I don’t think that’s what their constituents elected.”

-ABC News’ Will Steakin

Jan 03, 1:54 PM EST
McCarthy falls short in first speaker vote

After the first round of voting, no member obtained the 218 votes needed to become House speaker, but Democrat Hakeem Jeffries earned more votes than Kevin McCarthy — on the first day of a new Republican-controlled House.

Jeffries received 212 votes to McCarthy’s 203. Far-right Republican Andy Biggs of Arizona received 10 votes, and there were nine votes for others, including six for Rep. Jim Jordan, and, in a surprise move, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas voted for Florida’s Byron Donalds.

Nineteen Republicans broke from McCarthy, who could only afford to lose four, marking a stunning defeat by 15 votes. Despite having a majority this Congress, McCarthy got fewer votes this time than the last time he ran for speaker against Nancy Pelosi.

For the first time since 1923 — and the first time since floor proceedings have been televised — the speaker’s vote appears headed towards a second ballot.

While McCarthy has signaled he’s up for more voting rounds, he faces a steep hurdle in a second vote with so many lawmakers to win over — and the potential for Republicans to nominate another member, such as No. 2 Steve Scalise.

Jan 03, 1:37 PM EST
McCarthy gets quick standing ovation after voting for himself

After standing to cast a voice vote for himself, Kevin McCarthy smiled as he got a round of applause from his GOP supporters – even as it appeared that he would lose the first ballot for speaker.

McCarthy faced enough defections from his conference – with some voting for Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona or Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio – to likely not prevail in the first tally.

But the quick standing ovation for McCarthy was both indicative of the support he still has in the House Republican Conference and the challenges of a slim Republican House majority.

Jan 03, 1:41 PM EST
Appears McCarthy will not have votes on first ballot to be elected

The majority of House Republicans applauded when Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to nominate Kevin McCarthy — but more than a dozen, most of them sitting by the center aisle in the second to last row of the chamber, sat on their hands. The applause for McCarthy was hardly thunderous.

And with every vote against McCarthy, the sounds of murmuring in the chamber grew, as it also grew more obvious that McCarthy will not have the votes on the first ballot to be elected speaker.

In contrast, Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., had a sustained standing ovation when he nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY. Once the applause died down, Aguilar declared, “Today, House Democrats are united” — prompting even louder and more sustained applause from Democrats — while McCarthy sat silently and stone-faced on the other side of the aisle.

As McCarthy entered the rear of the chamber through the center door about 15 minutes earlier, he did so quietly and with little fanfare. Most people on the floor seemed not to notice. He walked all the way down to the area in front of the clerk before somebody went to talk to him, and it was a staffer for Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.

-ABC News’ Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl

Jan 03, 1:00 PM EST
Tense roll call vote begins

A tense roll call vote for speaker is beginning.

In alphabetical order, members are being asked to say aloud whom they are voting for as speaker.

-ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel

Jan 03, 12:53 PM EST
Aguilar declares Democrats ‘united’ behind Hakeem Jeffries

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., has nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York to be the House minority leader.

Jeffries has made history as the first Black leader to be elected leader a congressional caucus. He was elected by Democrats in late November after Rep. Nancy Pelosi announced she was stepping down from the role.

“Today, madam clerk, House Democrats are united by a speaker who will people over politics,” Aguilar declared, an apparent dig at Republicans as the party struggles to unite behind a candidate for speaker.

“Hakeem Jeffries has worked his entire life to improve economic opportunity for all people. He’s committed to strengthening the American dream by lowering costs for working families, building safer communities by taking weapons of war off streets and by creating good-paying jobs in industries of the future.”

“He does not traffic in extremism,” Aguilar continued. “He does not grovel to or make excuses for a twice impeached so-called former president. Madam clerk, he does not bend a knee to everyone who would seek to undermine our democracy because, madam clerk, that’s not what leaders do.”

Jeffries and Pelosi greeted each other on the House floor on Tuesday morning.

Jan 03, 12:46 PM EST
Stefanik introduces McCarthy as GOP nominee for speaker

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., introduced Kevin McCarthy on the House floor as the GOP nominee for speaker.

Stefanik, a McCarthy ally, touted the Californian’s efforts to bolster House Republicans’ ranks by campaigning for diverse candidates from coast to coast.

“Since the day Kevin was elected as our leader, House Republicans have only gained seats and won,” she said. “Kevin knows what we stand for, he knows when to engage in the fight, and he knows how to build consensus.”

“His relentless effort has yielded an extraordinary House Republican majority,” she added. “Today’s House Republican Conference is the most diverse Republican conference in our nation’s history.”

And while her speech was mostly focused on building up McCarthy, Stefanik also offered a dig at his detractors, boasting that “Kevin McCarthy has earned this speakership of the ‘People’s House.'”

Jan 03, 12:44 PM EST
Magnetometers at House chamber entrances removed

Ahead of the vote for speaker, the magnetometers placed outside the doors of the House chamber in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol have been removed, as the new GOP majority demanded.

The GOP’s new proposed House rules had called for removing the magnetometers.

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, Will Steakin and Nicole Moeder

Jan 03, 12:33 PM EST
VP Kamala Harris swears in new senators

As House Republicans enter the 118th Congress in disarray over who will hold the speaker’s gavel, the Democrat-controlled Senate opened with Vice President Kamala Harris swearing in new members and those who won reelection in November.

Among the new faces in the chamber are Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, Alabama’s Katie Britt and Missouri’s Eric Schmitt.

Arizona’s Mark Kelly and Georgia’s Raphael Warnock were sworn in for their first full, six-year terms.

Despite losing majority control in the House, Democrats expanded their advantage in the Senate by one seat.

Jan 03, 10:39 AM EST
McCarthy tells Republicans ‘I earned this job’: Source

In a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, Kevin McCarthy made a last-ditch case for speaker.

“I’m not going to go away. I’m going to stand until the last four friends stand with me,” he told the GOP members, according to a source in the room.

“I earned this job,” McCarthy said. “We earned this majority, and goddammit we are going to win it today.”

Jan 03, 10:33 AM EST
Rep.-elect George Santos arrives near House office

Rep.-elect George Santos, who has faced controversy and national attention for lying about or embellishing details of his background, was spotted by reporters in Congress Tuesday morning.

Santos was walking toward his office in the Longworth House Office Building, accompanied by a staffer, when he stopped and turned the other way once he saw reporters.

He declined to answer most questions, but told ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa he will vote for Kevin McCarthy for speaker.

Santos faced calls for accountability from some Republicans, but not from current Republican House leadership. He has said he will serve out his term in the House.

New members of the House will not be sworn in until a speaker is elected.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa, and Oren Oppenheim

Jan 03, 10:20 AM EST
McCarthy ready to battle for speaker’s gavel, sources say

As Republicans met behind closed doors ahead of the speaker vote, it appeared Kevin McCarthy still did not have the votes needed to be elected.

Sources close to the Republican leader say he’s ready to battle it out. It could go into multiple rounds of votes — something that hasn’t happened in 100 years — and the floor fight could drag on for hours, if not days. The longest battle for speaker was in 1856, and it took two months and 133 votes to resolve.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, who opposes McCarthy’s bid, has warned, “We may see the cherry blossoms bloom in Washington, D.C. before a speaker is elected.”

All of this overshadows the start of the new Congress where Republicans have a majority in the House for the first time since 2018.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott

Jan 03, 9:43 AM EST
McCarthy arrives for GOP meeting: ‘We are going to have a good day’

Rep. McCarthy has arrived for a closed-door meeting with his fellow Republicans.

“We are going to have a good day today,” McCarthy said as he walked by reporters, who asked if he had the votes for speaker.

The California congressman then laughed as a reporter asked if he’d support Rep. Steve Scalise for speaker should he fail to get enough votes.

Jan 03, 9:42 AM EST
‘Follow Kevin McCarthy’ sign posted outside speaker’s office

Hours before the vote to elect a new House speaker, a sign has appeared in front of the speaker’s office with the message: “Follow Kevin McCarthy.”

McCarthy was set to shore up more support for his speaker bid in a closed-door meeting with the Republican caucus this morning. He faces opposition from a group of hard-line conservatives, who could sink what is his second attempt to hold the gavel.

The California congressman’s belongings have been brought into the speaker’s suite, but if he doesn’t get enough votes, he’ll have to move out.

Jan 03, 8:52 AM EST
GOP conference to hold last-minute meeting before speaker vote

The House Republican conference will meet behind closed doors at 9:30 a.m., just hours before the speaker vote begins at noon.

While McCarthy might be able to garner more support in a last-ditch appeal, his detractors have boasted that they’ll be able to muster the necessary opposition to block his bid.

Rep. Scott Perry, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus who is leading the group of hard-line conservatives opposing McCarthy’s bid, released a new statement Tuesday morning blasting the California congressman.

“In his 14 years in Republican Leadership, McCarthy has repeatedly failed to demonstrate any desire to meaningfully change the status quo in Washington,” Perry said.

Jan 03, 8:36 AM EST
McCarthy’s rise from California politics to GOP leader

Kevin McCarthy began his career as a staffer to then-Rep. Bill Thomas before chairing the California Young Republicans and later the Young Republican National Federation.

He was first elected to office in 2002, serving in the California state Assembly until 2007, when was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. At the time, he was dubbed one of the “young guns” of the next generation of conservative leadership.

McCarthy tried to become speaker in 2015 but his chance evaporated after resistance from the same kind of conservatives who are trying to block his path Tuesday. When Democrats took control of the House in 2018, McCarthy was elected House minority leader.

Jan 03, 8:26 AM EST
McCarthy’s bid for speaker unclear as new Congress set to begin

Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker of the House is still clouded in uncertainty as lawmakers head to Capitol Hill for the first day of the 118th Congress.

McCarthy and his staffers spent the day Monday setting up the speaker’s office but he may have to move his belongings out if he fails to clinch the votes needed to secure the position.

A few dozen members piled into McCarthy’s office throughout the day Monday to go over last-minute strategy. ABC News spotted three McCarthy critics during the afternoon meeting: Reps. Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert and Scott Perry.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a McCarthy supporter, told ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, “the problem is the people need to realize the art of the deal. They are all Trump supporters, and you can’t be successful if you’re not willing to take the wins when you get them” when asked about those in her party who are trying to tank McCarthy’s bid.

Rep. Jim Jordan, whose name has been floated around as a potential speaker candidate, said he believes McCarthy “can get there.”

McCarthy, however, didn’t directly answer reporter’s questions about how the vote could go, telling them, “I hope you all have a very nice New Year’s” as he exited the Capitol on Monday night.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

When was the longest it took to elect a speaker of the House?

Mint Images/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The vote to elect a House speaker in the new Congress is in its second day — the first time that has happened in a century — as Republican leader Kevin McCarthy struggles to get a majority of votes to wield the gavel.

The House can conduct no other business until a speaker is chosen. But the current limbo is nowhere near the longest-ever speaker vote, which occurred in 1855 and 1856.

The record for most rounds of votes, according to the Office of the Historian of the House, is the 34th Congress, when Rep. Nathaniel Prentice Banks of Massachusetts was only elected speaker after 133 rounds and some two months of voting.

Because of conflict over slavery and immigration, according to the office, the political atmosphere was tense and more than 20 people tried to become speaker.

It took two months, starting in December 1855, until Banks, then a member of the American and Free Soil parties, was elected on Feb. 2, 1856. The New-York Tribune’s Feb. 4, 1856, issue proclaimed Banks’ victory the “END OF THE GREAT STRUGGLE; TRIUMPH OF THE REPUBLICANS.”

Banks, who was 40 years old when he was sworn in, served just one two-year term as speaker until the 35th Congress in 1857, when Democrats won both the House and Senate.

The House historian’s office noted that this instance of multiple rounds of speaker voting and most others “occurred before the Civil War, when party divisions were more nebulous” than the Democratic-Republican split today.

Until this week’s prolonged voting, the most recent instance of multiple rounds of votes for speaker was in December 1923, when the 68th Congress required nine rounds over three days to elect Republican Rep. Fredrick Huntington Gillett of Massachusetts.

Gillett went on to serve three terms as speaker.

According to the Congressional Research Service, during the 1923 showdown, members from smaller factions initially refused to vote for either the Democratic or Republican candidate.

But they eventually gave in during the ninth round “after the Republican leadership had agreed to accept a number of procedural reforms these Members favored.”

ABC News’ Tal Axelrod, Chris Donovan and Will Steakin contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.