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      ‘One more embarrassment’: McCarthy debacle wearily received in California home town

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      ‘One more embarrassment’: McCarthy debacle wearily received in California home townBakersfield, in California’s unfashionable Central Valley, has been thrown back into focus by the sorry saga in Congress Kevin McCarthy’s home town – the hardscrabble city of Bakersfield, in California’s Central Valley – has experienced plenty of bruised feelings over the past week, but not necessarily because people have felt the pain of their congressman’s tortured path to the House speakership.Many have bristled at being under a national spotlight during what even Fox News has described as a political clown show. Local Republicans appeared increasingly defensive as McCarthy fell short in vote after vote – before finally prevailing in the early hours of Saturday morning. Democrats, meanwhile, expressed growing concern that McCarthy had been taken captive by his party’s far-right wing and, especially, by apologists for the violent insurrection at the US Capitol two years ago.None of it reflected well on a distinctly unfashionable city known for its hot, dusty climate and polluted skies, its big agricultural businesses and the hundreds of oil wells dotting the surrounding hills. “I only wish they would have stopped saying Mac [McCarthy] was from Bakersfield,” a local insurance salesman, Mark Pearse, wrote in a letter to the local newspaper. “We do not need any more negative publicity.”Reached by phone, Pearse elaborated: “We’re already in the top ten of a lot of negative things. Pedestrians getting run over. Our police and sheriff’s department shooting and killing people. This is just one more embarrassment.”Certainly, nobody has been out in the streets cheering on the local celebrity. McCarthy’s district office, which sits in a business park next to a cluster of medical offices, resembled a suburban fortress with blacked out windows, a door kept locked at all times, and a sign under the door bell saying the only way to be invited in was to call by phone. Staff referred all questions – even questions about a protest on the anniversary of the January 6 uprising taking place directly outside – to McCarthy’s Washington office.More forthcoming was Cathy Abernathy, a seasoned Republican consultant who gave McCarthy his first taste of rejection back in 1987 when she turned him down for an internship with the district’s previous congressman, Bill Thomas. (She later hired him anyway and eventually groomed him to succeed Thomas in 2007.)Sitting in front of a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Abraham Lincoln on Friday, with Fox News reporting the 13th of the 15 vote counts on the television, Abernathy dismissed the week’s drama as an uncommonly visible version of business as usual on Capitol Hill and said the characterizations of McCarthy as weak or politically tone-deaf were grossly unfair.“This is the way things get done in Washington,” she insisted. “It takes hours and hours to achieve anything … It’s unfortunate that a group of 20 members have given such a negative impression of him. He’s a happy-go-lucky, friendly guy. It’s too bad some people mistake that for brainless.”Democrats, meanwhile, took advantage of the January 6 anniversary to stage a series of small protests in and around Bakersfield and tell whoever was willing to listen that McCarthy was one of 147 Republican House members who voted against the certification of Joe Biden’s election as president in 2021, quickly forgave Donald Trump for his role in stirring up the Capitol riot, and has sought to build his power base accordingly ever since.“All of this stems from his decision to kiss Trump’s ring,” said Mari Goodman, one of the protesters outside McCarthy’s district office.“We’re here to remember the people who were hurt and the damage caused,” said Laura Hardman, one of a cluster of January 6 protesters at a busy traffic intersection in Tehachapi, a farm town in McCarthy’s district 40 miles from Bakersfield. “The leaders are still not accountable.”Hardman said she took no pleasure in seeing McCarthy struggling to win over House members who were among the biggest apologists for the insurrection. “As one of his constituents, I find it embarrassing,” she said. “I voted for him in 2006, and he worked with us on some issues. But the longer he’s stayed in Washington, the further he’s drifted from his district.”Such sentiments are a distinct minority view in a part of California that prides itself on bucking the West Coast liberal stereotype. Many of the resentments and frustrations with establishment politics that fueled the rise of Donald Trump seven years ago can be felt in the Central Valley, where farmers and business entrepreneurs often complain that the progressive politicians who run California do not give them the respect they deserve.That complaint extended, last week, to parts of the media. Abernathy, the Republican consultant, said she’d picked up a distinctly condescending tone from reporters and TV producers. One expressed surprise that a man in McCarthy’s position had not gone to an Ivy League university. (He graduated from the Bakersfield branch of California State University.) Another, searching for a way to distinguish Bakersfield from Los Angeles, its giant neighbor 100 miles to the south, offered: “You people have grit.”If some people in Bakersfield felt the country was making fun of them and their most prominent native son, though, others were more than willing to go along for the ride. As Mark Pearse, the insurance salesman, asked after a healthy dose of McCarthy-bashing on the phone: “Haven’t you heard me laughing?”TopicsCaliforniaUS politicsHouse of RepresentativesRepublicansDemocratsnewsReuse this content More

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      McCarthy clinches speaker’s gavel at 15th attempt as Republicans in disarray

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      McCarthy clinches speaker’s gavel at 15th attempt as Republicans in disarray With a wafer-thin majority, and few powers, Nancy Pelosi’s successor looks set to be one of the weakest speakers in historyHe had nothing to lose but his dignity. Congressman Kevin McCarthy knew the job he had always craved was within his grasp. All he needed was the vote of a 40-year-old Florida man under investigation over sex trafficking allegations.McCarthy walked over and begged Matt Gaetz to make him speaker of the US House of Representatives. Gaetz stared, pointed a finger and refused. Fellow Republican Mike Rogers stormed towards Gaetz and had to be forcibly restrained.After Brexit and Trump, rightwing populists cling to power – but the truth is they can’t govern | Jonathan FreedlandRead moreThat this tragicomedy played out on the second anniversary of the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol was almost too on the nose. That it was Gaetz, an ardent supporter of Donald Trump and smash-mouth media performer, who held McCarthy’s fate in his hands said everything about the Republican party in 2023.Midnight tolled, and within an hour McCarthy had achieved his dream of becoming speaker, securing a majority of votes from those present at the 15th attempt in the longest such election since the civil war. He beamed, punched the air and waved the gavel with childlike enthusiasm. “That was easy, huh?” he said. “I never thought we’d get up here.” But at what cost?After a historic humiliation, it was a pyrrhic victory. With a wafer-thin majority, and having surrendered numerous powers to far-right rebels so they would drop their opposition, McCarthy is set to be one of the weakest speakers in history.His concessions reportedly included allowing a single member to call for a vote to remove the speaker, putting him at risk of a shorter tenure than Liz Truss’s 50 days as British prime minister. He also offered key committee positions to the House Freedom Caucus, granting them outsized influence and raising the spectre of chaos for the next two years.The former Republican National Committee chairperson Michael Steele told the MSNBC network: “If it does come to, God forbid, a shutdown of the government, the American people have only one place to look and that is the man right there on our screen right now who gave away the House so he could take a seat.”The late-night drama capped a torrid week in which liberals indulged some guilt-free schadenfreude as the Republican party ate itself on live television, unable to coalesce around a choice for the position that is second in line in the presidential succession.The old House chamber resounded with a hubbub of voices, fiery speeches, shouts of “McCarthy” and “Jeffries” [Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries], chants of “Hakeem! Hakeem!”, roars of “Yea!” and “No!” to decide adjournments, the wails of babies (some members brought the families and, in one case, a pet dog) and, 14 times over, House clerk Cheryl Johnson uttering the words, “A speaker has not been elected.”Joe Biden described the saga as an “embarrassment”. For McCarthy, it was like a recurring nightmare. Nominating him on the sixth ballot, Florida Congresswoman Kat Cammack said: “Well, it’s Groundhog Day.”Trapped in a time loop, the elected representatives to the House could not be sworn in, leaving the lower congressional chamber in suspended animation. But still the Capitol hummed with tourists, reporters and banks of TV cameras. Trolleys of pizza rolled along marble corridors to sustain late-night negotiations behind closed doors.Commentators interpreted the disarray as evidence of a new generation of conservative Republicans, many aligned with Trump’s “Make America great again” (Maga) base, who want to upend business as usual in Washington. It also suggested that the former president has unleashed anti-establishment forces that even he can no longer control.McCarthy had initially condemned Trump over the January 6 attack but, before the month was out, went cap in hand to his home in Florida to pledge his fealty. In turn, Trump supported McCarthy for the speakership but the gesture appeared half hearted; notably the former president did not round on McCarthy’s opponents with his customary insults and nicknames.As the voting went on and on, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado, a conservative firebrand, noted that “her favourite president” had called on the anti-McCarthy holdouts to “knock this off”. But she went on: “I think it actually needs to be reversed. The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy, ‘Sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw’.” The show of defiance prompted a loud “Oooh!” from many in the House.Speaking by phone on Friday morning with the House still in limbo, Newt Gingrich, a former Republican speaker, said: “It was very significant that these people who call themselves Trump supporters just shrugged off his endorsement of McCarthy. That was a significantly different reaction than he would have gotten a year or two ago. It certainly means he’s weaker than he was. He must have been very surprised by how casually they rejected him.”Some of the rebels’ motives would have been very familiar to Trump: money. Several McCarthy opponents used the stalemate as an opportunity to send out fundraising appeals. Gaetz’s campaign asked donors to “support our fight with critical reinforcements” and branded McCarthy “Kyiv Kevin” – a reference to his support for Ukraine. Congressman Andy Biggs of Arizona urged donors “to turbocharge our emergency efforts to break the establishment”.Gingrich commented: “There is a wing of the Republican party which is very unhappy with Washington and that wing makes it profitable for some members to be very disruptive. If you look at Gaetz and Biggs, they’re making money every day this goes on because they’re sending out fundraising appeals by email, so they have a big vested interest in keeping it going. If you look at others, this is their chance to maximise their leverage.”He warned that this is “the most dangerous period” for Republicans since a divisive 1964 party convention that saw moderates facing off against conservative insurgents. But there are some critics who argue that Gingrich himself planted the seeds of the current crisis, pointing to his partisan shock tactics as speaker in the 1990s that transformed politics into a blood sport (a charge he vehemently denies, pointing to several bipartisan accomplishments during the Bill Clinton White House).The next mutation was the Tea Party in 2010, a grassroots conservative movement that endorsed small government and fed a racist backlash against President Barack Obama. Republican speakers including John Boehner had trouble fending off a rebellious right flank and ended up with government shutdowns, standoffs and early retirement.The right was further empowered by the rise of Trump and went on to adopt his style of performative populism. A majority of the members opposing McCarthy this week voted to overturn the 2020 election. Yet party leaders have repeatedly acquiesced to their demands rather than seeking to hold them accountable.Former Republican Capitol Hill communications director Tara Setmayer said: “The Maga wing are political nihilists and that’s evidenced by their behaviour and their demands. They’ve been rewarded for being political trolls, not professional elected officials who govern for the best interest of their constituents. This is all about political kabuki theatre and fundraising for them.”Many of the holdouts represent overwhelmingly majority Republican districts, Setmayer noted, and cannot be bought off with promises of infrastructure projects to impress voters. She added, “Bringing the bacon home to their districts? That is not the currency that the Maga wing operates in today’s political climate. In the era of Trumpism it’s attention, viral moments, media hits on Fox News and Steve Bannon’s podcast. The grift is the political currency.”Setmayer, a senior adviser to the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump group, warned that these are ominous signs for the coming Congress, saying: “The Republican party is incapable of governing like grownups in Washington and that’s unfortunate because it [affects] the entire country.“If you listen to what a lot of these Republicans are saying, their focus is on personal agendas and vendettas against Democrats or the Biden administration. They want to focus on nonsense like endless spurious investigations into Hunter Biden and the Department of Justice and the ‘deep state’ and Dr Fauci and relitigating Covid policies. This is all backward thinking, not putting a focus on real issues that impact Americans every single day. It’s going to be chaos. Chaos is their currency.”The power of the far-right extremists could jeopardise crucial agenda items such as passing a budget and lifting the debt ceiling limit to cover previously authorised spending.Bill Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington, said: “I believed from the start that this would be a period of minimum legislative productivity and nothing that’s happened in the past four days has changed my mind. But this is a game for very high stakes because these people could blow up the world financial system if they’re not careful.”Democratic strategist Kurt Bardella agreed. “We’re going to have nothing but internal strife and gridlock within the Republican party that will create a dysfunctional House of Representatives,” he said. “This is what happens when you allow someone like Donald Trump to hijack an entire party, someone who only traffics in lies and conspiracy theories.”Kevin McCarthy wins House speaker bid after gruelling 15-vote sagaRead moreRepublicans’ identity crisis looks set to persist. Disappointing midterm election results suggested that Trump’s influence may be waning as he again seeks the party’s presidential nomination. But the decline of a strongman can create a leadership vacuum and fresh uncertainties. This week saw allies such as Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene on opposing sides and drove a wedge between Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity.Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, noted that for decades the Republican party had an ideologically-driven conservative wing that sought to change policy.“But we now have an almost anarchist element in the Republican party that has no real concern about governance,” he said. “In fact, they’re anti-governance. They don’t want to see Congress operate and so the normal rules for negotiations, the give and take, doesn’t apply because the only thing they want is mayhem. It’s a whole new radicalism.”TopicsHouse of RepresentativesUS CongressUS politicsRepublicansDemocratsnewsReuse this content More

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      Kevin McCarthy wins US House speaker bid after gruelling, 15-vote saga – video

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      The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as speaker of the US House of Representatives in a dramatic late-night vote, after quelling a days-long revolt from a bloc of far-right conservatives to finally capture the gavel on a historic 15th attempt. McCarthy’s ascension to speaker came after 14 defeats and a string of concessions to ultraconservative lawmakers that would significantly weaken his power while strengthening their influence over the party’s new House majority. After winning over most of the holdouts earlier on Friday, McCarthy withstood a surprise defeat on the 14th ballot later that evening and finally clinched the gavel on the next round with the slimmest majority, just 216 votes, in the early hours of Saturday morning

      Kevin McCarthy wins House speaker bid after gruelling, 15-vote saga
      Kevin McCarthy narrowly loses 14th House speaker vote in stunning setback More

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      McCarthy faces off with Republican lawmaker after 14th loss in US House speaker vote – video

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      In a remarkable effort to salvage his candidacy after the final votes were tallied, Kevin McCarthy strode to the back of the chamber to personally lobby two defectors, Republicans Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Matt Gaetz of Florida, both of whom voted ‘present’. If one were to change their vote and back him for speaker, McCarthy would reach the 217 votes he needed. Both remained resolute. Tensions boiled as a crowd swelled around them. There was finger pointing and yelling, and one lawmaker physically restrained a colleague who appeared to charge at Gaetz

      Kevin McCarthy wins House speaker bid after gruelling, 15-vote saga
      Kevin McCarthy narrowly loses 14th House speaker vote in stunning setback More

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      Kevin McCarthy wins House speaker bid after gruelling, 15-vote saga

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      Kevin McCarthy wins House speaker bid after gruelling, 15-vote sagaThe California Republican was able to woo his hard-right detractors after a week of negotiations and concessions The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as speaker of the US House of Representatives in a dramatic late-night vote, after quelling a days-long revolt from a bloc of far-right conservatives to finally capture the gavel on a historic 15th attempt. McCarthy’s ascension to speaker came after 14 defeats and a string of concessions to ultraconservative lawmakers that would significantly weaken his power while strengthening their influence over the party’s new House majority. After winning over most of the holdouts earlier on Friday, McCarthy withstood a surprise defeat on the 14th ballot later that evening and finally clinched the gavel on the next round with the slimmest majority, just 216 votes, in the early hours of Saturday morning.Republicans’ dysfunction over speaker threatens the health of US governmentRead moreThe spectacle concluded in stunning fashion during the tense, late-night session on the House floor that erupted in shouting and finger pointing. A Republican lawmaker had to be physically restrained by a colleague. But the bitter speakership battle, the longest since 1859, ended shortly after, when the last remaining holdouts switched their votes to “present”, lowering the threshold and allowing McCarthy to secure the post.The final tally was 216-212 with Democrats voting for their leader Hakeem Jeffries, and six Republican holdouts to McCarthy voting present.A beaming McCarthy hugged members of his leadership team and allies who stood with him throughout the days-long saga. Cheers broke out in the chamber and the galleys above, where family members watched the vote unfold. Ascending to the speaker’s rostrum, he raised the gavel and gave it two vigorous thwacks. “That was easy, huh?” he said, eliciting laughs.“My father always told me, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” McCarthy continued, declaring, “Now, the hard work begins.”House Democrats remained unified behind Jeffries, a congressman from New York, until the last ballot. Marking “a moment of transition” after four years of Democratic control of the House, Jeffries said Democrats would seek to work with Republicans where possible, but vowed to always put “American values over autocracy.”Joe Biden congratulated McCarthy on winning the speakership and urged the new Republican House majority eager to challenge his administration with long-promised subpoenas and investigations to “govern responsibly.”The protracted fight paralyzed the new Congress and exposed deep rifts within the House Republican conference that foreshadowed a rocky two years ahead for the newly elected speaker. The conflict marked the first time in a century that the House failed to choose a speaker on the first ballot, and only four other speakership elections in US history have required more than 12 votes.“It’s been a long week,” Republican congressman Patrick McHenry conceded at the start of his speech nominating McCarthy for the speakership. “The president has called this process an embarrassment. Talking heads labeled this a chaos and a mess. And some would call it shambolic, even. But it’s called democracy.”When McCarthy finished speaking, he moved quickly to swear in the members and formally open the 118th Congress in the post-midnight hours. Among them was George Santos, the embattled New York Republican, who is facing multiple federal and local investigations as well as calls to resign after it was revealed that he lied repeatedly about aspects of his background during his election campaign.Plans to vote on a new rules package that included many of the demands from McCarthy’s opponents, were postponed until next week.McCarthy had hoped to win the gavel on the 14th ballot, but he fell one vote short. When it became clear that McCarthy would not succeed, tensions erupted on the House floor.McCarthy strode to the back of the chamber to confront congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, leaders of the anti-McCarthy coalition. At one point, congressman Mike Rogers, a Republican of Alabama, had to be physically restrained after appearing to lunge at Gaetz and a member shouted: “stay civil.”In the face of an entrenched opposition, McHenry moved to adjourn the chamber until Monday. But the negotiations abruptly shifted in McCarthy’s favor, and Republicans quickly scuttled their plans and called for a 15th vote.“I rise to say, wow,” congressman Dean Phillips, a Democrat of Minnesota said, reacting to drama as he nominated Jeffries for speaker on the 15th ballot.In a frenzied effort to end the intra-party stalemate, McCarthy and his allies spent days locked in late-night negotiations with the 20 hardline conservatives who opposed him on the first 11 ballots. Because of House Republicans’ narrow majority, McCarthy could only afford to lose four votes if all sitting members cast a ballot for speaker. In exchange for their support, the holdout members demanded sweeping changes to chamber rules, as well as more representation on some of the most high-profile House committees. After rounds of fruitless balloting, McCarthy’s prospects brightened when the chamber reconvened on Friday. In quick succession, he converted 15 of the Republican defectors. Among them was Congressman Scott Perry, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus and a leader of the far-right rebellion, who said the camps had reached “the framework for an agreement” on many of the group’s demands.Following an unsuccessful 12th and 13th ballot on Friday, Republicans voted to adjourn until later that evening, with only six Republicans still opposed to McCarthy’s candidacy. McCarthy used that time to ​lobby the ​half-dozen remaining​ holdouts​, eventually finding a way to break the impasse. Without votes to spare, the delay also allowed two McCarthy’s allies, Ken Buck of Colorado and Wesley Hunt of Texas, time to return Washington to cast ballots for him.Buck had missed earlier votes for health reasons, while Hunt was absent to be with his wife and newly born son. When Hunt and Buck cast their votes Friday night, Republicans applauded for them.When the House returned late Friday evening, the mood among Republicans was jovial and McCarthy was buoyant. Even the House Chaplin, Margaret Kibben, whose prayers had become increasingly pointed, opened the session with a smile: “Dear God, we may be, at last, standing at the threshold of a new Congress.”Although McCarthy has successfully won the speakership, he now faces the considerable challenge of attempting to govern with an unruly conference and a slim majority. The dynamics of the House Republican conference could make it much more difficult to advance must-pass legislation, such as a government spending package or a debt ceiling hike.The rule changes requested by McCarthy’s former detractors could also complicate his tenure as speaker. To win their support, McCarthy agreed to reinstate a policy that would allow a single member to call for a vote on ousting the sitting speaker. That rule could allow McCarthy’s more skeptical supporters to remove him from his role if they clash over policy in the future, and the threat of such a maneuver will hang over the head of any sitting speaker.Over the past four years, McCarthy has managed to maintain his position as House Republican leader in part by striving to keep the peace with far-right members of his conference. The impact of that strategy was reflected in the lengthy debate over the speakership.One of the most vocal supporters of McCarthy’s campaign for speaker was congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who was removed from her committee assignments over her extremist views. Moments after McCarthy secured the speakership, Greene rushed forward to take a selfie with him on the House floor.As McCarthy ascends to the speakership, time will tell whether his concessions to far-right members will be enough to keep him in charge. If not, another fight for the gavel could soon be on the horizon.Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat of New York, said he was worried that McCarthy’s concessions to the far-right flank of his party risk making the lower chamber ungovernable, and could lead to government shutdowns or a debt-default. “Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s dream job could turn into a nightmare for the American people,” Schumer said.A Democratic-controlled Senate will restrain House Republicans’ legislative ambitions. But in his remarks, McCarthy vowed to use both the “power of the purse” and the “power of the subpoena” to press a conservative agenda that Republicans hope will help deliver them the White House and Congress in 2024. Among the House’s first acts would be a vote to repeal funding for the Internal Revenue Service and a hearing at the southern border, McCarthy said, pledging to “hold the Swamp accountable – from the withdrawal from Afghanistan to the origins of Covid to the weaponization of the FBI.”“It’s nighttime here in Washington,” McCarthy said in remarks from the rostrum, “but in some ways, it’s also a new beginning – a fresh start.”TopicsHouse of RepresentativesRepublicansUS politicsnewsReuse this content More

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      Many Republicans Against McCarthy Sought to Overturn 2020 Election

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      WASHINGTON — They helped lead the efforts to keep former President Donald J. Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election. They refused to certify that President Biden was the rightful winner. They spread lies that helped ignite a mob of Trump supporters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. On Friday, the two-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, many of the same hard-right lawmakers who served as top lieutenants to Mr. Trump during the buildup to the assault spent the day blocking the bid of Representative Kevin McCarthy of California to be speaker and extracting major concessions from him. While some had received subpoenas in the Jan. 6 investigations and were later referred to the House Ethics Committee, their power showed they were far from outcasts and had paid little price for their actions. Among the ringleaders in both the effort to block Mr. McCarthy and the push to overturn the 2020 election were Representative Scott Perry, the leader of the far-right Freedom Caucus, and Representatives Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar of Arizona. (On Friday, Mr. Gosar and Mr. Perry swung behind Mr. McCarthy after he caved to their demands to dilute the power of the post he is seeking and to give their faction more sway in the House.)Other hard-right holdouts who for days have refused to vote for Mr. McCarthy were Representatives Matt Gaetz of Florida, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Andy Harris of Maryland. All three met with Mr. Trump or White House officials as they discussed how to fight the election results, according to evidence gathered by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Understand the Events on Jan. 6Timeline: On Jan. 6, 2021, 64 days after Election Day 2020, a mob of supporters of President Donald J. Trump raided the Capitol. Here is a close look at how the attack unfolded.A Day of Rage: Using thousands of videos and police radio communications, a Times investigation reconstructed in detail what happened — and why.Lost Lives: A bipartisan Senate report found that at least seven people died in connection with the attack.Jan. 6 Attendees: To many of those who attended the Trump rally but never breached the Capitol, that date wasn’t a dark day for the nation. It was a new start.(Mr. Harris flipped his vote to support Mr. McCarthy on Friday afternoon, but Ms. Boebert and Mr. Gaetz remained against him.) Democrats made sure to single out the group.“This January 6th anniversary should serve as a wake-up call to the G.O.P. to reject M.A.G.A. radicalism — which keeps leading to G.O.P. failures,” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, wrote on Twitter. “But the pandemonium wrought by House Republicans this week is one more example of how M.A.G.A. radicalism is making it impossible for them to govern.” No one in the hard-right group attended what was billed as a bipartisan ceremony on Capitol Hill to mark the anniversary. Only one Republican of any stripe turned up: Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, a former F.B.I. agent who is the co-chairman of the centrist Problem Solvers Caucus. The ceremony opened with a moment of silence for House members on the steps of the Capitol to honor the Capitol Police officers who died in the year after the attack.“We stand here with our democracy intact because of those officers,” said Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the top Democrat in the House, as tears welled up in some House members’ eyes. Witnesses who testified before the House investigative committee, including police officers who defended the Capitol, were honored at the White House, including Michael Fanone and Daniel Hodges of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, and Harry Dunn, Caroline Edwards, Aquilino Gonell, and Eugene Goodman of the U.S. Capitol Police. Mr. Perry, who was one of the main architects behind a plan to install Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official, as the acting attorney general after he appeared sympathetic to Mr. Trump’s false allegations of widespread voter fraud, said Friday that he fought Mr. McCarthy’s nomination for speaker until he could extract concessions from him to give the House Freedom Caucus and rank-and-file Republicans more influence over leadership. “This place is broken,” Mr. Perry said. “We weren’t going to move from that position until the change is made.” Mr. Biggs, who was still holding out against Mr. McCarthy on Friday afternoon, was involved in a range of organizational efforts in 2020, including meetings aimed at attracting protesters to Washington on Jan. 6, according to the House Jan. 6 committee. Mr. Gosar, who voted against Mr. McCarthy on multiple ballots but changed his vote to support him on Friday, spread numerous lies about the 2020 election and spoke at “Stop the Steal” rallies arranged by Ali Alexander, a prominent organizer. The House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack has referred Mr. Perry and Mr. Biggs to the Ethics Committee for refusing to comply with its subpoenas. Not every Republican involved in blocking Mr. McCarthy’s ascension was among those who voted against certifying Mr. Biden’s victory.Representative Chip Roy of Texas started out as an enthusiastic supporter of Mr. Trump’s claims of a stolen election but gradually grew alarmed about the push to invalidate the results and ultimately opposed Mr. Trump’s bid to get Congress to overturn them on Jan. 6, 2021.Mr. Roy, an initial holdout against Mr. McCarthy, led negotiations to try to bring about a deal that would make Mr. McCarthy the speaker in exchange for changes to House rules.“We believe that there ought to be fundamental changes about and limits on spending after the massive bloated omnibus spending bill in December,” Mr. Roy said, referring to the $1.7 trillion government funding package passed by Congress last month. “And so we’ve talked about those. We’ve put a lot of those things in place.” More

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      Republican McCarthy says he finally has enough votes to win House speaker – live

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      Kevin McCarthy says he has enough votes to win election as speaker of the House on Friday night in a what could be the final act of a drawn out saga.Speaking with reporters just now, the California Republican, who has lost 13 straight votes over four days, said he was confident he finally has enough support to prevail.House members have just voted to adjourn until 10pm, after which time, McCarthy says, colleagues will finally propel him to the speakership in a 14th vote:.css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}We’ll come back tonight. I believe at that time we’ll have the votes to finish this once and for all.
      It just reminds me of what my father always told me. It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. And now we have to finish for the American public.“The adjournment will allow two Republican congress members absent from today’s two votes so far to return to Washington DC, and for McCarthy’s allies to work further on two of the six holdouts who still block his pathway.In particular, Republicans Matt Rosendale of Montana and Eli Crane of Arizona are believed to be the two most likely members of the so-called “Never Kevins” to flip.McCarthy won Friday’s two votes so far, with 213 and 214 votes respectively, still shy of the threshold he needs. But he picked up significant momentum, flipping 15 of the 20 rebels who opposed him previously.In his brief comments to reporters just now, he brushed aside criticism that the length of the process had undermined Republicans’ ability to govern:.css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Getting together and just finding the ability of how we’re going to work together… it’s new for us, being in a tight majority [but] at the end of the day, we’re going to be more effective, more efficient. And definitely government’s going to be more accountable.
      That’s the great part, because it took this long now we learned how to govern. So now we’ll be able to get the job done.Hi all – Sam Levin here continuing our live coverage for the rest of the day.Congressman Matt Gaetz, a vocal member of the “Never Kevins”, appeared to concede that Kevin McCarthy might ultimately become speaker, NBC News has reported.“I think the House is in a lot better place with some of the work that’s been done to democratize power out of the speakership and that’s our goal,” Gaetz said this afternoon, according to the station, which reported that he had been huddled with the rightwing extremist congresswoman Lauren Boebert, who has also staunchly opposed McCarthy.More here on the latest developments.House speaker election at ‘a turning point’ despite McCarthy’s 13th lossRead moreJoe Biden has honored the “heroes” who repelled the deadly January 6 Capitol riot, by awarding them presidential citizens medals at the White House on Friday on the second anniversary of the insurrection. He insisted there was “zero place in America for political violence”.The president delivered a powerful speech denouncing the rioters who overran the Capitol building at Donald Trump’s behest as he attempted to remain in office, and praising the law enforcement officers who stood in their way..css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}A violent mob of insurrectionists assaulted law enforcement, vandalized sacred halls, hunted down elected officials, all for the purpose of attempting to overthrow the will of the people and usurp the peaceful transfer of power.
      All of it was fueled by lies about the 2020 election. But on this day, two years ago, our democracy held because we the people, as the Constitution refers to us, did not flinch. We the people endured. We the people prevailed.Biden awarded the medals, the first of his administration, to 12 “extraordinary Americans”, including five law enforcement officers who lost their lives. Relatives of the fallen officers accepted the awards on their behalf, among them Gladys Sicknick, mother of fallen Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick:.css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}History will remember your names, your courage, your bravery, your extraordinary commitment to your fellow Americans.
      America owes you all a debt of gratitude that we can never fully repay unless we live up to what you did.Read more:‘All I did was testify’: Republican who defied Trump will get presidential medalRead moreKevin McCarthy says he has enough votes to win election as speaker of the House on Friday night in a what could be the final act of a drawn out saga.Speaking with reporters just now, the California Republican, who has lost 13 straight votes over four days, said he was confident he finally has enough support to prevail.House members have just voted to adjourn until 10pm, after which time, McCarthy says, colleagues will finally propel him to the speakership in a 14th vote:.css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}We’ll come back tonight. I believe at that time we’ll have the votes to finish this once and for all.
      It just reminds me of what my father always told me. It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. And now we have to finish for the American public.“The adjournment will allow two Republican congress members absent from today’s two votes so far to return to Washington DC, and for McCarthy’s allies to work further on two of the six holdouts who still block his pathway.In particular, Republicans Matt Rosendale of Montana and Eli Crane of Arizona are believed to be the two most likely members of the so-called “Never Kevins” to flip.McCarthy won Friday’s two votes so far, with 213 and 214 votes respectively, still shy of the threshold he needs. But he picked up significant momentum, flipping 15 of the 20 rebels who opposed him previously.In his brief comments to reporters just now, he brushed aside criticism that the length of the process had undermined Republicans’ ability to govern:.css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Getting together and just finding the ability of how we’re going to work together… it’s new for us, being in a tight majority [but] at the end of the day, we’re going to be more effective, more efficient. And definitely government’s going to be more accountable.
      That’s the great part, because it took this long now we learned how to govern. So now we’ll be able to get the job done.Joe Biden is speaking now at the White House to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who defended the US Capitol against a violent mob of Donald Trump-incited insurrectionists two years ago.We’ll bring you the best of his comments very shortly..@POTUS: “But on this day two years ago, our democracy held because We the People did not flinch. We the People endured. We the People prevailed.And on this day of remembrance, we honor a remarkable group of Americans who embodied the best.”— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) January 6, 2023
      You can follow the president’s speech here:Happening Now: President Biden marks two years since the January 6th insurrection during a Presidential Citizens Medal ceremony. https://t.co/LVhkWzSs8e— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 6, 2023
      Kevin McCarthy has picked off at least one of the seven remaining Republican holdouts, Andy Harris of Maryland.It won’t change the outcome of the 13th vote for speaker – McCarthy will still lose this round – but it would appear to point to a successful strategy of picking off the rebels one by one.BIG — Andy Harris, one of the seven remaining holdouts, has just flipped to McCarthy. McCarthy’s critics picking off the remaining opponents one by one. Now the focus shifts to Rosendale & Crane.— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) January 6, 2023
      So far today, 15 of the 20 Republicans who have voted against him consistently through 11 votes from Tuesday to Thursday have been persudade to join the McCarthy camp.The Californian will sense that he’s edging closer. Six of the seven hardline Republican holdouts blocking Kevin McCarthy’s path to the House speakership held firm in a 13th round of voting, thwarting once again the Californian’s pathway to the gavel.McCarthy won 214 votes, still shy of the threshold he needs. But he did flip the vote of Andy Harris of Maryland, potentially leaving him just two more votes away from victory assuming the chamber embarks on a 14th ballot on Friday afternoon.The other six so-called “Never Kevins” voted for Ohio’s Jim Jordan, who was not nominated, meaning there was not enough support for McCarthy to win on this vote.They included Andy Biggs of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Matt Gaetz of Florida, among the most vocal of McCarthy’s opponents. Earlier Friday, several House members walked out as Gaetz attacked McCarthy from the floor.McCarthy’s allies, meanwhile, will be encouraged by the apparently successful strategy of picking off the rebels one by one to put him on the brink of victory. It represents an astonishing turnaround in his fortunes from 11 votes over three days earlier this week, during which at least 20 Republicans opposed him every time.McCarthy agreed to many of the detractors’ demands, according to the Associated Press, including the reinstatement of a longstanding House rule that would allow any single member to call a vote to oust him from office. That change and others mean the job he fought so hard to gain will be somewhat weakened, assuming he emerges triumphant.There are now 6 GOP holdouts left in the election for Speaker of the House. McCarthy needs two votes from this group to win:Biggs AZBoebert COCrane AZGaetz FLGood VARosendale MTThe 6 all sat together in one row during this latest vote.— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) January 6, 2023
      There are seven holdout Republicans still standing in Kevin McCarthy’s path. Two of them, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, have voted for Ohio’s Jim Jordan, even though he was not formally nominated.If three more Republicans join Boebert and Biggs, McCarthy looks all but certain to lose again. But if McCarthy can flip four of the five rebels yet to vote, he will win.Rejuvenated allies of Kevin McCarthy have touted the California Republican for an imminent 13th House speaker vote, more confident that this time they may have the support he needs to secure the gavel.Round 12 earlier this afternoon saw McCarthy flip more than a dozen of the 20 Republican holdouts who have so far blocked his path to the speakership.Some frantic horse trading has taken place, and McCarthy’s team is optimistic and ready to go again.Kentucky Republican James Comer has just delivered a fiery speech nominating McCarthy, promising investigations into Joe Biden and his dealings with Ukraine and Russia.Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of Texas is nominating Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic party’s leader in the House, for speaker.There are no other nominations, for the first time.Voting is under way and it seems to be a two-way fight between McCarthy and Jeffries, potentially a good sign for the Republican that this could finally be the vote in which he wins the speaker’s gavel.It’s been a lively morning in US politics and there is a lot more drama ahead. The House still does not have a speaker but California Republican Kevin McCarthy is finally making some progress. In a few minutes, Joe Biden is due to speak at the White House on the second anniversary of the January 6 insurrection by extremist supporters of Donald Trump, encouraged by the-then president. Biden will also present medals to a group of people who upheld the law and US democracy on January 6, 2021, and in the 2020 election and its aftermath against dangerous opposition from the far right.Here’s where things stand:
      Kevin McCarthy lost a historic 12th round of voting in his tortured quest to become House speaker – but the California Republican picked up support from several of the hardline Republican rebels who have consistently opposed him.
      Tribute was paid in Washington, DC, this morning to the late law enforcement officers who defended the US Capitol against Trump’s mob of insurrectionists two years ago today. The “tremendous bravery” of the five law enforcement officers who lost their lives as a result of the riot, 140 more who were injured, and hundreds of others on duty that day were honored by current Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries and predecessor Nancy Pelosi, the most recent speaker.
      The House of Representatives reconvened for the fourth day of the 118th Congress without a speaker. And the voting began again. The House can do no business until a speaker is elected, including swearing in its members.
      Another lawsuit against Trump. The partner of Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress, has sued Donald Trump.
      California’s governor Gavin Newsom, a rising star in the Democratic party, will be sworn in for his second term on Friday by comparing his leadership style with that of Republican governors and former president Donald Trump. He is widely seen as a future presidential candidate, though he says he plans to support Joe Biden in 2024.
      While we vote for the next stage of the House voting, here’s a video of the tribute in Washington DC this morning paid to the late enforcement officers who defended the US Capitol against Donald Trump’s mob of insurrectionists two years ago today.The “tremendous bravery” of the five law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the riot, 140 more who were injured, and hundreds of others on duty that day were honored by current Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries and predecessor Nancy Pelosi, the most recent speaker.Here’s the fillip for Kevin McCarthy, the chairman of the hard-right Freedom Caucus among House Republicans, Scott Perry, has swung behind him.This could make the difference. Clearly McCarthy is not there yet to get the majority needed to elect him speaker of the House. But he’s a lot closer.We’re at a turning point. I’ve negotiated in good faith, with one purpose: to restore the People’s House back to its rightful owners. The framework for an agreement is in place, so in a good-faith effort, I voted to restore the People’s House by voting for @gopleader McCarthy.— RepScottPerry (@RepScottPerry) January 6, 2023
      McCarthy has now flipped 14 hold-outs out of the 19 or 20 who’ve been opposing him since Tuesday – not enough to get him across the line yet, but noises are coming from his camp about momentum.Kevin McCarthy appears to have lost a 12th vote to become House speaker, but picked up support from several of the hardline Republican rebels who have consistently opposed him.Voting is still under way but enough Republicans have voted against him to deny the Californian Republican the 217 votes he needed. (The threshold had fallen by one from 218 because at least two House members voted only “present”).In 11 previous votes over three days, 20 Republican holdouts voted consistently against McCarthy. In Friday’s first vote, at least six switched their support to him, after overnight negotiations between the rebels and McCarthy’s team, and a conference call this morning.The next steps remain unclear, although more negotiations are likely this afternoon to win over more of the holdouts as McCarthy’s allies attempt to build on the momentum.McCarthy spoke optimistically as he entered the chamber ahead of the vote.“I feel good, I think you’re going to see an improvement in the vote today, we have a couple members who unfortunately are out so we’re seeing progress,” he told reporters.“My father always told me one thing, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”Several House members reportedly walked out of the chamber during Matt Gaetz’s speech nominating Jim Jordan.Also notable was that his address failed to gain the applause of a single congress member.people walk out during Gaetz’s speech, which is for Jim Jordan pic.twitter.com/tfFjuN2v87— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 6, 2023
      As voting continues, McCarthy has picked up at least five votes from the 20 rebels who had previously opposed him, indicating significant momentum to his cause.It remains to be seen if the shift is enough to get McCarthy to the 218 votes he needs during this round of voting, but it’s the first time in 12 rounds of voting he has picked up support, and his allies will be encouraged.Proceedings in the House are already growing rancorous as Florida Republican Matt Gaetz tears into Kevin McCarthy.Gaetz, a leading member of the “Never Kevins” who have barred McCarthy’s path to the speakership over the last three days, and who on Thursday nominated Donald Trump for the role (the fortmer president got one vote, that of Gaetz), says the 12th vote will have the same result as the previous 11.“One must wonder,” Madam Clerk, is this an exercise in vanity?” Gaetz wonders.“Mr McCarthy doesn’t have the votes today. He will not have the votes tomorrow, and he will not have the votes next week, next month, next year.”Gaetz nominates Jim Jordan of Ohio.Now another Republican maverick, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, is on her feet, nominating Kevin Hern of Oklahoma.Despite all the talk this morning of “glimmers of hope” and “breakthroughs”, it’s not looking good for McCarthy as things stand. Voting is under way.Mike Garcia, a Republican congressman from California, is on his feet nominating Kevin McCarthy for speaker (again), and a 12th vote looks like it’s imminent.“This is not about Kevin McCarthy,” Garcia is insisting, even though it is. He’s paying tribute to US service members, and addressing the fentanyl crisis even as he’s urging his colleagues to support McCarthy.He’s also talking directly to Democrats, and drawing boos, as he takes a dig over them voting from home during the pandemic. He’s been rebuked for not directing his remarks through the chair.“We are on the verge of a very important victory… a victory for the future of our nation,” he insists, although it’s far from clear McCarthy has even close to the 218 votes he will need to win the speaker’s gavel.Democrat James Clyburn of South Carolina is nominating Hakeem Jeffries as his party’s nominee for a 12th time. Jeffries, the party’s leader in the House, has won all 212 Democrat votes in every round of voting so far. More

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      House speaker election at ‘a turning point’ despite McCarthy’s 13th loss

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      House speaker election at ‘a turning point’ despite McCarthy’s 13th lossRepublican is hopeful that deal with far-right detractors could award him speaker title while House business remains paralyzed The House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, came within striking distance of winning the speakership, in a clear sign of momentum despite losing a 13th consecutive vote on the fourth day of a grinding intra-party showdown.House still without speaker as McCarthy pleads with Republican holdouts – liveRead moreFifteen far-right holdouts dropped their opposition and voted for McCarthy, after the embattled Republican appeared willing to accept a proposal that would undermine his own power while giving the far-right flank more influence over the legislative process, including the ability to more easily remove a speaker.“We’re at a turning point,” congressman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, a leader of the conservative rebellion who voted for McCarthy on Friday, said. Encouraged by the contours of the emerging deal, Perry said he cast his vote in a “good-faith effort” to end the stalemate.For the first time, McCarthy was the top vote winner, surpassing the Democrats’ choice for speaker, congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York, though it was still not enough to cement the top job. And despite the movement, it was not clear the the proposal would placate the remaining detractors, who remained committed to denying McCarthy the 218 votes traditionally needed to secure the gavel.“You only earn the position of speaker if you get the votes,” said congressman Matt Gaetz, a holdout who voted for conservative congressman Jim Jordan on the 13th ballot. McCarthy, he predicted, “will not have the votes tomorrow and he will not have the votes next week, next month, next year”.Building frustration between the holdouts and the rest of the Republican conference spilled onto the chamber floor. As Gaetz assailed McCarthy in a nominating speech for his alternative speaker candidate, congressman Mike Bost, a Republican of Illinois, angrily interjected. shaking a finger at Gaetz he shouted: “This is not going to bring anyone.”The house clerk banged the gavel, ending the exchange, but several Republicans stormed off the floor in protest as Gaetz finished his remarks. But the general mood had shifted. Republicans burst into applause with each defection from the rebel camp. McCarthy, who had watched with a forlorn expression as the spectacle of defeat without progress unfolded, was notably more upbeat, smiling and laughing as he listened to the roll call.Until a speaker is chosen, the House will continue to operate in a suspended state of paralysis, with members unable to be sworn in and business unable to proceed.McCarthy’s allies worked late into the night on Thursday to hammer out the details of a deal, after a third day of balloting yielded the longest succession of failed speaker votes since the Congress of 1859, which went 44 rounds and two months. Only four other speakership elections in American history have required more than 12 ballots.“Apparently, I like to make history,” McCarthy told reporters as he left the House floor on Thursday night, following an 11th vote that produced effectively the same failed result.A handful of members were absent for the fourth day of the speakership election, which was not originally supposed to be a voting day for the House. Congressman Wesley Hunt, a Republican of Texas, had to rush home to be with his wife and newly born son. Congressman David Trone, a Democrat of Maryland, missed the 12th vote because he was undergoing surgery. Trone returned to the Capitol for the 13th vote, receiving a standing ovation from his colleagues as he cast a ballot for Jeffries with his arm in a sling.7AM: Surgery2PM: Back at the Capitol, still wearing my slippers and hospital socksTime to vote for Hakeem Jeffries! pic.twitter.com/Xvyg8VL4Wp— Rep. David Trone (@RepDavidTrone) January 6, 2023
      The House reconvened for a fourth day of voting, in the shadow of the second anniversary of the deadly Capitol assault. The shocking scenes of violence and chaos that erupted on 6 January 2021 began with an attempt by ultra-conservative lawmakers loyal to Donald Trump to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election that Joe Biden won. Several of those election-denying lawmakers are leading the revolt against McCarthy.After initially condemning the insurrection and Trump’s role fomenting it, McCarthy traveled to Mar-a-Lago in early 2021 to repair relations with the former president and his loyalists in anticipation of his speaker bid. Trump emphatically endorsed McCarthy this week, but it has so far failed to change any minds.Before voting began, members of Congress, mostly Democratic lawmakers, gathered with the families of officers who died in the attack on the steps of the Capitol to mark the “solemn day”.“We stand here today with our democracy intact because of those officers,” said Jeffries, the new Democratic leader. “Violent insurrectionists stormed the Capitol and attempted to halt the peaceful transfer of power, a cornerstone of our republic. They failed.”Meanwhile, House Republicans were holding a conference call to discuss the terms of a possible deal hammered out between emissaries of McCarthy and leaders of the rightwing rebels.“The entire conference is going to have to learn how to work together,” McCarthy told reporters before leaving the Capitol on Thursday night. “So it’s better that we go through this process right now.To win the bloc of rebels thwarting his rise, McCarthy was apparently prepared to agree to conditions that he had not been previously willing to accept. That includes reinstating a rule that would allow a single lawmaker to force a vote to remove the speaker, effectively placing himself at the mercy of his detractors who could trigger a vote at any point.There is a risk that Republican leadership’s myriad concessions to the party’s hard-right faction could repel more moderate members, who have so far remained loyal to McCarthy. But so far all the momentum has only trended in McCarthy’s favor.In yet another sign of the shifting tide, the conservative grassroots group FreedomWorks, which had previously mocked McCarthy’s speakership bid, dropped its opposition to his candidacy.“While details continue to be deliberated on McCarthy’s campaign to 218 votes,” the group’s president said, “today represents a step in the right direction to changing the way business is conducted in Congress.”Democrats remained united behind Jeffries as their choice for speaker. He repeatedly won the most votes during the first three days of balloting, but remained short of the majority.The spectacle foreshadows the difficulties that lie ahead for the Republican party as it aims to reclaim the Senate and the White House in 2024. Already riven by infighting, and constrained by a narrow majority, the party’s new leaders will face many of the same challenges as past Republican speakers, whose tenures were defined by government shutdowns and political brinkmanship.TopicsHouse of RepresentativesUS politicsRepublicansnewsReuse this content More