Republican McCarthy Becomes 3rd in US House Leadership... Elected After 15 Votes, 5th Most in History (Summary)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House Minority Leader, has been elected as the new Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House ranks third in the U.S. presidential line of succession, following the President and Vice President.

McCarthy was elected Speaker in the early hours of the 6th (local time) after the 15th round of voting, receiving 216 votes and defeating the Democratic candidate, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who received 212 votes.

Although the Republican Party, with 222 members, holds the majority, hardline members continued to cast dissenting votes, and McCarthy initially failed to secure the majority needed to be officially elected as Speaker, the third in the power hierarchy.

The U.S. House has 435 seats (currently 1 vacant), so the majority threshold is 218 seats. If just 5 of the 222 Republican members defected, McCarthy would not have been able to secure a majority. In fact, even before the opening of the new session, more than 5 Republican members had clearly expressed their opposition to him, resulting in 14 failed attempts to elect him.

In the 12th vote, McCarthy received 213 votes, and in the 13th vote, he gained one more vote for a total of 214. In the 14th vote, he received 216 votes but was still one vote short of a majority.

The voting process involves House members calling out their preferred candidate in turn. When a member's turn comes, they may say "present" to indicate they are not voting for any candidate. "Present" votes, like vacancies or absences, are not counted in the total votes, effectively lowering the majority threshold.

Near the end of the 14th vote, McCarthy was seen walking over to the seats of key hardline members Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz, where a serious-looking conversation and finger-pointing took place between them.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Ultimately, in the 15th vote, McCarthy again received 216 votes, but with 6 Republican members abstaining by voting "present," the required "magic number" for election dropped to 216, allowing him to secure victory.

Former Speakers Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner were also elected with 216 votes in 2021 and 2015, respectively.

After being elected, McCarthy raised the Speaker's gavel and waved it in the air toward cheering members before striking it twice.

In his speech, McCarthy pledged open debate and an open door to both Republicans and Democrats, emphasizing unity and stating, "You will see what happens in the people's House," according to The New York Times (NYT).

He stressed, "As Speaker, my ultimate responsibility is not to the Republican Party but to our country."

Regarding the lengthy voting process, McCarthy told reporters, "This is a great part of it," adding, "Because it took so long, we learned how to govern." He also said, "I'm glad it's over."

On Twitter, he emphasized, "As this week ends, I want to make one thing clear: I will never give up. I will never give up on you, on the American people."

Although McCarthy's election ends the congressional deadlock, the divided U.S. House and the majority party's dysfunction, which were fully exposed during this voting process, suggest that challenges lie ahead for him.

He is reported to have engaged in negotiations and behind-the-scenes contacts to appease hardliners during the election period.

In particular, he accepted several demands from hardliners, including lowering the threshold for submitting a motion to vacate the Speaker's chair to just one member. This could significantly weaken the Speaker's authority in handling major legislation.

Former Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi said upon entering the chamber, "What we are witnessing is a drastically diminished speakership, and this is the most unfortunate thing for Congress."

The U.S. House Speaker election is usually considered a formality, and it is rare for it to face such difficulties as this time. The last time voting extended to 10 rounds was in 1859, just before the Civil War (1861?1865), when 44 rounds of voting were held.

The most recent instance before this where more than one vote was required was 100 years ago in 1923, when the Speaker was elected on the 9th vote.

This 15-round Speaker election is the fifth highest in history. Nathaniel Prentiss Banks was elected after 133 rounds of voting over two months from December 1855 to February 1856; Howell Cobb (1849) after 63 rounds; William Pennington (1860) after 44 rounds; and John W. Taylor (1819) after 22 rounds.

U.S. President Joe Biden congratulated McCarthy on his election and sent a message of cooperation.

President Biden said, "I am ready to work with Republicans when I can," adding, "Now is the time to govern responsibly and prioritize the interests of American families."

McCarthy is regarded as a pro-Trump conservative.

He has strongly supported former President Donald Trump since the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, a stance that made traditional Republican politicians uncomfortable. He has also signaled a tough stance on China.

He was elected House Minority Leader in 2014, eight years after entering the House, when the Republicans held the majority, and was re-elected as Minority Leader in 2018, leading House Republicans since then.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.