It took three days, a slew of compromises with the most rabid members of the GOP caucus, and a record 15 votes, but Rep. Kevin McCarthy is finally Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
A lot of effort was expended by and for a probable one-termer, if he even lasts a a full term as speaker.
Either the Democratic Party regains control of the House in 2024 or he'll tick off some of the more extreme members of his caucus and they'll depose him the next time he runs for Speaker.
But this time, he won. Eventually.
From CNN -
How McCarthy survived the House chaos to win the speaker’s gavel
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz strode into House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office on Monday night with a list of demands. Among them: The chairmanship of a key House Armed Services subcommittee.
McCarthy rejected the offer. That decision set in motion a chain of events that left Gaetz and McCarthy locked in open confrontation on the House floor late Friday night. Gaetz, McCarthy’s staunchest opponent, dramatically denied McCarthy the final vote he needed to become speaker – then Gaetz and the last holdouts abruptly changed course allowing McCarthy to win the speaker’s gavel on his 15th attempt.
McCarthy may have won the election, there were some hard feelings in his caucus.
From WRAL (NC) -
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson of NC seen restraining GOP colleague on House floor
North Carolina U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson stepped in to stop a heated confrontation on the House floor late Friday. The flap, between Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and Alabama Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, had escalated after a tense vote for the House speaker.U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ultimately elected House speaker early Saturday after a 15th vote.
Actually, describing them as "hard feelings" may be understating the situation. It got downright messy on the House floor,
Get ready - Congress' next couple of years will be rocky. And entertaining.
But mostly rocky.
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