The Republicans intend to use that majority to open a series of investigations into the Democratic US president Joe Biden, for example on the way in which he managed the covid-19 pandemic.
But first they have to agree on who will preside over the House of Representatives and they will keep voting until they do.
The election of the head of the Lower House, known as “speaker”, the third most important figure in US politics after the president and vice president, requires a majority of 218 votes.
A figure that McCarthy has not been able to reach for the moment, after two rounds, due to the opposition of some twenty congressmen who are sympathetic to Trump.
“Kevin doesn’t believe in anything, he has no ideology,” said Matt Gaetz, who holds a seat for Florida.
And that McCarthy’s candidacy has broad support within his party. In fact, the announcement of his nomination on the floor was met with a standing ovation from the Republican ranks.
But it is weakened by the Republicans’ result in November’s midterm elections, which missed forecasts.
Procedure
The choice of a Speaker of the House of Representatives could be decided in hours or weeks. In 1856 it took two months.
McCarthy seems willing to make concessions to the most conservative to avoid history repeating itself, since in 2015 the right wing of the party already prevented him from holding office.
But he also can’t afford to turn against moderate Republicans.
Although their room for maneuver is limited, at the moment they do not have a strong rival. As a possible alternative, only the name of Jim Jordan is circulating.
With the Lower House under the control of the Republicans, Joe Biden will not be able to promote large projects, but neither will the opposing camp because the Senate is still in the hands of the Democrats.
For them to entrench themselves in a systematic opposition they would have to be united and in the budget vote in December some Republicans were seen voting with the Democrats.
With the election of the “speaker” the disunity jumps out again.
And a hostile House could even benefit him if Biden confirms his intention to run again in the 2024 presidential election.
The president is careful not to comment on Republican divisions. His spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre assured that the Democratic leader “will not meddle in this process.”
In the event of legislative paralysis, he will most likely blame the blockade on the Republicans, hoping to benefit politically.
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
