Republican Kevin McCarthy was finally elected Speaker of the House of Representatives after midnight Saturday after a chaotic week that exposed the ability to govern of the new Republican majority.
After four days of grueling voting, McCarthy managed to get the vote of more than a dozen ultra-conservatives, including the chairman of the Freedom Caucus. It took 15 rounds of voting for him to win the seat, despite the fact that his party has the majority in that legislative body.
Since the Civil War era, the vote of a speaker de la Cámara had not gone through so many tribulations.
The turn of events came after McCarthy agreed to meet many of his opponents’ demands, including reinstating a longstanding House rule that would allow any member to call a vote to remove him from office.
Eager to confront President Biden and the Democrats, McCarthy promised subpoenas and investigations. “Now the hard work begins,” he declared. Republicans have already pledged to launch investigations into the Biden family’s business and administration.
McCarthy credited former President Donald Trump for supporting him and making calls to “help get those final votes.” “I don’t think anyone should doubt his influence,” he said.
But even if he wins, various analysts maintain that his destiny is to be a weak president and under constant threat of being removed from office.
The factional clash within the Republican Party came against the backdrop of the second anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, which rocked the country when a mob of Trump supporters tried to block Congress from certifying their 2020 election defeat.
At an event Friday, some lawmakers (all but one Democrat) observed a moment of silence and praised the officers who helped protect Congress that day. At the White House, Biden presented medals to officers and others who fought against the cabalists. “America is a land of law, not chaos,” the president said.
Once chosen, the new speaker swore an oath The House was then able to do the same for newly elected lawmakers, who had been waiting all week to start the 2023-2024 sessions.
