Washington plunges into crisis. After ten votes, the members of the House of Representatives of the United States have still not managed to elect their new president (speaker). A scenario without precedent since 1860. The fault of some Republican parliamentarians close to Donald Trump, who refuse to vote for Kevin McCarthy, leader of the right-wing party in the House.
Favorite to replace Nancy Pelosi, the 57-year-old Republican has approached the twenty elected Trumpists who play killjoy, offering them considerable concessions. To no avail: the group was still refusing to align after a tenth ballot.
The few “determined” Trumpists
This blockade has very concrete repercussions: without a Speaker of the House, elected officials cannot take the oath and therefore pass any bill.
“Today I am hopeful that the Republicans will stop the bickering, the gossip and the backstabbing, so that we can work in the service of the American people,” said Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who got 212 votes to McCarthy’s 201.
However, to be elected to the head of the House of Representatives, the future “spokesperson” must obtain at least 218 votes. And opposition to McCarthy’s candidacy seemed to crystallize. “We are determined to profoundly change this institution that is going astray,” justified the turbulent representative-elect of North Carolina Dan Bishop from the floor.
133 towers in 1856
How long will your candidacy be viable? California’s elected representative has no credible competitor. Only the name of the group leader Steve Scalise circulates as a possible alternative, without his possibilities seeming serious.
The House will continue to vote until a Speaker is elected. It was supposed to take a few hours, but it could take several weeks. Last very long election: 1860, where 44 turns were necessary
Four years earlier, in 1856, the elected members of Congress had agreed after only two months and 133 seats. Parliamentarians at the time had decided to vote on a motion to allow the election of a “president” by relative majority. The abolitionist Nataniel P. Banks was elected with 48.13% of the vote.
“There is no doubt that the problems that divide us today are much less serious than those we had in 1856,” launched John James-elect, calling on his colleagues to immediately align themselves with Kevin McCarthy.
Democratic President Joe Biden on Wednesday described the situation as “shameful” and assured that “the rest of the world” was closely following the mess in Congress.
Source: BFM TV
