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New Congress live updates: House adjourns for the day after leadership fight and no speaker elected
GOP leader Kevin McCarthy is in a showdown with hardliners.
Republicans faced a leadership drama as they took control of the House on Tuesday.
As the 118th Congress convened, the first order of business in the chamber was the election of a new speaker -- and current Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is so far being stymied by a group of hardliners demanding concessions.
To win the gavel, McCarthy needs a majority of the members-elect who are present and voting. But because the GOP holds only a five-seat advantage, a small number of defections is stopping McCarthy from gaining the office he's long sought.
The House can conduct no other business until a speaker is chosen. For the first time in a century, the vote is requiring multiple rounds and, now, multiple days.
Latest headlines:
- Frustration was growing as voting wound down
- House adjourns, will resume Wednesday
- McCarthy defector calls for 'huddle' to sort out speaker vote
- McCarthy loses a supporter -- and 3rd round of speaker vote
- Scalise says McCarthy critics are obstructing legislation
- White House 'willing to work' with GOP in new Congress but avoids weighing in on leadership fight
- Jordan says he told Gaetz not to nominate him as speaker
Frustration was growing as voting wound down
House lawmakers adjourned until Wednesday as some of them grew restless following the three rounds of unsuccessful voting for a new speaker.
Signs of frustration mounted during the third vote, with Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., saying he was backing McCarthy "because I'm interested in governing."
The voting took place as lawmakers had family and friends in town, and it was unclear at the time how deep into the night voting would go.
McCarthy had vowed to keep voting until there was a speaker, but the motion to adjourn shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday drew little opposition.
-ABC News' Will Steakin and Benjamin Siegel
House adjourns, will resume Wednesday
The House overwhelmingly chose late Tuesday afternoon to adjourn until noon on Wednesday after a motion from Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., was adopted by voice vote
That decision came after three unsuccessful rounds saw no member-elect chosen as speaker, including McCarthy.
It's the first time in a century that the speaker vote has taken multiple rounds.
McCarthy defector calls for 'huddle' to sort out speaker vote
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who changed his vote for speaker in the third round, said on social media that "continuous votes aren't working."
Donalds supported McCarthy during the first two rounds of voting, but then switched his choice to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. On Twitter, Donalds indicated that he does not believe McCarthy has the support to ultimately become speaker.
"Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find someone or work out the next steps...but these continuous votes aren't working for anyone," Donalds wrote.
"When the dust settles, we will have a Republican Speaker, now is the time for our conference to debate and come to a consensus."
"Democracy is messy at times, but we will be ready to govern on behalf of the American people. Debate is healthy," he added.
McCarthy loses a supporter -- and 3rd round of speaker vote
In the third round of voting, 20 Republican lawmakers voted against McCarthy for speaker -- the highest amount so far. Those votes went to Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.
In the first two rounds, 19 Republicans voted for a different candidate. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., voted for McCarthy two times before changing his vote to Jordan.
McCarthy received 202 votes in the latest round, making it the third time he’s trailed Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats have already elected Jeffries to be their caucus leader in the new Congress.
