‘It’s How You Finish’: McCarthy Outlasts Opposition, Elected Speaker You can find the House

By David Morgan, Moira Warburton Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected speaker for the U.S. House Of Representatives Get started early SaturdayAfter making concessions to right-wing hardliners who raised questions about the party’s ability to govern, he accepted them.

The 57-year-old Californian One final humiliation was suffered Representative Matt Gaetz As midnight approached, he withheld his vote for the 14th ballot. This prompted a scuffle in Which fellow Republican Mike Rogers Physically, it had to be taken away.

McCarthy‘s victory in the 15th ballot brought an end to the deepest congressional dysfunction in over 160 years. But It clearly showed the difficulties he will have in leading a narrowly divided majority.

He Last but not least, won by a margin 216-212. He With less than half of the votes, he was able to win election House members only because six in his own party withheld their votes – not backing McCarthy as leader, but also not voting for another contender.

As McCarthy was the last man to take the gavel. President Joe Biden’s Democrats’Hold on both chambers of Congress.

“Our system is built on checks and balances. It’s time for us to be a check and provide some balance to the president’s policies,” McCarthy stated in his inaugural speech that he had a wide range priorities, ranging from cutting spending to immigration to fighting culture war battles.

McCarthy won the gavel after he accepted a demand made by hardliners for any lawmaker to be able and immediately remove him. That He will be severely restricted in his ability to pass legislation on critical issues, including funding the government and addressing the nation’s debt ceiling.

RepublicansInsufficient performance November’s midterm elections left them with a narrow 222-212 majority, which has given outsized power to the right-wing hardliners who have opposed McCarthy‘s leadership.

Those concessions, including sharp spending cuts and other curbs on McCarthy‘s leadership, could point to further turbulence in the months ahead, especially when Congress You will need to approve a further increase in the United States’ $31.4 trillion borrowing power

Over The past decade Republicans They have repeatedly shut down large parts of the government, pushing the world’s biggest borrower to the brink in an effort to extract steep spending cuts. Usually without success.

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