House Speaker Race

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) fell short in securing enough votes yesterday after multiple rounds of voting to become speaker of the House, leaving the chamber at a standstill. McCarthy is the first speaker nominee since 1923 to fail to win the initial vote. The longest it took the House to elect a speaker was in 1856, lasting two months and consisting of 133 ballots. Needing 218 votes to become speaker, McCarthy secured 202 in the third round of voting. The House then adjourned until 12 pm ET today. Democrats unanimously supported incoming Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8), while Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4) won six votes from the GOP in the first round, 19 votes in the second round, and 20 in the third. See play-by-play here. The House cannot resume business without a speaker. Members of the 118th Congress can't be sworn in, legislation can't be considered, and committee assignments can't be created, among other duties. Voting for the speaker will continue until a candidate secures a majority; it's unclear how long the process will take (see overview).