WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House Republicans will begin the second day of the new Congress in the same way they began the first, with leader Kevin McCarthy attempting to become House speaker despite losing in multiple rounds of voting that threw the new GOP majority into disarray.
It was the first time in 100 years that a House speaker nominee did not take the gavel on the first vote, but McCarthy seemed unfazed. Instead, he vowed to fight to the bitter end, urging former President Donald Trump to bring the Republican Party back together.
The House is set to reconvene on Wednesday, after the stalemate effectively halted all other business while Republicans chose a speaker.
“Is today the day I wanted to have? “No,” McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol late Tuesday after a series of closed-door meetings.