Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images
The House of Representatives chose kevin mccarthy as the 55th president after days of defeats and concessions to win over lawmakers from Republican Party hard line
The final vote came after several days of negotiations and a stunning defeat for the California congressman in round 14 voting, where Kevin McCarthy and his GOP allies had earlier expressed optimism that he would ultimately secure the job.
The abstention of five rebel Republicans opened the way in the early hours of Saturday to the election of McCarthy as speaker of the House with 216 votes
In the 14th round of voting, an extraordinary scene broke out as McCarthy faced off against Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose vote in that round could have landed McCarthy the role he has sought for so long.
After initially seeking to adjourn the House session until Monday, Republican leaders abruptly reversed course and stayed in session, setting up a 15th ballot.
Throughout Friday, McCarthy had managed to change the sign of the vote of several of his opponents of far-right ideology and grouped under the Freedom Caucus. But four of those conservative Republicans voted for two ultra Republicans, since congressional rules allow people to vote for people who are not even nominated, while two, one of them Gaetz, chose to abstain. Gaetz’s vote would have given McCarthy a win in round 14 voting.
The House of Representatives can now go about the rest of its business, including administering the oath of office to newly elected members.
The president of the House of Representatives is the third authority in the United States, only behind President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris who also serves as president of the Senate.