House Elects Kevin McCarthy As Speaker of The House
The US House of Representatives will have a new speaker of the House thanks to a historic effort by incoming Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California. The contentious debate ended after several Conservatives supported the embattled California congressman.
The final tally was McCarthy 216 Jeffries 212 Others 0 Present 6
Idaho's two congressmen have been consistent in their support of McCarthy. The House Freedom Caucus have been the most outspoken critics of McCarthy becoming speaker. The vote for McCarthy came after a historic fifteen attempts to elect a speaker. The Democrats cannot have a place in leadership because they are not in the majority.
Democrats would need Republicans to switch sides to elect Representative Jeffries. Conservatives aired their concerns about the process of governing and spending as their objections to Mr. McCarthy.
The controversial election has exposed the public to how deals are made in Washington, DC. Republicans from all over the country and political spectrum have been calling each other names on television and social media. Years ago, President Ronald Reagan announced his 11th Commandment, 'tho shall not speak ill of fellow Republicans.'
Usually, conflicts within a political party are kept behind closed doors. This week we've seen members of congress calling each other personal names. Several called the multiple attempts to elect a speaker a clown show.
It almost got physical, look at these two images.
Although the first week of the year is slow, this week's conflict has been a rating winner for radio, television, and other platforms. If the speaker's election is any indication, the 118th Congress will be one for the history books. Once a speaker is elected, new members will be sworn in.