Kevin McCarthy was finally elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives in extraordinary scenes when Republican rebels came round after the longest stand-off since the Civil War.
The California congressman won on the 15th vote of the full chamber after making a series of concessions to his party’s ultraconservative faction and, allegedly, after Donald Trump intervened to put last-minute pressure on them.
Four days of Republican infighting culminated in chaotic scenes when an ally of McCarthy’s had to be held back from lunging at Matt Gaetz, the most prominent hold-out, after McCarthy unexpectedly lost the 14th ballot by a single vote despite hours of intense deal-making.
He then moved to adjourn until Monday but scrambled to the front of the chamber to reverse course when he realised that the four remaining rebels were suddenly prepared to end their opposition. At least one had received a phone call from Trump.
McCarthy was elected Speaker shortly after midnight with 216 Republican votes and six rebel abstentions. All 212 Democrats backed their candidate, Hakeem Jeffries, as in every previous round of voting.
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“I hope one thing is clear after this: I never give up,” McCarthy said shortly before he took the oath of office. Wielding the gavel for the first time and taking the Speaker’s rostrum, McCarthy said: “My father always told me: it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. And now we need to finish strong for the American public . . . Now the hard work begins.”
Saying that he wanted to talk to the American people, he said that his responsibility was not ultimately to his party or the House but to the country. “Two months ago you voted for a new direction for the country and now we’re going to keep our commitment to you. It’s a commitment for an economy that’s strong . . . for a nation that’s safe, where law enforcement is respected and criminals are prosecuted.”
He vowed to pass measures to release “American-made energy” and as a first act repeal funding for 87,000 new tax officials. “We believe government should be to help you, not go after you,” he said.
McCarthy said that “Congress must speak with one voice” on confronting the national debt and China. He announced that one of the first hearings of the new House would be held on the Mexican border as part of his party’s commitment to stem the surge of immigration.
It was a moment of triumph after an unedifying week-long display of internal Republican divisions in a taste of the trouble that McCarthy is likely to have running the chamber.
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The chaotic start to the party’s stewardship of the House fell on the second anniversary of the January 6 riot when Trump’s supporters marauded through the building and held up the ratification of Joe Biden’s victory. Yesterday Biden handed medals to Capitol police officers and election officials who stood firm against pressure from Trump and his allies to overturn the result.
With McCarthy in place, the chamber could finally swear in its 434 representatives. His concessions to break the rebellion included agreements that the Speaker could face a recall vote if demanded by a single member. He also vowed to place more members of the hard-right Freedom Caucus on the powerful rules committee.
There were reports that he had made policy concessions, including powers for members to challenge the raising of the national debt ceiling, potentially putting the US at risk of default without big public spending cuts.
The most dramatic moment of the affair, the first time a Speaker has failed on a vote since 1923, came after the 14th ballot last night. McCarthy was confident that he had the votes on the bag but something went wrong and he missed the majority by just one. He went over to remonstrate with Gaetz, who for the first time had just abstained after vociferously leading the opposition.
Mike Rogers, chairman of the armed service committee, was physically restrained from behind by another member with a hand over Rogers’s mouth as he lurched towards Gaetz in his seat.
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Asked later what he was saying during his confrontation with Gaetz, McCarthy played it down, saying: “Oh nothing. I mean, we ended up with a tie and he was able to get the others to be able to go present.”
However there was another source of arm-twisting: a photographer caught an image of Marjorie Taylor Greene, a McCarthy ally, holding to one of the rebels a phone displaying “DT” for Donald Trump.
