WASHINGTON.- The North American congressmen did not reach an agreement to choose the president of the House of Representatives of the United States in three rounds, after the failure of the Republican Kevin McCarthy, for the first time in 100 years.
After the failed votes, the The House of Representatives suspended the session, without being able to elect its president, until tomorrow at noon.
McCarthy, the overwhelming favorite to replace Democrat Nancy Pelosi, failed to calm the revolt of a group of supporters of the former president Donald Trumpa sign of the division in this party that has controlled the lower house by a slight majority since the November elections.
McCarthy needed 218 votes in the full House, but got only 203 in the first two rounds., less even than the Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, in a chamber with a Republican majority. In a third ballot he had even fewer votes and then the chamber suspended activities until Wednesday.
McCarthy had promised a “battle in the plenary” for as long as it took to outdo his fellow Republicans who refused to give him their votes. But it was far from clear how the embattled Republican leader could bounce back after becoming the first House speaker candidate in 100 years not to receive the nod from his party mates in the initial vote.
Republicans intend to use their majority in this chamber to open a series of investigations into the president Joe Biden.
The new United States Congress will have the largest number of Latinos to date in the House of Representatives, which goes from 38 to 47.
In last November’s midterm elections, the Democrats retained control of the Senate, but the Republican opposition won a slim majority in the House.
AFP agency
THE NATION