Kevin McCarthy loses sixth vote in House speaker bid, as chamber adjourns
The chaos on Capitol Hill is set to continue for a fourth day on Friday as the Republican party remains at war over who to elect as the next speaker of the House of Representatives.
Kevin McCarthy has now failed to secure enough votes after a staggering 11 roll call votes – making it the longest House speaker vote since 1855.
Mr McCarthy’s bid has been derailed by a group of far-right Republicans – dubbed the “Never Kevins” and including the likes of Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz – who are refusing to back him.
On Thursday, Mr Gaetz vowed to resign from his role in Congress should a moderate Republican be elected as new House leader.
“If Democrats join up to elect a moderate Republican, I will resign from the House of Representatives. That is how certain I am. I can assure your viewers that won’t happen,” he told Fox News on Thursday night.
The threat was welcomed by several social media users who urged Democrats to help him make good on his word.
