For the first time in 100 years, the US House of Representatives has failed to elect a speaker after a first round vote. Indeed, as of the time of writing, the House has held six ballots over two days and still not agreed who should be its presiding officer.

Republican leader in the House Kevin McCarthy led his party to a narrow victory in November’s midterms with 222 seats to the Democrats’ 213. This was supposed to be the Republicans’ opportunity to showcase their legislative power in the lower house of Congress. Instead, what ensued was farce and chaos.

After three ballots McCarthy failed to secure the backing of a majority of House members, needing 218 votes to become speaker. In the first two ballots he managed 203, with 19 members of his own party voting against him. This grew to 20 in the third ballot. These breakaway Republicans proposed and voted for their own preferred candidate – Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio.

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