The Washington Post reports:
As the vote to elect a House speaker stretched into its third evening, a simple question remained: Why are they still doing this? Kevin McCarthy has had 20 defectors since the third ballot Tuesday, and here we stand, on a 10th ballot with no end in sight. But the House will keep voting.
Because they don’t have many other options. After the dueling Republican factions met with their allies across the Capitol complex Thursday morning, it became apparent that while a deal had not been struck, no group was rejecting McCarthy’s latest proposal either.
Getting to yes would require the Republican holdouts and McCarthy allies to discuss and negotiate face-to-face behind closed doors right off the House floor, even though that has meant McCarthy losing ten straight ballots.
Read the full article.
10th ballot
212 – Jeffries
200 – McCarthy
13 – Donalds
7 – Hern
1 – presentThere may be an effort to adjourn after this vote is called bc talks bw the two camps have progressed, per multiple Rs
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 5, 2023
Clyde, Miller, Norman & Roy among those reviewing the deal atm. https://t.co/Dxh5KaWNIA
— Jacqueline Alemany (@JaxAlemany) January 5, 2023