McCarthy's Speaker of the House election has made progress, or will he wear a "straitjacket" to govern?

　　China News Service, January 7th reported that on the 6th local time, the election of the speaker of the US House of Representatives entered its 4th day.

In the 12th and 13th rounds of voting that day, the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, won more votes than Representative Jeffreys nominated by the Democrats for the first time, but he still did not get the number of votes needed to serve as speaker.

McCarthy 'one step away' from speakership?

　　Before the start of the vote on the 6th, McCarthy told reporters that he was confident in the state of the negotiations, "We will make progress today and surprise you."

Data map: McCarthy, the Republican leader of the US House of Representatives.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Sha Hanting

　　McCarthy won the support of 15 Republican members of the House of Representatives in the 13th round of voting, and received a total of 214 votes, only one step away from the 218 votes needed to serve as speaker.

After the 13th round of voting, the House of Representatives voted into recess.

　　In order to gain votes, McCarthy made a series of major concessions and promises. According to CNN, the main contents include:

　　- Any Member of Parliament may file a motion to remove the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

　　- McCarthy's "Political Action Committee" (PAC) will not participate in open primary elections in safe areas;

　　- Votes on key Conservative bills including balanced budget amendments, parliamentary term limits, border security;

　　- raising the debt ceiling must be combined with spending cuts;

　　- Separately moved 12 appropriations bills;

　　- Increase the number of "Liberal Caucus" representatives on committees, including the House Rules Committee;

　　- Limiting discretionary spending to fiscal year 2022 levels, equivalent to lower levels of spending on defense and domestic programs;

　　- There is a 72-hour review period before the proposal is submitted;

　　- Giving MPs the ability to propose more amendments in the House;

　　- Formation of a commission of inquiry to investigate the "weaponization" of the federal government;

　　- Reinstate the "Holman Rule" that can be used to lower the salaries of government officials.

　　While winning votes for McCarthy in nearly two rounds of voting, the concessions have worried his supporters and some Democrats, threatening to exacerbate the worst congressional dysfunction in 150 years.

　　Rep. Rosa DeLauro criticized, "We cannot allow a future speaker to trade funds that help communities and protect national security for personal gain."

　　During the adjournment, one of McCarthy's toughest opponents, Republican Rep. Matt Getz, acknowledged that McCarthy would likely become Speaker and that "things seem to be moving in that direction."

But he also pointed out that McCarthy will have to make difficult concessions to get to this point, and that he will be in power in a "straitjacket".

　　CNN commented that even if McCarthy does win the position of speaker of the house, it is likely to make the speaker's office lose its prestige.

The AP report takes a similar view, and even if McCarthy gets the votes he needs, he will be a weakened Speaker, giving up some power and exposing himself to the constant threat of being voted out by his critics.

Chaos on Capitol Hill

　　Two years ago, on January 6, riots on Capitol Hill broke out in the United States, which shocked the world. Two years later, on January 6, the US House of Representatives was unable to "start work" because the speaker could not be elected, and fell into chaos again.

　　According to German media statistics, this election for the speaker of the House of Representatives has broken the record in 1923 that a new speaker was elected after 3 days and 9 rounds of voting, and is moving towards the next record: In 1855, the House of Representatives took nearly two months and 133 rounds of voting to elect a new speaker. New speaker; 1859 after 44 rounds to elect a new speaker.

Data map: Trump.

　　In response to this chaos, the Associated Press analyzed that the resistance of some Republicans also sounded the alarm within the Republican Party. Some members warned that these people are destroying the newly acquired weak majority in the House of Representatives and alienating voters.

　　Such confusion also raises deeper questions about the identity and future of the Republican Party: Trump is seeking the party's presidential nomination at a time when his influence within the party is waning -- even amidst his "Make America Great Again" politics Among the movement's most outspoken supporters.

　　This exposed a vacuum in the leadership of the Republican Party, with no obvious alternatives to unite the party and lead it to undertake real governance responsibilities and meet political challenges.

　　Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich warned that the GOP base "is watching the chaos in the House, and they're watching for a possible divide between groups that never support Trump and groups that always support Trump." conflict, which could be devastatingly divisive."

　　Fox News host Sean Hannity commented that "this is a disaster for the Republicans" and that the House GOP "is now on the verge of turning into a total buffoonery show, if they're not careful."