The House of Representatives is expected to hold a third-round vote on the election of the next House speaker today, but the path to a majority remains murky.
The Republican Party is currently divided, with some members of the Freedom Caucus standing strong behind their preferred candidate Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), while others have moved to support House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). McCarthy is widely viewed as the favorite for the position, but has failed to get the 218 votes needed for a majority in the first two rounds of voting.
The House Rules Committee is expected to meet today to discuss possible adjustments to the voting process, such as reducing the amount of time each member would have to cast a vote in order to speed up the process.
Now that the Democrats have won control of the House, many members of the Republican party are growing increasingly anxious about the potential of prolonged infighting between the various factions when they assume power on January 3rd. Other members of the party are growing increasingly concerned about the party’s overall reputation if the speaker’s race extends much further.
Regardless of today’s outcome, it remains uncertain if any candidate will be able to gain the support of enough members to win the race. Leaders of the GOP are now cautiously watching for any signs of progress towards a potential resolution.
