WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Eastern Shore's only U.S. Representative and the only Republican in the entire Maryland Congressional delegation, Andy Harris, continues to part of group that is preventing California Representative Kevin McCarthy from the reaching the 218 votes necessary to become Speaker of the House.
House Republicans flailed through a long second day of fruitless balloting Wednesday, unable to either elect their leader Kevin McCarthy as House speaker or come up with a new strategy to end the political chaos that has tarnished the start of their new majority.
Yet McCarthy not only wasn’t giving up, he was sounding optimistic after calling off a night-time session.
“No deal yet,” he said as he left a lengthy closed-door meeting with key holdouts. “But a lot of progress.”
No progress at all was evident though the day of vote-after-vote-after vote. For a fourth, fifth and sixth time, Republicans tried to elevate McCarthy into the top job as the House plunged deeper into disarray. But the votes were producing almost the same outcome, 20 conservative holdouts still refusing to support him, and leaving him far short of the 218 typically needed to win the gavel.
In fact, McCarthy saw his support slip to 201, as one fellow Republican switched to vote simply present.
Seeing no quick way out of the political standoff, Republicans voted abruptly late in the day to adjourn as they desperately searched for an endgame to the chaos of their own making. They were due back in the evening, but the House was at a standstill.
“I think people need to work a little more,” McCarthy said. “I don’t think a vote tonight would make any difference. But a vote in the future could.”
Click here for information on Harris and the other 19 who are opposed to McCarthy.
(the Associated Press contributed to this post)