Last Update: January 07, 2023, 14:38 IST
Republican Richard Hudson (left) blocks fellow party member Mike Rogers as he gets into a heated argument with party member Matt Gaetz during a vote for speaker (Image: AP Photo/Andrew Harnick)
Republican leader Mike Rogers of Alabama accused fellow party member Matt Gaetz of Florida of disagreeing with the latter’s vote for McCarthy.
The US House speaker was elected on Friday night after four days and fifteen rounds of voting, the first time the US Congress has seen it in 159 years.
Republican Kevin McCarthy won by 216 votes, giving him the slimmest majority and – as some Western media outlets put it – earning him the title of ‘weak’ speaker.
McCarthy made several concessions to win over 14 of the 20 holdouts, highlighting that moderates, right-wing and far-right Republicans have divided the party.
However, the extreme-rightists within the party were the ones who would not budge. By the end, six holdouts led by Florida Republican Matt Gaetz remained in the ‘Never Kevin’ camp.
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Republican leader Kevin McCarthy had a hard time convincing Matt Gaetz, who voted ‘Present’, reducing McCarthy’s tally. video Social media showed McCarthy walking up to Gaetz’s seat on the House floor and engaging in a heated argument.
McCarthy confronted Gaetz, and Gaetz responded by not voting for McCarthy on the 14th ballot.
Videos of these incidents were shared by Twitter and American influencer Asin.
The situation became heated as Republican Mike Rogers of Alabama began charging toward Gaetz before another Republican, Richard Hudson, physically restrained him.
“Stay civil!” someone shouted, the associated Press said in his report.
according to a report by new York TimesGaetz alleged that McCarthy stole parts of himself and “the special interest fundraiser LeBron James”.
concessions were given
Kevin McCarthy made some important concessions in order to gather the support he needed for his speakership bid. McCarthy accepted the ‘Never Kevin’ brigade’s demand to ‘vacate the chair’, allowing a legislator to propose a “vacation of the chair”, essentially asking for a vote to remove the speaker.
Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struck down the rule, but her successor has now been forced to reinstate it, reminding Republicans of an infamous episode from 2015, when a mutiny ousted the 53rd House Speaker, Republican Frank Boehner was forced to oust him. Motion to “vacate the chair”.
Several other vague concessions such as expanding the number of seats available on the House Rules Committee, requiring bills to be posted 72 hours before votes, and constitutional amendments imposing federal limits on an individual’s terms of service in the House and Senate A demand was also made. Created by Kevin McCarthy.
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