The U.S. House abruptly adjourned Tuesday without electing a new speaker after Republican leader Kevin McCarthy failed to win a majority in three rounds of voting amid a rebellion by a small group of conservatives.
The losses on consecutive votes were a personal and political blow to McCarthy, who has spent the past year courting hard-line conservatives in the Republican caucus, and it overshadowed the GOP’s midterm success that won them narrow control of the House. It was the first time in a century that the House hasn’t elected a speaker, the top position in Congress, after one round of balloting.
With his opponents showing no sign of relenting, McCarthy and the holdouts were expected to engage in negotiations through the night. It was unclear what further concessions McCarthy could offer that would win over the holdouts.