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President Joe Biden offered his assessment of the House speaker race, which is currentlylocked in a stalemateafter six rounds of voting have still failed to yield a winner: “I just think it’s a little embarrassing.”
Biden’s remarks come as the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives hasn’t been able to come to a consensus on who to elect as House speaker for the first time in a century.
Though California Rep.Kevin McCarthywas his party’s nominee for the position, and therefore expected to become the House speaker with Republicans now in control of the House, he has so far been unable to secure enough votes to lead the congressional body, with at least 20 members of his party opting to vote for someone else.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Biden said “the fight over the Speaker … that’s not my problem,” adding: “I just think it’s a little embarrassing that it’s taking so long,” Politico reports.
“The rest of the world is looking,” Biden added.
House rules require that lawmakers re-vote as many times as it takes for a candidate to receive a majority of the chamber’s support. So far, representatives have voted six times, andMcCarthy still isn’t backing down, despite failing to gain any support as each vote goes on.
The failure to elect a speaker has effectively put the congressional body into a standstill — members are unable to besworn in, consider legislation, assign committees or adopt rules — until a nominee can get the majority of votes.
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Biden isn’t the only one to dub the Republican infighting “embarrassing.”
Writing on his social media site Truth Social earlier this week, former PresidentDonald Trumpurged Republicans not to “TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT,” adding: “VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL.”
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The former president has said Republicans should unite behind McCarthy, who served as House minority leader from 2019 to 2023, but those who are opposed say the California lawmaker shouldwithdraw from the race entirely.
As of the most recent vote, 20 lawmakers had thrown their support behind Florida Rep. Byron Donalds. Another representative — Victoria Spartz — opted to simply vote as “present” rather than support any nominee.
source: people.com
