<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>The US House of Representatives elected GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California as speaker in a dramatic 15th vote, after a contentious four days and 14 failed votes - the longest the chamber has gone leaderless in a century.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Despite making numerous concessions to win over a bloc of far right Republicans over the week, which narrowed his opposition from 20, a group of a half dozen holdouts either voted against McCarthy or voted “present,” denying him the majority he needed to win in the 14th vote.</div><div><br></div><div>In a dramatic showdown on the House floor, McCarthy personally confronted GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Both dropped their opposition by voting present but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.</div><div><br></div><div>Support for McCarthy dwindled over the first three days of voting from 203 votes on Tuesday to 200 by the 11th vote on Thursday, falling far short of the number needed to win the speakership. He needs support from more than half of the lawmakers who cast their ballots. With 222 Republicans in the House, he can only afford to lose a handful of votes.</div><div><br></div><div>All 212 Democrats have unanimously backed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies for each vote, except the 12th vote in which one member was out for a minor surgery.</div><div><br></div><div>The last vestiges of a once fierce opposition to McCarthy’s House speakership by far-fight Republicans melted away shortly after midnight, when the last key holdouts voted “present” instead of casting ballots for another candidate.</div><div><br></div><div>Republican Reps. Eli Crane and Andy Biggs, both of Arizona, Matt Rosendale of Montana and Bob Good of Virginia all dropped their opposition to McCarthy in the 15th and final vote of the week by all voting “present” instead.</div><div><br></div><div>A vote of “present,” while not an explicit endorsement, made it easier for McCarthy to win the majority of votes cast by effectively removing one former opposition vote.</div><div><br></div><div>The switches came after a remarkable confrontation following the 14th vote between McCarthy and Gaetz, who appeared to have decided at the last minute to pull his support from the party leader.</div><div><br></div><div>After days of failed votes and high-tension negotiations, McCarthy won 216 votes while all 212 Democrats voted unanimously for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Six Republicans voted “present,” including Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Source: CNBC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>