US House close to electing speaker

The US House on Friday moved closer to approving Representative Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the 218th Congress after he agreed to many of the demands of conservatives blocking his election.

The majority Republican House voted to adjourn until 10 pm to give supporters of the California Republican more time to lobby remaining GOP holdouts.

A 14th round of balloting is expected then, and McCarthy predicted to reporters he would prevail after four days of failed votes to the conservative holdouts.

In earlier rounds of voting Friday, McCarthy picked up significant support from fellow Republicans who had been blocking his speakership, but he remained short of a majority of votes needed to claim the position.

The effort to elect a speaker stretched past the mark set in 1923, the only time in the past century in which the speaker wasn't elected on the first ballot. That year, it took nine ballots over three days.

Friday was the second anniversary of the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol when a mob of then-President Donald Trump's supporters tried to stop Congress from certifying the Republican's 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.

About 200 Republicans in the House have been stymied by 20 far-right colleagues who said McCarthy isn't conservative enough.

According to various media reports, McCarthy agreed to many of the holdouts' demands -- including the reinstatement of a longstanding House rule that would allow any single member to call a vote to oust him from office. That change and others mean the job he fought so hard to gain will be weakened.

The holdouts from the Freedom Caucus and others have been seeking rules changes would shrink the power of the speaker's office and give rank-and-file lawmakers more influence in drafting and passing legislation.

Even if McCarthy is elected, he will have given away some powers, leaving him constantly under threat of being voted out by his detractors.

A few minutes before voting began in the House chamber, some Republicans walked out in protest to remarks by one of McCarthy's biggest challengers.
"We do not trust Mr. McCarthy with power," said Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida, as colleagues left the chamber.

McCarthy told reporters as he arrived at the Capitol Friday morning, "We're going to make progress. We're going to shock you."

When Representative Mike Garcia nominated McCarthy for a 12th time, he also thanked the US Capitol Police who were given a standing ovation for protecting lawmakers and the legislative seat of democracy on Jan 6.

House Democrats — and one Republican, Pennsylvania Representative Brian Fitzpatrick — paused for a brief but emotional ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol.

Gathering on the House steps with the families of officers who lost their lives in connection with the riot, lawmakers honored the fallen officers as well as those injured in the battle with those who stormed the Capitol.

At the White House, President Joe Biden on Friday awarded the Presidential Citizens Metal to more than a dozen individuals – including law enforcement officers who were injured defending the Capitol, a Capitol Police officer who died the day after rioters stormed the building, officers who died by suicide after defending the Capitol, and election workers who rejected efforts by former President Donald Trump to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

At the White House event, Biden told those being honored: "History will remember your names. They'll remember your courage. They'll remember your bravery. They'll remember your extraordinary commitment to your fellow Americans."

The Justice Department's investigation of the Capitol attack, already the largest it has ever conducted, has resulted in 900 arrests, with the potential for scores or hundreds more.

Agencies contributed to this report.