The United States House of Representatives today elects a new president. For a long time, it seemed clear that Republican Kevin McCarthy would succeed Democrat Nancy Pelosi, but that battle isn’t over yet. ‘The division is great, it will certainly be exciting.’
The fact that that battle isn’t over yet is because a conservative section of Republicans is threatening to vote against McCarthy. “This faction, the Freedom Caucus, is conservative, religious and tough as nails. For them, abortion is more important than the climate crisis or the war in Ukraine. Five members of this group would vote against McCarthy’s nomination,” said US correspondent David Hammelburg.
However, the Republican majority in the House of Representatives is so small that McCarthy may not be able to get the necessary number of votes. “It hasn’t happened in a hundred years,” says Hammelburg. “If he doesn’t make it in the first round, it will be seen as a sign of weakness within the party with serious consequences for the Republican party agenda.”
The division in the House of Representatives isn’t just great among Republicans, Democrats have a thorn in their side too. “They have a leftist group in the party, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which is giving moderate Democrats a hard time.”
Who follows?
It is not yet clear who will stand if McCarthy is not elected. The position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives is important in American politics. If both the president and vice president were to fall, the speakers the presidency,” says Hammelburg.
Democrats will nominate their new leader Hakeem Jeffries, the first black party leader in the House or Senate. Within the party he is Pelosi’s successor. After the midterm elections at the end of last year, she did not run for re-election as party leader.
Elections for a new president can take several rounds, last time it took three days. “In this case it won’t take long, but it will be exciting,” says Hammelburg.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
