McCarthy flounders in second day of speaker votes

Republican Kevin McCarthy of California failed to become Speaker of the House after three rounds of voting on Wednesday. He had previously failed to secure the position in three rounds of voting on Tuesday. McCarthy needed 218 votes to become House Speaker—or almost all Republican votes. But 20 Republicans refused to vote for him. McCarthy is the first nominee for Speaker of the House in 100 years that hasn’t been confirmed in the first vote.

Why are these 20 Republicans opposing him? Most of them are members of the House Freedom Caucus—a hard-right group that sports a history of strained relationships with Republican House leaders. Those voting against McCarthy have said they are doing so for their constituents, and to enact concessions from the Republican leadership. They are also rebelling against what they see as a system that has rendered them mere rubber stamps on legislation.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about the Freedom Caucus’s battle with McCarthy.