A chief order of business for the 118th U.S. Congress in early January 2023 was to elect a new speaker of the House. With Republicans securing a slim majority in that chamber after the midterm elections, the party was poised to have enough votes to elect one of its own as House speaker, at least in theory.
But a small group of far-right detractors within the GOP set the stage for a historic moment, repeatedly blocking the bid of California Rep. Kevin McCarthy for the speaker job unless he complied with their demands. After 15 rounds of votes in a four-day rebellion, McCarthy secured the position in the wee hours (local time) of Jan. 7, 2023.
Below is a collection of stories related to McCarthy's bid for speaker of the House.
