McCarthy loses second vote for House speaker as voting heads to a third round

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/03/ [login to see] /mccarthy-scrambles-for-votes-to-be-elected-speaker-of-the-house
California GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy failed to secure the necessary votes to become speaker of the House in a second round of voting after 19 House Republicans voted against him. Voting in a third round is underway.

It's customary for the minority party to nominate their leader for speaker, and Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, nominated for speaker by Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, had more votes in the first and second voting rounds, with 212, while McCarthy trailed with 203. Ten Republicans voted for Biggs, and nine voted for other candidates, in the first round, however, 19 Republicans voted for Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio in the second.

Jordan spoke in support of McCarthy just before the second round began, encouraging his colleagues to vote for him.

"The differences we may have ... pale in comparison to us and the left, which now unfortunately controls the other party," Jordan said. "So, we had better come together. ... That's what the people want us to do, and I think Kevin McCarthy is the right guy to lead us, I really do, or else I wouldn't be up here giving this speech."