US House in chaos after Kevin McCarthy loses speaker votes

On a day of high political drama, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy repeatedly failed in his bid to be elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

he start of a new Congress was supposed to be a victory lap for the Republican Party as it took control of the lower chamber following November's elections.

Instead, Mr McCarthy faced a rebellion from within his own ranks and made history for all the wrong reasons.

The California congressman has lost three consecutive votes for Speaker so far, and it's unclear what his path to victory could be when the House returns on Wednesday to try all over again.

They will keep voting until someone wins a majority.

And even if Mr McCarthy finds a way, analysts warn, the turmoil on the floor of the House foreshadows a tumultuous two years of moderate and right-wing Republicans at war with each other

If the Republican party is unable to effectively run the lower chamber of Congress

this could hamper the ability of the House to carry out some of its core functions like passing spending bills or raising the debt ceiling.

Republicans narrowly won control of the House in November, so Mr McCarthy only had a few votes to spare in his bid to become Speaker

That allowed a group of hardline conservatives to band together to oppose his nomination.

The rift was a long time coming, according to Republican observers.

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