US House adjourns for third day after failing to elect new speaker

WASHINGTON

The US House of Representatives voted Thursday evening to adjourn for the day after a third marathon day of voting again failed to result in the election of a new speaker.

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy failed for an 11th time Thursday in his bid to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, drawing support from just 200 Republicans.

The 12th attempt to elect a speaker will begin at noon local time on Friday.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries continued to gain the support of all of the chamber's 212 Democrats in stark contrast to the mayhem across the aisle.

McCarthy's bid for the mantle continued to be rejected by a core group of his partisan dissidents who have remained adamant in their opposition through 11 rounds of voting despite overtures from former President Donald Trump.

The decision of McCarthy's fellow Republicans to continue their opposition came after multiple media reports suggested McCarthy caved to several of their demands that he previously balked at, including a new rule that would allow a single House member to force a vote on removing the speaker.

As with the previous two days of votes, Thursday began with one of McCarthy's supporters appealing for the rank-and-file to line up behind him, with Representative-elect John James urging fellow Republicans to unite.

The group of nearly two-dozen Republicans is largely comprised of stalwart Trump allies, and their opposition has led to a milestone that has been reached for the first time since the US Civil War in the mid-1800's.