House Republicans’ failure to elect a speaker on the first day of the new Congress is “not a good look,” President Joe Biden told reporters Wednesday.
“I hope they get their act together,” Biden added while preparing to travel to Kentucky for a bipartisan infrastructure event.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was nominated in November by his party for the speakership, failed to win a majority after three rounds of votes Tuesday, when 20 Republicans voted for other candidates. Members-elect of the 118th Congress are meeting again Wednesday to continue voting. McCarthy has vowed not to abandon his pursuit of the speaker’s gavel.
Biden also called the difficulty by Republicans to unify behind a single candidate “a little embarrassing.”
“That’s not my problem. I just think it is a little embarrassing it’s taking so long in the way that they are dealing with one another. And the rest of the world is looking.” Biden said.
This post was produced and edited by Julia Griffin, Molly Finnegan and Matt Rasnic.
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