Rep. Paul Gosar asked Ocasio-Cortez if Democrats were planning to help lower the threshold for McCarthy
From CNN's Annie Grayer
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to Reps. Matt Gaetz, bottom, and Paul Gosar, right, on Tuesday. (Francis Chung/Politico/AP)
GOP Rep. Paul Gosar, who has voted against Kevin McCarthy three times, was seen at one point on the floor speaking Tuesday with Democratic Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.
Ocasio-Cortez spokesperson Lauren Hitt told CNN that Gosar was asking Ocasio-Cortez if any Democrats were planning to leave the floor or vote present so McCarthy could have a lower threshold, something that hardliners against McCarthy do not want.
Ocasio-Cortez, according to Hitt, told Gosar that there was no plan to do that.
The image of seeing the two next to each other is striking: The House voted to censure Gosar and remove him from committees in November 2021 after Gosar photoshopped an anime video to social media showing him appearing to kill Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Joe Biden.
The interaction shows how far the “Never Kevin” lawmakers against McCarthy are willing to go to stop him.
5:19 p.m. ET, January 3, 2023
Discussions underway about possible motion to adjourn, sources say
From CNN's Manu Raju, Melanie Zanona and Annie Grayer
US Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania., yawns after the third round of votes Tuesday. (Alex Brandon/AP)
With the votes dragging on and no resolution to the speaker standoff in sight, there are discussions underway about an alternative, sources said.
There’s talk among House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy opponents of making a motion to adjourn, multiple sources said.
But that would take 218 votes, which means it would take help from Democrats.
Democrats are undecided but actively discussing how to proceed, sources said.
They previously said they wouldn’t help McCarthy but this is not what McCarthy is pushing for.
5:19 p.m. ET, January 3, 2023
Rep. Jim Jordan was nominated for speaker by conservative hardliners during second and third ballots
From CNN's Sonnet Swire
US Rep. Jim Jordan speaks on behalf of Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday. (Alex Brandon/AP)
Jordan, in an effort to show party unity, nominated GOP leader Kevin McCarthy in the second round of voting. Speaking on the House floor Tuesday, Jordan said the differences among Republican lawmakers “pale in comparison” to the differences between Republicans and Democrats.
“We need to rally around him,” Jordan said of McCarthy.
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida nominated Jordan in the second round where he earned 19 votes. Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who already voted twice against McCarthy, nominated Jordan for speaker in the third round.
Jordan’s nomination by another member marks a new layer of leadership drama as Republicans take control of the House.
The first order of House business as the 118th Congress convenes is the selection of a new speaker, but McCarthy is being stonewalled by a group of conservative hardliners. Because the GOP holds only a narrow majority, those hardliners hold more influence in the conference and have already denied McCarthy the votes necessary to secure the gavel on initial rounds of balloting.
Key things to know about Jordan: Jordan is a high-ranking conservative and a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, serving as its first chair from 2015 to 2017, and as its vice chair since 2017. He was the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee from 2019 to 2020. He vacated that position to become the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, where he is expected to become chairman in the newly GOP-held House.
Jordan is a close ally of former President Donald Trump. After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and Trump refused to concede while making claims of election fraud, Jordan supported lawsuits to invalidate the election results and voted not to certify the Electoral College results.
4:44 p.m. ET, January 3, 2023
Warning sign for McCarthy: Conservative supporter says he believes he will eventually lose more backing
From CNN's Manu Raju
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
A warning sign for Kevin McCarthy – conservative supporter Rep. Ken Buck says he believes the House GOP leader will eventually lose more backing if the voting drags out.
Buck, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, believes more Republicans will defect from McCarthy. He does not expect those who oppose McCarthy to be won over.
This is key because Buck has been talking to the hard-liners but he doesn’t see them to be moving.
“I think it’s more likely that some of the other folks change their view” in backing McCarthy, he told CNN.
Asked if he himself could defect from McCarthy, Buck said, “I think eventually you have to."
"The only thing that could change is Democrats walking away and not voting and then the denominator changes," Buck said. "Otherwise Republicans are gonna have to start moving around.”
During the third round of voting, Rep. Byron Donalds switched his vote from McCarthy to Rep. Jim Jordan.
4:50 p.m. ET, January 3, 2023
Rep. Chip Roy nominates Jim Jordan for third ballot
From CNN's Annie Grayer
Rep. Chip Roy nominates Rep. Jim Jordan for House speaker on Tuesday. (Alex Brandon/AP)
Republican Rep. Chip Roy, who has twice voted against Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday, nominated GOP Rep. Jim Jordan for House speaker.
A third vote for House speaker is underway now.
“Jim has said that he does not want the nomination,” Roy said, but added that Jordan has a track record that he likes.
“This is not personal,” Roy said. “This is about the future of this country.”
“I don’t want any more empty promises,” Roy added.
4:20 p.m. ET, January 3, 2023
Kevin McCarthy: "We stay in until we win"
From CNN's Lauren Fox
Rep. Steve Scalise, left, shakes hands with Rep. Kevin McCarthy after nominating him for House speaker before Tuesday's third round of voting. (Alex Brandon/AP)
House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy said he is not giving up his fight for speaker despite the fact 19 Republican members voted against him.
A third round of voting is underway after McCarthy was nominated by Rep. Steve Scalise.
"We stay in until we win," McCarthy told reporters, adding that the numbers "will change eventually." But he provided no evidence of how.
Pushed further, he told CNN, "I know the path."
4:09 p.m. ET, January 3, 2023
Here's what to look out for in a third House speaker ballot
Ahead of the expected historic third ballot, here are things to look out for:
Change in votes. CNN Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona says to watch if any of the 19 lawmakers who voted against McCarthy in the second ballot will change their votes the third time around.
“It’s a question of who they will vote for next, but still a lot of uncertainty about how this is going to go down and how many ballots it’s going to take,” Zanona said.
Any additional votes for Rep. Jim Jordan. Republicans have told CNN’s Manu Raju that they plan on standing down on their vote for Rep. Jim Jordan, who was nominated during the second ballot. GOP Rep. Bob Good told Raju that some voters are “dead set” in their opposition to McCarthy, and plan on voting for Jordan again in the third ballot.
Jordan earlier today urged voters to “rally around” McCarthy, but Raju said conservatives are “essentially ignoring it” and Good told CNN he expects votes for Jordan to grow.
“Beyond the 19 or so Republicans who voted for Jim Jordan, how many will vote for him on the third ballot? That’s going to be the big test,” Raju said.
4:18 p.m. ET, January 3, 2023
Here are the 19 Republican lawmakers who voted for Jordan instead of McCarthy in the second speaker ballot
From CNN's Annie Grayer, Clare Foran, Kristin Wilson and Jessica Dean
Nineteen GOP lawmakers who voted against Rep. Kevin McCarthy for House speaker in the first round voted for Rep. Jim Jordan in the second round.
Here are the lawmakers:
Rep. Andy Biggs
Rep. Dan Bishop
Rep. Lauren Boebert
Rep. Josh Brecheen
Rep. Michael Cloud
Rep. Andrew Clyde
Rep. Eli Crane
Rep. Matt Gaetz
Rep. Bob Good
Rep. Paul Gosar
Rep. Andy Harris
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna
Rep. Mary Miller
Rep. Ralph Norman
Rep. Andy Ogles
Rep. Scott Perry
Rep. Matt Rosendale
Rep. Chip Roy
Rep. Keith Self
4:05 p.m. ET, January 3, 2023
JUST IN: No House speaker elected in second ballot after McCarthy falls short on votes again
From CNN's Annie Grayer, Clare Foran, Kristin Wilson and Jessica Dean
GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy failed to lock down the votes needed for speaker again as the House concluded voting for a second round. The final vote was 212 votes for Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, 203 votes for McCarthy and 19 votes for GOP Rep. Jim Jordan.
All 19 GOP lawmakers who voted against McCarthy in the first round voted for Jordan in the second round.
But Jordan, to show that he is not vying for the job, nominated McCarthy ahead of the vote on the second ballot. Six GOP lawmakers voted for Jordan in the first round.
