10:06 p.m. ET, January 5, 2023
McCarthy says there's no timeline for getting to 218 votes and defends concessions he has made
From CNN's Manu Raju
McCarthy talks with the media after the House voted to adjourn for the evening on Thursday, January 5.
(Jose Luis Magana/AP)
After the House voted to adjourn for the night, Rep. Kevin McCarthy told reporters that while there has been progress in negotiations, there was no timeline on when he could get to 218 votes.
McCarthy's bid for speaker -- he lost 11 votes in the House this week -- has been stymied by about 20 fellow Republicans.
“I have the
longest speech on the floor so apparently I like to make history,” McCarthy said, referring to an address of 8 hours and 32 minutes he made in November 2021 aimed at stalling President Biden's plan to expand the social safety net. “If this takes a little longer, that’s OK,” he added.
McCarthy also addressed why differences weren’t resolved before Tuesday, saying “we tried to sort it out before Jan. 3.”
On the concessions he’s made so far, McCarthy said he’s not concerned about giving just one member the power to call for a vote to oust the speaker. “I’m very fine with that,” McCarthy said. “I’m not afraid. … I won’t be a weaker speaker.”
McCarthy also denied that any members would lose committee assignments and said there have been no negotiations that involved giving subcommittee chairmanships to dissidents.