In a sign of turmoil within the Republican party, the US House of Representatives failed to elect a Speaker for the third straight day. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy broke a 100-year-old record by losing 10 rounds of voting by 5 January 2023.
With Republican members divided over whom to elect as Speaker, the House of Representatives controlled by the party is in limbo. The new session is yet to be launched, new members haven't been sworn in, and official business is pending.
McCarthy resisted under growing pressure to somehow find the votes he needed or step aside so the House could open fully and get on with the business of governing.
The incoming Republican chairmen of the House's Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Intelligence committees all said national security was at risk.
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A new generation of conservative Republicans, many aligned with Trump's Make America Great Again agenda, want to upend business as usual in Washington, and were committed to stopping McCarthy's rise without concessions to their priorities.
(With AP inputs)