LA CROSSE, Wis. — The new U.S. Congress convened Tuesday, but for the first time in more than a century, the speaker of the House of Representatives was not elected in the first round of balloting.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy is vying for the position. He needs 218 votes if all 435 members vote. As of Friday evening, after more than a dozen rounds of voting, he has repeatedly fallen short, despite the GOP holding the majority in the House.
The stalemate is indicative of what University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political science professor, Anthony Chergosky, said will be a “wild ride” these next two years.
“This whole battle over the speakership raises fundamental questions about what the House of Representatives will look like as a governing body,” Chergosky said.
He pointed out there’s a lot Representatives have to do, including passing a budget, keeping the government funded and raising the debt ceiling.
“There’s a lot of that so-called ‘must pass’ legislation that the House has to deal with in addition to everything else the Republicans want to accomplish with their new status as the majority,” Chergosky said.
In his opinion, he said these next two years will most likely be chaotic and he doesn’t expect major legislative accomplishments.
Watch the full interview with Chergosky above.
