California Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) was seen speaking to newly-elected Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) during the eighth round of speakership voting in the House of Representatives.
The pair’s discussion came just moments before Ogles voted against McCarthy’s speakership bid for the eighth time. It is unknown at this time what was said during the pair’s exchange.
Pretty animated conversation between Kevin McCarthy speaking with Andy Ogles.@cspan cameras in the House is how you get to see this!#118thCongress pic.twitter.com/g6sx71JGsF
— Jeremy Art (@cspanJeremy) January 5, 2023
McCarthy failed to be elected speaker in both the eighth and ninth rounds of voting on Thursday.
During the eighth round of voting, McCarthy garnered 201 votes – 17 votes shy of the 218 necessary to win the speaker’s race. When voting began on Tuesday, McCarthy garnered more votes (203) than he did in the days following.
Democrat Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08), the incoming House Democratic leader, won 11 more votes than McCarthy during the eighth round of voting. The eighth round also saw Florida Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL-19) receiving 17 votes, Congressman Kevin Hern (R-OK-01) receiving two votes, and former President Donald Trump receiving a single vote.
Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05) voted “present.”
LATEST: A House speaker has again not been elected after House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy failed for an eighth time to get a majority.
These are the voting results:
Rep. McCarthy: 201
Rep. Jeffries: 212
Rep. Donalds: 17
Rep. Hern: 2
Donald Trump: 1
More: https://t.co/3CC8bfwFse pic.twitter.com/7MowRhuhT6— Bloomberg (@business) January 5, 2023
As previously reported by The Tennessee Star, Ogles joined a group of House Republicans earlier this week in suggesting his vote would be against McCarthy by sending a letter to the California Congressman, calling his responses to their pre-election demands “insufficient.”
🚨 Almost 10 House Republicans who haven’t said how they plan to vote on Jan. 3 write in new letter: “Despite some progress achieved, Mr. McCarthy’s statement comes almost impossibly late to address continued deficiencies ahead of the opening of the 118th Congress on January 3rd” pic.twitter.com/hTaPfb37Vi
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) January 2, 2023
Both Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence have urged Republican representatives to vote for McCarthy for Speaker of the House.
On Wednesday, the former president wrote on Truth Social, “Some really good conversations took place last night, and it’s now time for all of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN…Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – JUST WATCH!”
The former vice president tweeted on Wednesday, “Urging Every Republican in @HouseGOP to support my friend, Kevin McCarthy as the next Speaker of the House. @GOPLeader ‘s Leadership & Vision led to The New Republican Majority & I know Speaker McCarthy will lead the House to begin a Great American Comeback!”
Urging Every Republican in @HouseGOP to support my friend, Kevin McCarthy as the next Speaker of the House. @GOPLeader's Leadership & Vision led to The New Republican Majority & I know Speaker McCarthy will lead the House to begin a Great American Comeback!🇺🇸
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 4, 2023
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Andy decided to abstain rather than vote for centrist McCarthy. A principled absence is OK too.
GOOD JOB ANDY!
Spoke too soon. Andy simply stepped aside, probably to make sure Chip Roy and Scott Perry voted for McCarthy before he did too which they ultimately did. I say again, GOOD JOB ANDY!
All of the Republican Congressmen from Tennessee fancy themselves and prominently call themselves “Conservative” on the stump and in advertisements. I would like them to explain what exactly is “Conservative” about voting for Kevin McCarthy for Speaker? His support of child mutilation? His support of the Ukraine? His support of unlimited reckless spending? What exactly is “Conservative” about Kevin McCarthy other than some purse strings he controls?
I myself am very proud of the position that Rep. Ogles has taken in this matter concerning the election for the Speaker of the U. S. House of Representative. Anyone with any understanding of our country’s present dire position (see the Victor Davis Hanson commentary in today’s Tennessee Star) must realize that Rep. Ogles is acting with great intelligence and courage in the face of extraordinary pressure concerning this issue. THIS would be ‘heavy lifting’ for any Member of Congress, let alone a freshman Member during his very first days on the job.
Oh, and in case you want to know, I am retired, so, I have plenty of time on my hands to watch C-Span, ‘wall to wall,’ and I have been doing so these last few days. Except for Ogles, as aforesaid, every Republican Member of Congress from the Tennessee delegation, on every ballot, has been voting for Kevin McCarthy for Speaker (even my own Congressman, Scott DesJarlais, I am sorry to say–several years ago I begged DesJarlais NOT to vote for Paul Ryan for Speaker, but he did so anyway, and look at what Speaker Ryan later did to President Trump–and again this election, I have begged DesJarlais NOT to vote for McCarthy, but DesJarlais insists upon ‘playing ball’ with the Republican ‘in crowd’.) And then there is the Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen from Memphis–he has been reliably voting, on every ballot, for the Marxist from New York.
congress needs more people like ogles – mccarthy is a swamp creature of the highest order like turtle mitch
Yep the rest are supporting Luntz’s boyfriend.Sad and sick.
Is this guy gonna showboat or govern?
You don’t seem to understand Cannoneertwo that what Andy is doing is governing. His courageous stand is helping to extract from centrist Kevin McCarthy (Heritage-53%) the concessions that conservatives have long been seeking. No more 4,000 page to be read in 24 hour monstrosities, true fiscal conservatives on the Rules Committee, earmarks to be separately voted on etc. That Cannoneertwo is governing at its finest!
Voted for McCarthy, Round 12.
Thank you Rep Ogles for having courage. I fully support you and the stand that you are taking. America needs more bulls and Mama Bears. Lord knows we have too many steers and sheep.
Yes. It’s good to see that Tennessee has one federal law maker with guts and principles.