What next for the deadlocked US House Speaker race?
Despite winning a majority in the House of Representatives in last year’s midterm elections, the Republican Party has found itself so far unable to elect a speaker.
Riven by internecine warfare between Trump supporters and more establishment members, there have so far been six rounds of votes that have all seen the Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, fail to get the required 218 votes.
The election of the speaker is normally a formality, with leader of the largest party in the House normally a shoo-in for the job, however the splits in the party have led to the first defeat of a nominee in a century.
Here are the possible outcomes to break the historic stalemate on Capitol Hill.
1. Kevin McCarthy wins
There remains the possibility that Kevin McCarthy could finally win-round the dissenting Republicans and get his bid across the line.
The California congressman insists he will persist until he gets enough votes, telling reporters on Wednesday: “We stay until we win”.
But given that there are only 222 Republicans in the chamber following a worse than expected performance in November’s midterms, and 20 of them are currently refusing to back McCarthy, he finds himself in an uphill battle for the gavel.
Kevin McCarthy has found himself struggling to secure the post despite the Republican majority
2. An alternative candidate is found
There are several alternative candidates who might be able to win over enough of the Trump supporting hardliners to take the post ahead of Mr McCarthy.
Steve Scalise
Republican whip Steve Scalise, currently Mr McCarthy’s number 2 in the House, has been discussed as a potential alternative. The Louisiana congressman is entering his eighth term in the house and is widely respected after surviving being shot by a left-wing extremist during a practice for the annual congressional baseball game in 2017.
In an internal Republican Party poll in November, he was elected unopposed to the position of majority leader, the second highest rank in the House after the Speaker. However, he has so far remained resolute in his support for Mr McCarthy and urged colleagues to unite and support him, meaning rebels may be unlikely to accept him as an alternative.
Elise Stefanik
The third ranking Republican in the House is New York representative Elise Stefanik. Having started out as a centrist candidate following her election in 2014, she has drifted further to the right in recent years and been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump.
Last year, she was elected to replace Liz Cheney as the chair of the House Republican Conference after the former vice president’s daughter was ousted over her criticism of President Trump.
This could make her an attractive proposition for the Trumpian rebels. However, some hard-line dissenters, such as Montana congressman Matt Rosendale, have suggested that no one involved in House Republican leadership for the past decade would be acceptable.
The previous Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Byron Donalds
The 20 Republican rebels all voted for second term Florida congressman Byron Donalds on Wednesday, making him a potential but unlikely candidate for the roll.
Were he to win, he would be the first black American to lead the lower house.
However, Mr Donalds has so far voted for Mr McCarthy in two of the six ballots and his relative inexperience makes it improbable the 44-year-old will take the gavel.
Jim Jordan
Ohio Representative Jim Jordan has also at one point received the support of all the rebels in one of the six ballots so far held for the roll.
However, he has himself said there is virtually no chance of him becoming Speaker, telling reporters after the third round of voting “I’m being clear, I want to chair the Judiciary Committee. I like this ability to cross-examine witnesses and get the truth for the country.”
He then went on to urge the rebels to vote for Mr McCarthy.
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Mark Stone has the latest on the election of a new speaker of the House of Representative, where Republicans hardliners are blocking proceedings.
Hakeem Jeffries
So far, the candidate to receive the greatest number of votes, though not the required 218 to win, has been the Democratic nominee Hakeem Jeffries.
The New York congressman has received 212 in all the rounds of ballots so far held with the entire Democratic Party uniting behind him. However, six Republicans are unlikely to cross the aisle to vote for him, making his election virtually impossible.
3. Wild card
Though the Speaker has always been a member of the House, they do not actually have to be an elected member of the chamber according to the constitution. This theoretically means the Republican rebels could nominate Donald Trump for the post as some democrats did with Joe Biden in 2019. However, this too remains highly unlikely.
Rudy Giuliani has been hospitalised following a car crash in New Hampshire, a spokesperson for the former New York City mayor said.
Mr Giuliani suffered “a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg” when his vehicle was struck from behind while driving on a highway near Manchester on Saturday evening, according to Michael Ragusa, Mr Giuliani’s head of security.
“He sustained injuries but is in good spirits and recovering tremendously,” Mr Ragusa said in a statement on X, adding: “This was not a targeted attack.”
Mr Giuliani was in a rental car and “no one knew it was him”, according to Mr Ragusa.
His head of security said the 81-year-old had been “flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident” and contacted police on her behalf. The crash shortly after was “random and unrelated” to the domestic violence incident, Mr Ragusa said.
Rudy Giuliani attended Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony in January. Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via Reuters
Mr Giuliani, who worked as an attorney for Donald Trump in his failed efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, is expected to be released from hospital in a few days.
His son, Andrew Giuliani, thanked people for reaching out after hearing about his father’s accident, writing on X: “Your prayers mean the world.”
“As a son, I can tell you that I’m honored to have a Dad that I can call the toughest SOB I’ve ever seen,” he added.
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US
US blocks Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials from United Nations’ annual meeting in New York
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials have been blocked from attending September’s annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has revoked the US visas of delegates from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), and denied others from applying for one.
It is the latest step by Donald Trump’s administration to target Palestinians with visa restrictions, and follows the suspension of a programme to allow injured children from Gaza to receive treatment in the US.
Mahmoud Abbas addressed the general assembly in 2024, but is barred from next month’s meeting. Pic: Reuters
“It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” a statement from the US State Department said.
It added that, to be considered partners for peace, both groups “must consistently repudiate terrorism, and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO”.
Offensive will cause ‘intolerable deaths’
Several US allies, including France, Malta, and Australia have announced plans to recognise Palestine as a state at September’s United Nations General Assembly. Canada and the UK will too, unless Israel meets certain conditions.
Israel declared Gaza’s largest city a dangerous combat zone on Friday.
The army launched a planned offensive that has drawn international condemnation.
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Thick smoke rises from Gaza City after Israeli strikes
Foreign ministers from Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain released a joint statement saying the military operations in Gaza City will cause “intolerable deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians”.
Gaza latest: Israel’s Gaza City offensive condemned
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering in Gaza City while enduring famine.
An Israeli armoured vehicle in northern Gaza on Friday. Pic: AP
Palestinians ride a truck carrying humanitarian aid in Gaza City. Pic: AP
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Riyad Mansour, said Mr Abbas had planned to lead the delegation to the UN meetings and was expected to address the general assembly at the general debate, which begins on 23 September.
He was also expected to attend a high-level meeting co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on 22 September about a two-state solution, a broad idea involving Israel coexisting with an independent Palestinian state.
The State of Palestine is an observer member of the UN, meaning it can speak at meetings but not vote on resolutions.
The State of Palestine cannot vote on UN resolutions. Pic: AP
US decision ‘contravenes international law’
The Palestinian Authority “expressed its deep regret and astonishment” at the visa decision, calling it “a violation of US commitments” as the host of the UN, and claiming it “contravenes international law”.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the world body would be seeking clarification in the “hope that this will be resolved”.
Hundreds of diplomats left when Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu began speaking at the general assembly in 2024. Pic: Reuters
The State Department said that the Palestinian Authority’s mission to the UN, comprising officials who are permanently based there, would not be included in the restrictions.
Under a 1947 UN agreement, the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York.
But Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.
Read more from Sky News:
Analysis: Israel is killing a lot of journalists
Hospitals ‘overwhelmed’ by malnutrition cases
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The death toll in Gaza has now risen to 63,025, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
It also reported five more malnutrition-related deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number during the war to 322, with 121 of them children.
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