It's been five losing votes in a row now for Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy trying to become Speaker of the House.
“It’s frustrating and quite honestly, an embarrassing situation,” says former Minnesota Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen.
Paulsen told WCCO's Adam and Jordana the far right faction that continues to block McCarthy’s nomination is actually making matters worse.
“I think as much as some of these members prefer to have some very, ultra-conservative speaker, that’s just not going to happen,” Paulsen says. “What you want in a leader is someone who is able to negotiate, especially in a Biden government, without giving in on principals. But move the ball forward for your party.”
A current Minnesota Representative, Angie Craig (D), says McCarthy's bid for Speaker is doomed.
"I don't think McCarthy can get the votes," Craig says. "Hopefully they'll figure out a way to move forward."
Craig says that as of now, they are just waiting for Republicans to come to a consensus, and there is no sign of that happening.
"It's clear that the the far right, radical arms of the Republican Party are holding it's own party hostage today," Craig told WCCO's Vineeta Sawkar Wednesday. "Hopefully we'll be able to form a Congress. Just remember, it's still Congresswoman-Elect Angie Craig this morning. It seems like at least a good portion of the 20 that voted against McCarthy yesterday are more intent on creating chaos in the Congress than governing."
The man who replaced Paulsen in Minnesota's Third District, Dean Phillips (D) says that Democrats will not be voting for Kevin McCarthy in order to confirm him as speaker, but does say there might be other members of the Republican majority they would support. But in the meantime, Phillips says it is a waiting game.
"We Democrats will be sticking around here as long as it takes. It is the most important responsibility of members-elect of the U.S. Congress, to select the speaker," says Phillips. "There is no House of Representatives right now. We're in limbo. Frankly it's dangerous."
Currently, the House doesn't have the ability to function in an emergency without a speaker-elect according to Phillips. He adds that currently, he thinks they are a long ways away from settling this debate.
"There is growing concern, certainly among all Democrats and also a growing number of Republicans, that this is dangerous territory," Phillips told WCCO's Chad Hartman. "It's been over 100 years since we faced this sort of dysfunction. It is the job of the majority to choose the leader. The absence of that ability has significant consequences and repercussions should a crisis present itself while the house is in disarray. There is no House of Representatives right now."
Phillips did tell WCCO that one of the 20 members of the Republican House that refuses to vote for McCarthy said after the fifth failed vote that it will need to be "anybody but McCarthy" in order for a leader to be chosen. Phillips added he would be extraordinarily surprised if McCarthy would end up as Speaker of the House.
Meanwhile, it appears House Republicans will continue to vote until someone secures the majority.
McCarthy failed anew to win the House speakership Wednesday in dramatic fourth and fifth rounds of voting as the chamber plunged into Day Two of the new Congress with no end in sight for the political chaos that GOP conservatives have created.
McCarthy fared no better than he did on opening day ballots as 20 conservative holdouts rejected him with their votes. No minds appeared to have changed, and he fell far short of the 218 votes typically needed to win the gavel.
The California Republican vowed to keep fighting despite losing in multiple rounds of voting that threw the new majority into tumult a day earlier.
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