• The Republicans took control of the House of Representatives by removing the metal detectors installed after the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
• Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) failed to win the House speakership on the first ballot, due to internal feuding among the Republican conference.
• Extremists tied to former President Trump and right-wing media are demanding outsize influence and power.
• Democrats united around Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), while the Republicans are still deciding whether to accept the extremist Jim Jordan (R-OH) or work to find a compromise candidate.
• Former Republican governor of Ohio John Kasich has called on House Republicans to work with Democrats to pick a speaker and create a coalition government.
• George Santos (R-NY) was conspicuously excluded from the talking and visiting on the House floor today, despite his crucial vote for McCarthy.
Published January 3, 2023. Visit Letters from An American to read Heather Cox Richardson’s original post.
