Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

The chaotic votes for Speaker make one thing very clear: the 118th Congress is in for a bumpy ride.

Even if McCarthy wins, the battle over his speakership puts him in a weaker position to wrangle the Republican caucus.

Now that his rightwing opponents know they can hijack the House during the most fundamental of proceedings, they could band together again during major legislative moments. That could hamper the ability of the House to carry out some of its core functions, like passing spending bills or raising the debt ceiling.

“He’ll have no real power,” Michael Hardaway, a former aide to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, told the BBC of McCarthy. “He’s already given away the store.”

Even if McCarthy can’t win the speakership, whoever takes his place will still have to deal with warring Republican lawmakers, who have little incentive to play ball.

As Kat Cammack has suggested, we're all channelling our inner Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day because the sixth round of voting to elect a House Speaker has begun.

Stick with us and we'll let you know how this one goes for embattled Republican leader Kevin McCarthy.

Image source, Getty Images

Florida Representative Byron Donalds has been nominated for a third time, cementing his place as the primary challenger to Kevin McCarthy on the second day of the battle to become House Speaker.

This time, Donalds was nominated by Pennsylvania Republican Scott Perry, a member of the "Freedom Caucus" - a conservative faction of the Republican party.

"We are making history here," he said. "It's been about 100 years since this has happened here, but we aren't going to take Washington being broken anymore."

Perry added that Donalds is a "man of faith" and a businessman from "the school of hard knocks".

"America is a place where we can do great things despite humble beginnings," he said.

Kevin McCarthy is nominated this time by Republican Kat Cammack from Florida, who opens her speech with the pithy observation that "it's groundhog day, again".

Making the case for him to take over as Speaker of the House of Representatives, she calls on her colleagues to support McCarthy's bid to restore party unity.

She says "we can't even govern because heck, we can't even swear in", referencing the fact the House cannot pass laws, or even swear her in as an incoming new member, until a Speaker is chosen by a majority.

It's a combative speech, with Cammack accusing her Democratic opponents of bringing in popcorn and alcoholic drinks to the floor of the House.

Strongly worded objections and yells are heard from the Democrats at this claim, which leads Cammack to be reprimanded by the chairwoman to abide by the rules of decorum for nomination speeches.

It also prompted some Democrats to try to get her comment stricken from the record, but this did not happen because there are no rules governing decorum at the moment, as no Speaker has been chosen.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

A sixth vote for speaker is underway, but behind the scenes there are multiple reports of talks among the Republicans to set up closed-door negotiations tonight to try to reach some sort of resolution to a speakership battle that has been at a very public impasse so far.

In order to get behind those closed doors, however, the House will have to vote to adjourn – and that would require the support of some Democrats or the Republicans who have opposed Kevin McCarthy.

Since the Democrats appear happy to watch their opponents repeatedly run head-first into a brick wall, it may be up to the Republicans to at least agree to disagree in private.

The sixth vote to elect the Speaker of the House of Representatives has begun, with Kevin McCarthy once again the first Republican nominated to become Speaker.

We'll bring you the highlights from the nomination speech, from Florida Republican Kat Cammack, shortly.

Just before he was nominated, we got the official tally from the fifth vote.

• 201 votes for Kevin McCarthy
• 212 votes for Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrats' nominee
• 20 votes for Byron Donalds, the Republican challenger to McCarthy
• Victoria Spartz of Indiana called out "present" when asked to vote, effectively abstaining.

Image source, SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

A lot of you have taken to Google to work out how many votes a politician in the House of Representatives needs to become Speaker.

The short answer is 218, as that represents a majority of the elected members of the House as it is currently made up (435 members).

Technically, you only need the support of half of the people present who vote for a candidate by name to succeed. What this means is a Speaker could be elected with fewer than half of the total members if some of them don't show up to vote or they abstain (by calling "present" rather than the name of a candidate).

Another much-searched question is who are the 20 Republicans that are voting against Kevin McCarthy to block him.

Twenty so far have specifically voted for other candidates (today, they have been voting for Byron Donalds from Florida). They are:

Andy Biggs (Arizona); Lauren Boebert (Colorado); Josh Brecheen (Oklahoma); Michael Cloud (Texas); Eli Crane (Arizona); Andrew Clyde (Georgia); Byron Donalds (Florida); Matt Gaetz (Florida); Bob Good (Virginia); Paul Gosar (Arizona); Andy Harris (Maryland); Anna Paulina Luna (Florida); Mary Miller (Illinois); Ralph Norman (South Carolina); Andy Ogles (Tennessee); Scott Perry (Pennsylvania); Matt Rosendale (Montana); Dan Bishop (North Carolina)

In the latest two rounds, one congresswoman, Victoria Spartz from Indiana, abstained, having previously voted for McCarthy.

Holly Honderich
BBC News, on Capitol Hill

Image source, Getty Images

House members are out of their seats, milling around and chatting with each other ahead of an expected sixth vote for Speaker.

Like yesterday, the mood is friendly - but a palpable sense of exhaustion has also set in after five failed votes and no clear path out of this.

Until a Speaker is selected, they are all stalled, unable to carry on with any other House business.

On the House floor, a weary-looking Steve Scalise, McCarthy's deputy, talks with Representative Matt Gaetz, a leader of the anti-McCarthy Republicans.

It does not look like they're getting anywhere.

Image source, Getty Images

The fifth vote for speaker may have looked just like the fourth, but it appears there may be some rumblings of change behind the scenes - and they're not good for Kevin McCarthy.

Congressman Ken Buck of Colorado, who is seen as a representative of a group of conservative Republicans who have so far stuck with McCarthy, appeared on CNN shortly before the latest vote.

He gave hints that the ground beneath McCarthy’s feet may become increasingly shaky.

“At some point today, the conference as a whole needs to make a decision,” he said. "We're starting to get some open conflict on the floor as well as behind closed doors.”

He added that this fifth vote was the last one for which Mr McCarthy could count on his support, and that the chamber must move forward and choose a Speaker.

If Buck breaks ranks, the defections from McCarthy’s side could turn from a trickle to a flood. So far, 20 Republicans have consistently voted for a different candidate, and another Republican has abstained.

Voting has just finished. For the fifth time, Kevin McCarthy has not gained the majority of votes he needs to become Speaker, according to the unofficial network counts.

With 433 votes counted, the unofficial tally suggests that 20 Republicans voted instead for Byron Donalds, which would give McCarthy 201 votes, fewer than what he needs.

A group of around that number have consistently opposed McCarthy both today and yesterday.

Victoria Spartz of Indiana called out "present" when asked to vote, effectively abstaining.

A sixth vote is possible, but representatives could instead adjourn for the day.

Holly Honderich
BBC News, on Capitol Hill

Kevin McCarthy is nowhere to be seen in the House chamber as the fifth vote for Speaker comes to an end.

It's the first time in five votes that the senior Republican has not sat through the entire rollcall.

Another notable absence: Elise Stefanik, third-ranking Republican and McCarthy ally.

McCarthy is set to fall short of a majority again - it looks like at least 19 Republicans have voted for Byron Donalds instead of him.

Republican Representative Lauren Boebert nominated Byron Donalds for the latest round of Speaker voting - and referenced Donald Trump, her "favourite president", during her speech.

She said Trump "needs to tell Kevin McCarthy, Sir you do not have the votes and it's time to withdraw".

McCarthy is set to fail to become Speaker for the fifth vote in a row - 18 Republicans have so far voted for Donalds instead, leaving McCarthy short of the majority needed.

Boebert also said that millions of Americans praise the work of Byron Donalds.

McCarthy's prospects are even worse than they were yesterdaypublished at 19:15 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2023

19:15 GMT 4 January 2023

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

It’s a new day in Congress, and things haven’t gotten any better for Kevin McCarthy’s hopes of becoming Speaker of the House. In fact, they have became marginally worse.

After a fourth round of balloting, the 20 Republican members who yesterday voted for someone besides McCarthy have stuck together - this time voting for Florida Congressman Byron Donalds.

He looks set to be defeated in the fifth vote, too.

Donalds had expressed some willingness to switch to McCarthy last night, but with his name placed in nomination by Texas Congressman Chip Roy today, he opted to vote for himself instead.

The new wildcard during the fourth vote came at the last minute, with Congresswoman Victoria Spartz of Indiana voting “present” - essentially abstaining - instead of for McCarthy, who she had voted for in the previous three ballots.

While she is just one person out of 433 in the chamber, any sign of erosion in McCarthy’s support - particularly from Spartz, who is not viewed as ultra-conservative - is notable.

What happens next is anyone’s guess.

According to media reports, McCarthy’s team had originally planned to adjourn the House before this fourth round of balloting in order to give the Republican leader more time to win the needed support.

Democrats, joined by the “never Kevin” conservatives, threatened to block that. They seemed to prefer letting the Republicans continue to twist in the wind.

Image source, Getty Images

With 10 votes for Byron Donalds already counted, Kevin McCarthy again looks set to fall short of a majority needed to become Speaker.

A sixth vote is possible today - although representatives might adjourn the proceedings.

Stay with us for more updates as the vote continues.

Image source, Getty Images

Republican Byron Donalds - one of his party's anti-McCarthy rebels, who received 20 votes for Speaker himself in the fourth round of voting - has said the path is "very difficult" for McCarthy to become Speaker.

Donalds voted for McCarthy in the first two votes yesterday, before defecting later in the evening. He voted for himself in the fourth vote, held earlier, and has just voted for himself again in the fifth vote.

He was speaking to Fox News ahead of that fifth vote.

Last night, Donalds said he would potentially switch back to McCarthy if McCarthy had a shot at becoming Speaker. It looks increasingly like that is not happening today.

For the fifth time, members' names are being called - and it's not looking good for McCarthy, the Republican hoping to become Speaker.

Members will vote for McCarthy, Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, or Byron Donalds, who is McCarthy's Republican challenger.

Holly Honderich
BBC News, on Capitol Hill

Image source, Getty Images

Colorado's Lauren Boebert - one of the original McCarthy opponents - has just stood up to nominate Byron Donalds for Speaker.

But her endorsement of Donalds is essentially a critique of McCarthy.

She says that she and her allies were "threatened heavily" in the Republican party conference.

And Boebert reveals that her "favourite president" - Donald Trump - called her and the other defectors, who have effectively blocked McCarthy from becoming Speaker, "to tell us to knock this off".

It should be the other way around, she says: Trump should call McCarthy and tell him "it's time to withdraw".

The remark draws an audible reaction from the chamber.

We now move to a fifth vote...

Moments after the fourth round results are announced, a Republican from Ohio, Warren Davidson, stands up to nominate Kevin McCarthy again.

This will open a fifth round of voting. It remains unclear if McCarthy has wrangled any new votes over the last 30 minutes. If anything, the defectors appear to be gathering momentum.

The official vote tally has just been announced, confirming that Kevin McCarthy has, for the fourth time, failed to become the Speaker of the House.

With 433 votes counted, the official tally is as follows:

• 201 votes for McCarthy
• 212 votes for Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrats' nominee
• 20 votes for Byron Donalds, the Republican challenger to McCarthy

One member, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, called out "present" - effectively abstaining from voting.

218 votes are needed to become Speaker.

Roderick Macleod
BBC News, Washington

Bouts in Congress are not often celebrated as cinematic wonders - but many in the know are revelling at the current camera work on display during the House's election proceedings.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez huddling with Matt Gaetz left many trying to lip-read what was being said, while shots of George Santos surrounded by children of fellow House members were equally striking.

However, these shots are not the norm.

With no Speaker and no functioning House at the moment, networks get to control their own cameras in the chambers.

But normally, the video and audio that's broadcast from the chambers is originated from, and carefully controlled by, the House (and the Senate). These are then fed to networks, such as C-SPAN, who play out what is given to them.

These images are often only close-ups of speeches - reactions, candid views, and audio of lawmakers’ responses are rarely offered.

Many think that during regular proceedings, the cameras are operated by the non-profit public service provider C-SPAN - but it has long been a bone of contention for the network, which since at least 1994 has directly lobbied Congress and its Speakers for greater control, external.

So for now, viewers can continue to enjoy the magic of television, and any hot mic moments - but it won't be like this for long.