The impasse at the heart of US government is continuing for a third day as the House of Representatives tries to elect a Speaker
The US House of Representatives adjourns for the night after five fruitless votes to fill one of the most important jobs in US politics
Kevin McCarthy is the leading contender for Speaker, but he has now lost 11 rounds of voting over the last three days
He has failed to convince 20 of his fellow Republicans to back him despite reportedly offering committee posts and concessions
A new congress was elected in November, but business cannot begin until a Speaker is chosen
Joe Biden is up against a Republican majority in the House for the first time in his presidency, but his party keeps control of the Senate
In one hour, the House will continue trying to elect a leader.
Here's what happened Tuesday as Republican Kevin McCarthy tried, and failed, to convince enough members of his own party to vote for him as Speaker of the House.
He needs 218 votes in order to secure the job.
Kevin McCarthy's difficult day - in 90 seconds
Welcome back to our live coverage, as we enter the second day of Kevin McCarthy's fight to become the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after three rounds of voting ended in a stalemate yesterday.
The proceedings on Capitol Hill are set to begin again at 1200 local time (1700 GMT).
Stay tuned with us for more updates and analysis from our team in Washington DC and our reporters on the ground at the US Capitol.
This ends our live coverage of today's remarkable stalemate over the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.
We'll be back for the next round on Wednesday when the House reconvenes at noon Eastern US time (1700 GMT).
The Republican leader had hoped to secure enough votes to be named Speaker of the House. But that's not what happened. Watch the play-by-play of how the day unfolded for the top conservative politician.
Kevin McCarthy's difficult day - in 90 seconds
Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, celebrates becoming the longest serving party leader of both parties today.
He has exceeded the former Democrat from Montana, Sen. Mike Mansfield, who was the record holder.
Mansfield served in the Senate for 24 years, the House of Representatives for 10 and 16 of them as majority leader.
McConnell was first elected as Senate GOP leader in 2006 and was majority leader from 2015 to the beginning of 2021.
The 80-year old said: “The greatest honour of my career is representing the Commonwealth of Kentucky in this chamber and fighting for my fellow Kentuckians."
"But the second-greatest honour is the trust that my fellow Republican senators have placed in me to lead our diverse conference and help them achieve their goals," he added.
Image source, ReutersMcConnell was first elected as Senate GOP leader in 2006
As the hours rolled by with no winner in sight for the Speaker of the House, members of Congress tried to see which way the scales would tilt.
Pictures of Republican Matt Gaetz chatting with Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez caused a stir online, as the pair are not only from different parties - but poles apart on policy.
Ocasio-Cortez told the Intercept, external that Gaetz, who backed Jim Jordan, was worried Kevin McCarthy was looking to strike a deal with Democrats. He told her that McCarthy was claiming to be able to persuade Democrats to vote "present" - essentially abstaining from the vote. Such a move would make it easier to secure a majority of members who did select a candidate.
But Ocasio-Cortez rejected the idea of a pact along those lines.
“McCarthy was suggesting he could get Dems to walk away to lower his threshold,” Ocasio-Cortez told The Intercept. “And I fact checked and said 'absolutely not.'”
Democrats were fervent and faithful in their support of Hakeem Jeffries, who won all of his party's 212 votes each round.
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Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York
The House will vote again tomorrow, starting at noon local time.
Losses on today's three ballots do not immediately end Kevin McCarthy's candidacy.
But it’s unclear how he can convince Republican rebels to back him.
In the meantime, the chamber cannot proceed with any other business. New members can’t be sworn in, and new laws can’t be proposed or voted on.
The process could continue for some time. The last time a candidate for Speaker failed to secure the necessary votes in the first round, in 1923, it took nine ballots and several days to select a Speaker.
Read more: It's not over for Kevin McCarthy - here's why
Image source, Getty ImagesHere are some of the most striking images from inside the US House of Representatives on a tense and remarkable day, as three rounds of voting failed to produce a new House Speaker.
Image source, Getty ImagesRepublican Kevin McCarthy entertains the daughter of fellow lawmaker Mike Lawler during a break in proceedings. McCarthy's bid to win the House leadership has so far fallen short
Image source, Getty ImagesHakeem Jeffries, the new Democratic party leader, was also nominated for speaker. His party united behind him, but with Republicans divided and holding just a narrow majority, the proceedings ended in a stalemate
Image source, Getty ImagesOutgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi was acknowledged by a round of applause
Image source, Getty ImagesRichard Hudson, a North Carolina Republican, tallies the votes of colleagues opposed to McCarthy's leadership bid
Image source, Getty ImagesDemocrats Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez in discussion on the House floor
Image source, Getty ImagesRepublicans Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert led the opposition against McCarthy. With no leader selected, House members will try again tomorrow
Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington
Image source, Getty ImagesMost people in Congress seem shocked that a typically routine vote has come to this.
Minutes after the adjournment was called, someone shouted "this is crazy!!!" just outside the House chamber.
But things are looking a lot more serious for Kevin McCarthy and the Republican Party as a whole.
What was meant to be a victorious moment for the GOP after it gained control of Congress in the November elections, has turned into a political mess, with the party's deep divisions now on full display as they prepare to control the House.
There is almost no precedent for this and so what happens tomorrow is still unclear.
But until a speaker is chosen the House will be stuck - not allowed to move forward with any other business - meaning the Republican's internal strife may bring the federal government to a halt.
The House has adjorned for the day, without choosing a Speaker - an unprecedented situation in modern US politics.
Members will reconvene tomorrow at noon local time to vote in round four.
For those of you just joining our coverage, or are in need of a catch up, here's what's happened so far:
Voting for Speaker of the House has been adjourned until noon local time tomorrow, following three exhaustive rounds of roll calls and no winner elected.
Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington
Image source, Getty ImagesMatt Gaetz, a Florida Republican opposed to Kevin McCarthy's bid to become speaker, speaks with lawmakers as they vote again
House members are looking restless as they stare down a fourth vote for Speaker.
As the third roll call was called, members shifted in their seats, muttering under their breath. Kevin McCarthy - who has maintained a mostly calm exterior - looked increasingly tense, fiddling with his glasses and staring at his phone.
Some lawmakers got hungry. In the first row in the centre of the chamber, Pennsylvania Representative Madeline Dean shared chocolates with fellow Democrat Larry Nadler of New York.
They may need the fuel to keep going. It will likely be a long night ahead.
As the Republican party descends deeper into stalemate over who should lead the House, support has gathered in favour of Jim Jordan of Ohio as an alternative to Kevin McCarthy.
Jordan was nominated in the third round (over his own objections) by Texas congressman Chip Roy, to muted applause from his own party.
In his speech Roy acknowledged his chosen candidate had himself nominated McCarthy earlier, but said the party doesn't "have the tools or the leadership yet" to change how the US Congress functions.
You can watch his nomination remarks below:
The third time was definitely not the charm for Kevin McCarthy, who trailed even further behind the finish line when 20 Republicans voted to back Jim Jordan instead of him - one more than during the second round.
McCarthy now needs to convince 16 members of Congress to change their vote, if he hopes to get the 218 needed for a majority.
Republican Representative Bob Good says the Republican members who opposed Kevin McCarthy on Speaker vote will never back down, according to BBC's US partner CBS.
Good adds they want a "reluctant warrior" to be Speaker. He correctly predicted Representative Jim Jordan would gain votes on the second ballot.
Good says McCarthy should pull out of race, adding that: “The sooner McCarthy pulls out, the better it is for the country.”
Image source, ReutersHolly Honderich
BBC News, Washington
Kevin McCarthy is now headed for a third defeat.
Already, 11 Republicans have voted against him, casting their ballots for Ohio's Jim Jordan. The losses are almost certainly too big for him to overcome.
One of these votes is new. Byron Donalds from Florida has cast his vote for Jordan after voting for McCarthy in the first and second rounds. His vote received a loud cheer from Matt Gaetz - a fellow Floridian - and one of McCarthy's opponents.
This clearly does not bode well for McCarthy.
Holly Honderich
BBC News, in the House chamber
The second roll call has been officially tallied and announced in the House chamber.
Democrat Hakeem Jeffries received rousing applause and cheers from colleagues for his 212 votes - a count that puts him in the lead.
For McCarthy, who trails at 203, it was a bumpier start - a loud and awkward laugh from somewhere in the chamber before Republicans got on their feet and clapped in support.
The third roll call has now begun.
Image source, SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockAs the drama on Capitol Hill continues, Republican Jim Jordan has emerged as the main opponent for Kevin McCarthy from within his own party.
Let's take a look at who he is.
Born and raised in the rural Ohio county of Champaign, Jordan has represented the midwestern state in Congress since 2007.
A long-standing supporter of Donald Trump, he was one of the founding members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus - an informal bloc of Republican politicians from the right of the party.
During his term in office, Jordan has consistently voted against abortion, significantly reducing taxes and moved to expand gun ownership rights, among other issues key for many US conservatives.
His vocal and unflinching support for the former president has led to Jordan becoming a controversial figure in recent years, particularly since Trump left office. Jordan has supported a variety of failed lawsuits questioning Joe Biden's success in the 2020 presidential election and voted to overturn the result.
Jordan also subsequently refused to cooperate with the January 6th Committee investigating the storming of the Capitol building by rioters attempting to prevent Biden from being approved as president by Congress.
Tune in to see if the third time's the charm for Kevin McCarthy.
Holly Honderich
BBC News, in the House chamber
Image source, EPAAs soon as the second roll call was finished, House members jumped from their seats and into boisterous conversation - there’s a relaxed, celebratory atmosphere here, despite the political chaos brewing.
Even in the midst of the Republican revolt, Kevin McCarthy himself looked relaxed. Sitting back in his seat with his legs crossed, he laughed and chatted with colleagues as they passed him by in the House chamber.
But once it became clear that he had not shifted a single member he left the chamber, likely hoping to make inroads ahead of vote number three.
Florida’s Matt Gaetz, one of the ringleaders of the challenge against McCarthy, has started to work the room, going from colleague to colleague in an apparent effort to shift support.
Voting a second time, Colorado Representative Doug Lamborn said he’d stick with McCarthy for “as long as it takes”.
It looks like it will take a while.