Biden calls chaotic Republican Speaker vote ’embarrassing’

President Joe Biden called the chaos on Capitol Hill over the speech “embarrassing” as he left the White House Wednesday for a bipartisan event in Kentucky with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“That’s not my problem, I just think it’s a little embarrassing that it’s taking so long,” Biden told reporters on the South Lawn, after Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was expected to be elected House speaker, he failed to reach a majority on Tuesday. after three rounds of voting.

The president added that “the rest of the world is watching, is watching, you know, we can get our act together,” noting that “this is not a good look, this is not a good thing” for the country. .

He reiterated that point moments later: ‘It doesn’t look good, it’s not a good thing. This is the United States of America, and I hope they get their act together,’ he said of the House Republicans.

President Joe Biden waves as he boards Air Force One for this trip to Kentucky on Wednesday, touting bipartisanship as the House is still embroiled in drama over who will become the next speaker.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (left) rise to the presidency was derailed Tuesday when 20 Republicans finally decided to endorse Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan (right). Jordan was set to assume the chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee.

Without a speaker, members of the House of Representatives cannot be sworn in and business cannot be conducted.

As of Tuesday, House Republicans hold a majority, albeit a slim one, in the House after a worse-than-expected performance in the 2022 midterm elections.

Biden was flying to Kentucky to promote the bipartisan infrastructure bill where he will appear alongside the other top-ranking Republican in Congress, McConnell.

Also flying on Air Force One was former Sen. Rob Portman, the Ohio Republican whose seat went to Trump-backed author JD Vance, who was sworn in with the rest of his colleagues Tuesday.

McConnell and Portman were among the 19 Republicans who signed the infrastructure bill, which passed in August 2021.

Also, the $1.6 billion bridge project that Biden will showcase is the Brent Spence Bridge, which connects Covington, Kentucky to Cincinnati, Ohio.

Overall, the infrastructure law allocated $40 billion to rebuild the nation’s dilapidated bridges.

“What I am focused on is getting things done,” Biden said as he departed. ‘And one of the things that I’m going to go to in Kentucky and Ohio today is to show that we can get things done. We passed a huge, bipartisan bill and it works.

“You can’t be the world’s number 1 economy unless you have the world’s number 1 infrastructure,” he added.

When asked specifically why Kentucky Biden replied, “We worked hard to get the most important infrastructure bill in our American history, other than the Eisenhower Interstate Highway system.”

‘Look, I think our administration has started to move the economy where we’re investing in the United States again. How can you continue to be the leading economy in the world if you don’t have the greatest infrastructure in the world?’ she mused.

He also suggested that the drama was ultimately a congressional problem when asked if he was concerned about his ability to govern with the House without a speaker.

‘Not me,’ he replied. ‘Congress to govern.’

McCarthy’s run for president has been thwarted by 20 rogue members who represent the more conservative, pro-MAGA side of the Republican Party.

On the third ballot, they rallied around Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, who has said he doesn’t want the presidency and is content to take over the House Judiciary Committee from Democrats Jerry Nadler.

That has left the party in a deadlock, with both the pro-McCarthy faction and the Never Kevins entrenching themselves.

On Wednesday morning, former President Donald Trump also called the situation ‘EMBARRASSING’ on his Truth Social platform.

“Some really good talks took place last night, and now it’s time for all of our GREAT Republican members of the House to VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE VICTORY AND SEE CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY HOME TO A CALIFORNIA VERY BROKEN, THE ONLY SPEAKER IN US HISTORY TO HAVE LOST “HOUSE” TWICE! wrote the former president. ‘REPUBLICANS, DON’T TURN A GREAT WIN INTO A GIANT SHAME DEFEAT.’

IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE, YOU DESERVE IT. Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – JUST LOOK!’ Trump added.