The US House of Representatives, paralyzed for the past two weeks amid a leadership fight among Republicans, will vote Tuesday in its latest attempt to elect a speaker, members were told Sunday.
The blockage in the House for one of the most powerful positions in US politics — second in line to the presidency — has few precedents.
Members have grown increasingly frustrated as the absence of a speaker has prevented action on key spending measures and kept the chamber from reacting to crises like the Israel-Hamas war.
While a temporary speaker, Patrick McHenry, was named after the surprise ouster on October 3 of Kevin McCarthy, his replacement has few real powers.
McCarthy fell victim to sharp divisions between Republican moderates and a small core of far-right backers of former president Donald Trump.
After a tense week marked by several reversals, Ohio lawmaker Jim Jordan, a former wrestling coach who is close to Trump, is currently the only announced candidate for the job — but he appears far from having the needed backing to be elected to the powerful post.
The vote Tuesday is set for noon (1600 GMT), its outcome far from certain.
