The US House of Representatives failed to elect a new speaker on the first try.

The US House of Representatives failed to elect its speaker in the first round of voting, transmits Reuters.

The parliamentarian from the Republican Party controlling the lower house, Jim Jordan, received only 200 votes with the required 217. Immediately 20 of his fellow party members voted against him, and all 212 Democrats voted for their leader Hakeem Jeffries. As noted, another round of voting will take place on October 17.

Kevin McCarthy was removed from the post of Speaker of the US House of Representatives as a result of a vote on October 3. The resolution was proposed by his fellow party member and representative of the right wing of the Republican Party, Matt Gaetz. 216 congressmen supported it, 210 opposed it. In addition to all 208 Democrats, eight Republicans voted for McCarthy’s resignation, including Gaetz himself. North Carolina legislator Patrick McHenry became speaker pro tempore.

On October 11, following a secret ballot, Steve Scalise won the nomination for Speaker of the House of Representatives, but on October 12 he refused to run. Jordan, who finished second in the vote, then announced his intention to run for office again.

Congressmen must nominate a speaker by Nov. 17, when approval of the federal budget for the new fiscal year is required. Otherwise, and in the absence of interim solutions, the US government will close completely or partially (depending on the distribution of funding), in other words, declare a “shutdown.” To win, a candidate for the post of speaker needs to get 218 votes. Republicans control 221 seats. A potential speaker can only afford to lose three votes.