New Congress live updates: What's next after Kevin McCarthy's speakership win

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, a member of the staunchly conservative House Freedom Caucus that partially opposes McCarthy, nominated the House GOP leader, arguing that McCarthy had adequately "addressed" the issues of his critics.

"I believe the 20 members who have nominated an alternate candidate have expressed their concerns with leadership, and those concerns have been addressed by Leader McCarthy and this conference. I believe this battle we are raging must end," he said.

 Nehls specifically said McCarthy's concession on lowering the threshold of support needed to trigger a vote on removing a speaker was enough to ensure that he would be held accountable to his dissenters.

"This motion allows us, the Republican conference, to hold the speaker accountable. The American people gave us, my friends, us, the Republicans, the majority, and their vote of confidence to change the direction of the country," he said.

McCarthy has suffered yet another defeat.

The California congressman received 201 votes in the eighth round, matching other recent rounds. Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York won 212 votes and Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, the GOP nominee put up against McCarthy, won 17 votes.

This round, there was another Kevin -- Republican Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma -- who received votes.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Rep.-elect Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., voted for Hern, who hadn’t previously been mentioned for speaker. Hern has served in the House for four years and has been backing McCarthy for speaker.

For a second time today, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., voted for former President Donald Trump. Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz again voted present.

The eighth round of speaker voting began on Thursday after Kevin McCarthy, Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., were again nominated.

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., put for McCarthy as speaker favored by a majority of the GOP conference, saying he would be different from past Republican speakers and mentioning several of the Californian's critics by name.

"I vouched to my community that Kevin will do as he has promised. He will give us the opportunity to right to course," Mast said.

Rep. Kathleen Clark, D-Mass., nominated Jeffries, the Democratic leader, while panning Republican opposition to policies on guns, insulin costs and more.

"This intraparty fight that the American people have been drawn into is imperiling our national security. It will imperil the ability of this government to deliver basic services. It is imperiling our jobs and our responsibility to serve our constituents. But it is also entirely predictable. They're failing to convene Congress today, but for years they have failed to deliver their votes for the American people," Clark said.

And Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who nominated Donalds, the GOP protest nominee against McCarthy, said it was necessary to change Congress' leadership in order to change policies.

"They want something new. They want something different. And we are on a path that just continues. Where were we just 12 years ago? An $11 trillion national debt. Where are we now? Almost three times that. Both parties share blame in that. We have to bring that under control. You bring that under control not just by changing the rules of an institution but by changing the leadership," Biggs said.

"I believe if you want to make change, you have to make change. Maintaining the status quo is not an option today."

As he barreled toward a seventh defeat on Thursday, McCarthy told ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott that he was still confident his party would get to a solution to the historic stalemate over speaker. But he insisted he doesn't "pick the day."

Scott pressed McCarthy on whether the concessions he made to his opponents were enough.

"Concessions," he laughed with a smirk.

"I think we’re having good discussions. I think everybody wants to find a solution. And the good thing about it is we worked this all out at the beginning, so the rest of the Congress will be very productive for the American public," he said.

When asked if he was confident he would get the votes he needed on Thursday, McCarthy responded: "Look, I don’t pick the day. I’m confident we’ll get to the solution. Otherwise, we won’t be successful. So I think everybody, of the members I’ve talked to, have been very productive. They’ve been productive in their discussions, their ideas, and I just feel in these meetings the attitudes of everyone is they want to find a solution. And that’s positive. So I think we’ll get there."

Pressed on how to convince his critics who don't trust him to vote for him, McCarthy laughed again.

“Everybody builds trust," he said.

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said he expects another round of voting on Thursday.

-with ABC News' Katherine Faulders, Gabe Ferris and Allison Pecorin