The House Republican leadership standoff ended early Saturday morning with Kevin McCarthy winning the speaker's gavel on a historic 15th vote.
It was the longest such election since 1859.
The drama stretched into a fourth day Friday with three more failed votes to decide on a speaker after 11 others over Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday -- the last one ending in a heated one-vote loss at the hands of holdout Matt Gaetz.
McCarthy had been stymied by a small group of hardliners demanding concessions to reshape how the House is run and legislation it prioritizes.
Here's how the story is developing. All times Eastern.
Jan 06, 2023, 10:28 AM EST
House Republican slams GOP hardliners 'holding us hostage'
With all other House business put on hold, Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska has continued to voice frustration with the small but significant flank of his party refusing to support McCarthy's speaker bid.
"Our constituents call me and they want help with passports, visas, disability claims with the VA, and all that's on hold -- and that's because of these 20 people who are holding us hostage," Bacon told ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott.
Bacon, who serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and House Committee on Armed Services, said he was also forced to cancel a classified briefing this week because he lost his security clearance.
Jan 06, 2023, 11:16 AM EST
Paralyzed House worsens outlook for chaos in era of divided government
Kevin McCarthy and his loyalists have been forced to make waves of concessions that will likely make the job of any GOP speaker harder. Behind arcane arguments about such things as "legislative germaneness" and a "motion to vacate" are real pending rules changes that could tie up the House floor indefinitely -- and limit the latitude any speaker has to make unpopular decisions.
That could matter deeply in the case of a true crisis, where speed of action and a House speaker's input could be critical. It will also almost certainly matter when it comes to basic matters of funding the federal government and making good on debts already incurred, which forces Congress to periodically raise the nation's borrowing limit.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, left, talks to Rep. Steve Scalise in the House Chambers on the second day of elections for Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 4, 2023 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Legislation in those areas almost always requires a modicum of bipartisanship -- particularly so long as the House is controlled by a different party than the Senate and the White House, as it is now. That means cutting deals that many in a speaker's own party may not agree with, without having to worry about whether that risks a no-confidence vote that could cost the gavel.
McCarthy's quest enters 4th day after 11 failed speaker votes
With the House set to reconvene at noon, McCarthy's quest for the House speakership enters a fourth day Friday following 11 failed attempts this week.
It's unclear if Republicans will attempt to adjourn the House until next week, providing more time for negotiations, or if the House will immediately enter additional rounds of votes.
House Republican Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy walks to his office during the third day of elections for Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 5, 2023 in Washington.
Nathan Howard/Getty Images
As this becomes the longest speaker race since before the Civil War, the California Republican has downplayed the prolonged process, saying late Thursday, "It's not how you start. It’s how you finish."
All House business remains at a standstill until a speaker is elected -- a fact Democrats have criticized.
"As we mark a day that threatened our Democracy, let us show our respect for the great institution of the Congress," former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted, noting the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack. "We must open the House and proceed with the People's work."
Jan 06, 2023, 12:07 AM EST
Kevin McCarthy to ABC News: 'It's not how you start. It's how you finish'
It's the question that's top of mind for everyone on Capitol Hill: How long will this drag out?
"I'd love to know... but we're working through it, we made good progress today, so we'll continue to talk," leader McCarthy told ABC News Thursday night, also saying: "I'm not putting any timeline, I just think we've got some progress going on, we've got members talking. I think we've got a little movement. So we'll see."
Sources tell ABC News that McCarthy is inching closer to a deal that could earn the support of at least 12 more Republicans. But he can only lose the support of four members from his own party.
McCarthy said he's willing to drag it out for as long as it takes.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy returns to the House Chamber for an 8th round of voting for a new Speaker on the third day of the 118th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 5, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
"I'm not putting any timeline, I just think we've got some progress going on, we've got members talking," he said. "I think we've got a little movement. So we'll see."
He insisted he wouldn't be a "weaker speaker" if he were to be elected because of the concessions he has made.
"We have a five-seat majority. So, it's not one side is going to get more than the other, it's the entire conference is going to have to learn how to work together," McCarthy said. "So, it's better that we go through this process right now so we can achieve the things we want to achieve for the American public, what our commitment was."
"So, if this takes a little longer, and it doesn't meet your deadline, that's OK. Because it's not it's not how you start. It's how you finish, and if we finish well, we'll be very successful," he added.
-ABC News' Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders and Allie Pecorin
