Republican Kevin McCarthy wrapped his first full week as House speaker in the most outwardly orderly way. There was hardly a hint of the chaotic, rebellious fight it took for the Republicans to arrive here, having barely installed him as the leader with the gavel. The House Republicans marched through the early days of the session passing bills, choosing committee chairman, even requesting its first documents for investigations of President Joe Biden and his family. But the semblance of House GOP unity is all but certain to be temporary as Congress faces more difficult questions ahead around spending cuts and the federal debt limit.

Electing the House speaker may have been the easy part. Now House Republicans will try to govern. Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces his first test late Monday as the Republicans try to approve their rules package governing House operations. It's typically a routine step on Day One that is now stretching into the second week of the new majority. After that, the Republicans will try to pass their first bill — legislation to cut funding that was intended to bolster the Internal Revenue Service. But it has ran into a snag because the budget office says it would add $114 billion to the federal deficit.

Republican Kevin McCarthy has been elected House speaker on a historic post-midnight 15th ballot, overcoming holdouts from his own ranks and floor tensions boiling over after a chaotic week that tested the new GOP majority's ability to govern. After four days of grueling ballots, McCarthy flipped more than a dozen conservative holdouts to supporters, leaving him just a few shy of seizing the gavel for the new Congress. The last few Republican holdouts voted present, dropping the tally McCarthy needed to win.

The House stalemate over choosing a new speaker is continuing for a long, excruciating third day of voting with no end in sight. Party leader Kevin McCarthy is determined to win over enough fellow Republicans, but he failed again in ballot after ballot on Thursday. The standoff is between McCarthy and 20 conservative colleagues who are withholding the support the California Republican needs. So far, nine roll call votes have failed to elect a speaker. The impasse has left the House unable to fully form and govern. McCarthy's conservative detractors appear intent on waiting him out, as long as it takes.

House Republicans are plowing through the second day of the new Congress, with no clear off-ramp from their political chaos over electing a new speaker. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy failed anew to win the House speakership in three votes, faring no better than he had in the same number on Tuesday when 20 fellow Republicans rejected his bid. Former President Donald Trump vigorously renewed his support for McCarthy, but it made no difference. And an outspoken conservative Republican said Trump should actually tell McCarthy to drop out. The chamber's most conservative members believe McCarthy is neither conservative enough nor tough enough to battle Democrats.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was dealt a historic defeat in first-round voting Tuesday to become House speaker, sending …

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican leader Kevin McCarthy failed in marathon voting Tuesday to become House speaker, a historic defeat with no clear …