Daily News Lesson

SHOW ALL

Jan. 5, 2023, 5:44 p.m.

Speaker vote deadlocked amid infighting among House Republicans

Summary

After three days and hundreds of votes cast, the House has still not elected a speaker. There is no sign that Kevin McCarthy has broken his GOP opposition, leaving the Republican party divided and Congress paralyzed. Lisa Desjardins reports on where things stand. For a transcript of this story, click here . Key terms: Speaker of the house: The speaker is elected by the House and usually represents the party with the majority. The speaker has a number of important roles including controlling proceedings for debate and voting, assigning committee roles, and is also second in line for the presidency after the vice-president.

Five Facts

  • Who is Kevin McCarthy, and what role is he being considered for in the House?
  • What is the role of speaker of the House, and how is one chosen?
  • Where and When do speaker elections take place?
  • How is the speaker of the House determined?
  • Why must Congress choose a speaker of the House before they can do anything else?

Focus Questions

What do you think would be the biggest consequence if the House fail to elect a speaker? Media literacy : Where would go to find out more about how the House of Representatives works?

For More

What students can do: Learn more about the House of Representatives works, and how it complements the Senate using this video from iCivics:

Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.

Recent Daily News Lessons

Screenshot 2026-07-24 at 11.19.56 AM

Daily News Lesson

Breakthroughs in Chinese AI models threaten U.S. lead in tech race

Chinese AI models are threatening to take over the American lead in the tech race

Red, White & Blue To-Do Pomp & Parade in Philadelphia

Daily News Lesson

America at a Crossroads: A look at America's founding from the room where independence was declared

Judy Woodruff visits Independence Hall to commemorate America's 250th anniversary with historians Lindsay Chervinsky and Ron Chernow.

Screenshot 2026-07-21 at 10.25.25 AM

Daily News Lesson

America at a Crossroads: What political satire can reveal about the strength of a democracy

Political satire can reveal a hidden strength of the democracy of a country

SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

PBS News Hour Classroom

Copyright © 2025 News Hour Production LLC. All Rights Reserved

Illustrations by Annamaria Ward