McCarthy’s party derailed an 11th attempt to elect him speaker on the third day of voting

Washington: The deadlock in the United States House of Representatives continues as Republican leader Kevin McCarthy failed to sway hardline party leaders to back his bid to become speaker, in a paralysis of US government not seen since the pre-Civil War era.

A group of right-wingers in McCarthy’s party derailed an 11th attempt to elect him on the third day of voting.

Republicans took over the House in November's midterm



elections, but the impasse has left the chamber unable to swear in members or pass bills. Not since 1860, when the United States' union was fraying over the issue of slavery, has the lower chamber of Congress voted so many times to pick a speaker. Back then it took 44 rounds of ballots.

A group of 20 hard-line Republican lawmakers are refusing to give party leader Kevin McCarthy the necessary 218 votes.