After six failed attempts at his bid for the speakership, Representative Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) continues to scramble for votes by offering fresh concessions.
While McCarthy earlier this week offered holdout Republicans a newly lowered threshold of five members required to trigger a vote of no confidence, he is now reportedly dropping the figure down to just a single member, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Some House Freedom Caucus members have played a crucial role undermining McCarthy’s speakership bid so far, which is leading the California Republican to offer them additional seats on powerful committees such as the House Rules Committee.
Reports also say that McCarthy is considering other concessions, including a vote on term limits for House members and a pledge to introduce a controversial border plan for a vote.
Florida Representative Byron Donalds emerged as the primary benefactor of Republican disunity so far. McCarthy’s GOP detractors, a group that includes 19 other members, began casting their votes for Donalds starting in the fourth round of voting held on Wednesday.
Previously, they had supported Representative Jim Jordan, a staunch McCarthy backer who encouraged other members to support the California lawmaker.
“I don’t think a vote tonight will make a difference…But a vote in the future will,” McCarthy told a scrum of Capitol Hill reporters Wednesday evening ahead of a vote to adjourn.
Housing voting on the speakership is set to resume Thursday at noon.