Sawt Falasteen - McCarthy gives ground to rebels in sink-or-swim US House speaker race

The Republican leader in the House has found his bid to be the country's top lawmaker on life support since the chamber opened for a new term under a thin majority for his members.

The California congressman has been unable to secure the majority needed across six voting rounds during a chaotic, rollercoaster 48 hours, losing each time to his Democratic counterpart Hakeem Jeffries.

"It's my hope that today the House Republicans will stop the bickering, stop the backbiting and stop the backstabbing so we can have the backs of the American people," Jeffries told reporters.

Emissaries of McCarthy -- who has already offered extensive concessions to the 20 or so anti-McCarthyites blocking his path to the gavel -- were locked in a second consecutive night of negotiations that went on into the small hours of Thursday.

McCarthy appeared to have crossed one of his red lines by agreeing to lower the threshold needed to force a vote ousting a speaker from a majority of either party to just one member, US media reported -- imperiling his chances of a long tenure.

The 57-year-old also reportedly signaled that he is willing to give the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus two or three seats on the Rules Committee, the speaker's mechanism for controlling what happens on the floor.

His opponents are also claiming to have extracted pledges to allow votes on border security and on proposing to limit lawmakers to three terms.

- US security 'at risk' -

Perhaps most controversially, the McCarthy-linked Congressional Leadership Fund has also agreed not to meddle in open House primaries for safe Republican seats, where it has come under fire for backing moderates against far right candidates.

The 2023 speakership race is the first in a century to require multiple rounds of voting. No House business can take place without its presiding officer in place, meaning lawmakers-elect have to continue voting until someone wins a majority.

Until then, the chamber will be unable to swear in members, set up committees, tackle legislation or open any of the investigations Republicans have promised into President Joe Biden.

Three Republican lawmakers lined up to head national security committees also warned in an open letter Thursday that the House is currently unable to conduct oversight of the Pentagon or intelligence community.

"We cannot let personal politics place the safety and security of the United States at risk," they said.

McCarthy has long dreamed of being speaker but Tuesday and Wednesday were among the most humiliating days in his career as he lost six consecutive votes despite Democrats being in the minority.

McCarthy's failure is also a further marker of Donald Trump's weakening hold over the party, as the lawmaker's vote share actually dropped after he was endorsed by the former president on Wednesday.

Texas conservative Chip Roy has indicated that McCarthy's proposed compromises could reduce the so-called "Taliban 20" opposing his speakership bid to around 10 detractors.

- 'Dug in' -

But that won't be enough to bag him the speakership, as he can only afford to lose four of his 222 Republicans.

Many of McCarthy's critics have few specific problems with his policies, claiming instead that they just find him untrustworthy, lacking a political philosophy and motivated only by a desire for power.

Congress-watchers say he faces at least five definite no votes, regardless of the concessions he offers.

The top Republican's allies are hoping however that a reduction in opposition to single figures might increase pressure on the holdouts to follow suit.

But others fear the risky strategy of giving away the store to the most extreme fringe of the party will spark a backlash among the moderates.

McCarthy-friendly Texan Pete Sessions told CNN his side could only afford three or four more inconclusive votes before they needed to start looking for a less divisive candidate.

"I'm telling you these 19 people are dug in," he said of the rebel group of "Never Kevins."

The House is due to gavel in at noon and may move straight to a seventh vote for the speakership, although the McCarthyites may try to seek an adjournment to continue talks.

T.Samara--SF-PST