>>> Right now, house Republicans
meeting behind closed doors to
try to hash out who will be the
next house speaker.
And, boy, does it sound
interesting behind those closed
doors from what our reporters
are finding.
Interesting.
A little bit of profanity.
>> A little heated.
I would say oh, to be a fly on
the wall.
But we have our flies, because
our hill team is so good.
Here is what Kevin Mccarthy said
where he tried to sell himself
one more time so he could get
enough votes to become speaker.
Take a listen.
>> Not for a few members here.
To fight for their own personal.
This is about the country and
we'll have to show the
difference.
>> Not about your personal
grievances, it is about the
country.
CNN's Manu Raju live for us on
capitol hill.
Mccarthy apparently raising his
voice in a fiery speech.
What more are you hearing?
>> Reporter: Yeah, we're hearing
things are getting very heated
behind closed doors.
Kevin Mccarthy is done with
negotiating with this block of
conservatives who are seeking a
number of concessions to weaken
the speakership and he said he's
gone so far and refusing to get
yes and he's raising his voice
and detailing everything that
he's done and said I've earned
this job.
And also get something pushback
in the room, our sources are
telling our capitol hill team
that Lauren boebert head
bullshit in response to what
Kevin Mccarthy said.
One aspect here is Kevin
Mccarthy said he's not going
anywhere.
If he doesn't get the 218 votes
today he's going to grind it
out.
And he's going to fight this
going forward and one of his
allies dan crenshaw said the
block of hardliners will not dig
in as long as they are.
The Mccarthy supporters will be
more stubborn when it comes to
the vote on the house floor.
Listen.
>> This handful of members is,
um, very clearly looking for
notoriety over principle.
That is where it is.
And anyone who suggests
differently is in some kind of
make believe fantasy reality.
This should have been the end of
it, because that is how a team
works.
You hash this stuff out and
figure it out and then you move
on.
But if you're a narcissist, and
you believe that you're opinion
is so much more important than
everyone else then you'll keep
going and tear down the team for
the benefit of the Democrats
just because of your own sense
of self-importance.
That is exactly what is
happening here.
We will not vote for anyone else
but Mccarthy.
It is going to be so much worse
than that.
They are enemies now.
They have made it clear that
they prefer a Democrat agenda
than a Republican one.
>> Reporter: But right now the
conservative hardliners are not
going anywhere.
They have the votes to deny
Mccarthy the speakership and
we're told behind closed doors
one of the allies threatened her
committee assignments said they
would not sit on key committees
if they continue to oppose
Mccarthy as they head into this
consequential vote within two
hours here, guys.
>> Who is more stush Yorn.
It feels like a game of chicken.
>> Joining us now Margaret
talis, the markets from Dan
crenshaw and the details from
Manu and from our teams on the
hill how this is playing out,
hour Kevin Mccarthy is done at
this point.
Talking about opponents coming
to him with personal asks on
Monday night for committee and
special assignments but he's
done at this point.
He may be done but is there any
indication that he has the
votes?
>> Right.
He may actually be done.
We are about to see this move
from behind closed doors with
live tweeting because every
faction of congress is talking
to reporters about what they're
seeing.
We're about to see that move
from that venue to the public
venue.
It could resolve it and much ado
about nothing.
It is more likely to be a
protracted drama that we haven't
seen in about a century.
And, you know, what Republicans
like Dan crenshaw are so
frustrated about is they they
feel strongly is what this does
is weaken not just Kevin
Mccarthy but the new Republican
house majority and actually very
much empowered the new
democratic minority.
If you're hakeem Jeffries, you
would like to be speaker.
But hey, if you're not going to
be speaker, you'd like to have a
very weakened speaker, which is
why you're not hearing very much
from Democrats.
They're going to sit back and
watch this play out.
But, look, here is this group.
There is a dozen or so hold
outs, five core holdouts who
said no matter what they will
never back Kevin Mccarthy and
they are at risk at overplaying
their hand and getting shunned
by their entire caucus with
repercussions.
But look at where they come
from.
They come from districts like
Matt Gaetz, this district backed
Donald Trump two to one in 2020.
And the other four similar
situations where, you know,
their voters and their base is
saying, tear down the house, it
is time to reorder congress.
So they have really different
motivations.
>> Margaret, that raises a point
for me.
Because I was thinking this in
cases like this, what are their
own political -- what this their
political interest here?
Right.
And Mccarthy can't give up.
He wants that gavel to be house
speaker but the members who are
standing in the way, they don't
want to get voted out next term
and being as having caved to the
mainstream GOP.
So, how do they, I mean Mccarthy
doesn't want to blink, but how
do they blink?
>> It really is the $64,000
question.
Procedurally there are a couple
of things that could happen.
We talk about 218 being the
threshold, 218 but the sub-rule
to that is it is a majority of
those who have voting.
So if enough of the never
Mccarthy group could be
convinced to go home or skip the
vote, he could get what he
needs.
It looks like he's going to
require several rounds, though.
And the question is for some of
the members, it really is
personal and they might rather
have -- no Mccarthy at any cost
and that is the game of chicken
that we're seeing play out right
now.
If you are a voter at home, a
regular American at home and
think why do I care about this,
I'm more interesting in Buffalo
bills, if you're worried about
inflation or China, nothing
happens until there is a house
speaker and the strength of the
house speaker and that house
speaker's ability to compromise
with the other party, to the
extent to which he's going to be
empowered to make my deals with
Democrats to get anything done
and all of that is hugely
relevant before congress could
do anything.
>> It is such an important point
and why folks at home just
another reminder of why we're
spending so much time on this
because nothing will happen
until there is a speaker and it
is not just about working with
Democrats, it is interesting to
see if Kevin Mccarthy is
speaker, how he could work
weapon his own conference.