Bizarre and historic scenes are playing out in the US today after Congress failed to elect a new speaker for the first time in 100 years. 

The Republicans won enough seats at the recent mid-term elections to take back control of the House of Representatives.

Minority leader Kevin McCarthy was seen as a shoo-in for the next speaker but in a historic defeat, he lost successive rounds of voting, plunging the new US Congress into chaos.

Former independent presidential candidate TJ O’Hara explained the speaker is not only the presiding officer of the US House of Representatives, but also second-in-line for the presidency.

“So you’d think they’d take that more seriously,” he told Greg Cary on 4BC Summer Afternoons.

Mr McCarthy needs 218 votes in the full house but garnered just 203 in the first two rounds of voting. A third ballot was even worse.

Until a speaker is selected, the members of the 118th Congress can’t be sworn in and won’t be able to officially sit.

“When they don’t sit, the House can’t set rules to govern itself, it can’t consider legislation, it can’t create committee assignments,” Mr O’Hara continued.

“If this isn’t resolved by [January 13], the staff can’t even be paid, so it’s a mess right now.”

Press PLAY below to hear why TJ O’Hara believes the Republicans can’t agree on a Speaker 

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