The US Congress is in a shambles today after a whopping 11 failed attempts to elect a new speaker. 

Despite his best attempts, the Republicans’ House leader Kevin McCarthy has repeatedly failed to woo 20 hardline party colleagues, causing him to fall short of the 218 votes he needs.

It’s the first time in 164 years such a stalemate has been reached, after it took 10 votes to select a leader in the lead-up to the Civil War in 1859.

Without a speaker, the members of the 118th Congress can’t be sworn in and won’t be able to officially sit.

Former independent presidential candidate TJ O’Hara told Greg Cary it’s not the longest the House has gone without a speaker.

“Back in 1856, we had 133 votes taken over two months,” he said.

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