House GOP conference remains bitterly divided amid fight to find next speaker

House Republicans gathered for the first time since last week’s historic vote to oust Kevin McCarthy, but the two-hour session left them no closer toward coalescing around a speaker nominee and a path forward as they debate potential rules changes and grapple with the raw feelings lingering after the unprecedented events of last week.

While the impetus on Republicans to pick a new speaker escalated after the terrorist attack in Israel over the weekend, the House GOP conference remains bitterly divided over how it should proceed – and who can get the 217 votes needed to lead it.