The US House of Representatives adjourned on Wednesday evening after spending a second consecutive day holding votes on multiple ballots for House speaker.
Members are set to return at 8:00 p.m. local time, according to NBC News.
One day after failing to elect a new speaker in three votes, the House held three more rounds of voting on Wednesday, but the results were the same. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the top Republican in the House, failed to reach the majority of 218 required to win the job.
However, McCarthy appeared optimistic Wednesday afternoon about his ability to win the speaker's gavel, telling reporters that his strategy is to "work through it, get everybody together, and solve our problems."
Asked if he was confident that he could reach the votes needed after falling short six times, McCarthy responded, according to NBC News, "Yeah, very."
"We have 90% of the votes," McCarthy added. "I’ve never seen a body where 10% is going to control the 90%. It just doesn’t happen that way."
McCarthy's Republican critics, led by Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Andy Biggs of Arizona, have vowed to continue to oppose him for speaker. They have rallied around Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who has said he doesn't want the job.
Democrats, meanwhile, continue to vote unanimously for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York.