Welcome to the 118th Congress, the new Republican House majority, and
one of the most unpredictable and potentially chaotic scenarios we’ve
seen on Capitol Hill.

The House will gavel in at noon, and following a prayer, the Pledge of
Allegiance and a quorum call, the clerk will immediately start the live
roll call to elect the next speaker. GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, however,
still hasn’t clinched the votes he needs, and the day could drag late
into the night, we’re told, as Republicans grapple with choosing their
leader.

Be prepared for surprises and a lot of drama. Even veteran lawmakers who
emerged from meetings with McCarthy on Monday evening weren’t entirely
sure how this will all shake out. We’re told that McCarthy’s plan,
however, is to continue voting — over and over again — in a bid to wear
down his detractors until he gets the gavel.

Playbook editor Mike DeBonis and co-author Rachael Bade discuss the long
day ahead for Kevin McCarthy.

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Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook
Daily Briefing.
Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.