McCarthy says speaker vote tally will remain ‘pretty much’ the same Thursday

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he expects the vote tally for speaker to remain ‘pretty much’ the same Thursday.

‘Nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to,’ McCarthy said as he left a meeting with his allies. ‘I wouldn’t read anything into the votes today.’

The House convenes at noon Thursday after it failed on six votes for speaker between Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Rep.-elect Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., an ally to McCarthy, said minutes earlier it would be unproductive to conduct a vote for speaker again without more progress on negotiations.

‘I don’t know why we would even vote,’ Fitzpatrick said. ‘I don’t control what votes are called. I’m just saying I don’t think it would be productive.’

Republican dissenters to McCarthy are demanding more spots on committees and more influence over the speaker. 

A GOP aide told Fox News McCarthy made progress in negotiations with dissenters late Wednesday night as he agreed to adding more House Freedom Caucus members to top committees, including the steering committee. Additionally, McCarthy may agree to require only one member to call for a vote to remove the speaker, which was previously at five.

The three failed votes Wednesday included 20 votes towards Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla. McCarthy can only afford to lose four votes to gain a majority as speaker.