Republican rebels: the hardline House members voting against McCarthy

Meet the most prominent ultraconservative GOP members blocking the California representative's bid for the gavel

A group of about 20 hardline Republican have brought Washington to a standstill by torpedoing party favourite Kevin McCarthy's bid to become speaker of the US House of Representatives across successive rounds of voting this week.

The House cannot perform any of its vital functions - including overseeing national security, investigating government misconduct and passing legislation - until its presiding officer is in place.