Republican Kevin McCarthy on Friday picked up support from right-wing hardliners in the U.S. House of Representatives who had blocked his speakership bid, but it was not enough to end the deepest congressional dysfunction in more than 150 years.

In a 12th round of voting in four days, 14 Republicans who previously opposed McCarthy voted for him in a sign that his prospects may be improving after he offered the holdouts a range of concessions that would limit his clout if he succeeds in becoming speaker of the House.

But seven fellow Republicans still voted against him, leaving him three votes short of the majority needed to win the speaker's gavel and prompting his supporters to put his nomination forward for a 13th vote.

McCarthy earlier had predicted progress.

"Watch here and you'll see some people who have been voting against me voting for me," McCarthy, 57, said before Friday's vote.