Around Christmas, Texas Republican Rep. Roger Williams’ wife suffered a medical emergency. This week, as she underwent treatment, her husband was eager to be by her side. 

Instead, he has been stuck in Washington taking failed vote after failed vote in Kevin McCarthy's quest to become speaker.

“This is killing him,” one of Williams’ GOP lawmaker friends told us late Thursday night. “I’ve never seen Roger as down as he was yesterday.” 

Williams isn’t alone. On Thursday, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) felt ill; his colleagues had to convince him it was OK to duck out of the speakership drama and go home for rest. Rep.-elect Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) is eager to return to Texas after his wife gave birth this week. Rep. Kevin Hern's (R-Okla.) mother died this week; he wants to attend her funeral on Saturday.

“There’s a lot more at stake than whether Kevin McCarthy’s going to be able to get the gavel,” the aforementioned GOP lawmaker told us. “We’ve got lives that are being impacted right now, and this is tough for people.”

There’s been wall-to-wall coverage of the 20 anti-McCarthy rebels. But as the GOP leader faces down what will likely be his 12th failed bid for the gavel today, the story is about to shift to McCarthy’s increasingly tenuous support network. 

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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.