Republicans in control of the U.S. House of Representatives have nominated Steve Scalise to serve as speaker after Kevin McCarthy’s removal. However, they have delayed further action due to a lack of support needed to win a vote of the full chamber. Scalise, currently the No. 2 on the Republican leadership ladder, won the party’s nomination for the top post in a secret ballot vote, defeating rival Jim Jordan. The expected 3 p.m. ET vote did not take place as several of Jordan’s supporters stated they would not back Scalise on the House floor. With a narrow majority of 221-212, Republicans can only afford a few defections, as Democrats are not expected to vote for any Republican candidate. Scalise acknowledged the need for unity and stated that there is still work to be done. Acting Speaker Patrick McHenry mentioned that a vote could take place soon. Representative Thomas Massie, who voted for Jordan, stated that the outside race begins now and that he expects to meet privately with Scalise before the floor vote. The final tally was 113 votes for Scalise and 99 for Jordan.
Jordan plans to vote for Scalise on the floor and is encouraging his colleagues to do the same. McCarthy faced 15 rounds of voting before securing the speakership in January. Before selecting Scalise, Republicans rejected a proposal that would have required their nominee to secure 217 out of 221 votes. This allowed Scalise to quickly win the nomination but raised the question of whether he would face a similar battle in January. Republican Representative Kat Cammack predicted that the floor vote would be chaotic, continuing the turmoil that has plagued the House. Republicans emphasize the need to resolve the leadership vacuum promptly to address pressing issues such as the war in Israel, aid to Ukraine, and passing spending bills before government funding expires on Nov. 17. Scalise stated that his first action as speaker would be to schedule a vote on a resolution expressing support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas militants in Gaza. McCarthy’s removal last week only required the support of eight Republicans, highlighting the challenge of leading the caucus for any new speaker. The last two Republicans who held the position left under pressure from party hardliners. A RushHourDaily/Ipsos poll showed that 64% of respondents lack confidence in Congress’ ability to overcome partisan differences for the nation’s benefit.
The article was reported by David Morgan, Moira Warburton, Makini Brice, and Richard Cowan, with writing by Andy Sullivan. The editing was done by Scott Malone, Deepa Babington, Howard Goller, and Grant McCool. The article adheres to The Thomson RushHourDaily Trust Principles.
