In the wake of the unexpected ousting of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Republicans are grappling with the decision of who should succeed him.
The two contenders for the position, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, are under pressure to reach a consensus, with some Republicans suggesting that one of them should withdraw from the race.
The urgency to elect a new speaker is palpable, as the House has been unable to conduct legislative business since McCarthy's removal. The decision was made by eight Republicans and the entire Democratic caucus, leaving the Republicans to choose between Jordan and Scalise.
However, with a floor vote scheduled for Wednesday, no consensus has been reached.
"Some Republicans just want [Mr. Jordan and Mr. Scalise] to get into a room and figure it out," a Republican lawmaker told The Washington Times. This sentiment is echoed by another lawmaker, a supporter of Jordan, who suggested a plan to elect Jordan as speaker and retain Scalise as Majority Leader. "That would be widely supported," the congressman said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
Despite the lack of a clear frontrunner, sources close to the Jordan team are optimistic, claiming they are gaining significant support and are "feeling very good" about the race. Some Republicans believe that despite the tight deadline, the conference can unify behind one candidate by Wednesday.
To elect a Republican speaker on the House floor, approximately 217 votes are needed. This means that nearly the entire conference will have to agree on one candidate, as Democrats will likely vote for their own candidate, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. So far, neither Jordan nor Scalise has been able to secure the necessary 217 votes.
The urgency to establish a new speaker is further heightened by the upcoming government shutdown deadline on November 17 and the need to provide aid to Israel, which is currently engaged in a conflict with Hamas. Despite this, some Republicans are skeptical that either Scalise or Jordan would willingly step aside for the other, given their loyal base of supporters within the conference.
"I dont recall giving up my vote," a Republican lawmaker said. Another suggested that some lawmakers are supporting Scalise in the hope of advancing their own positions in the top leadership. "Theres certain support for Scalise in leadership because if he moves up, then they all want to move up, and Im not for that. Thats self-motivated," another congressman told The Times.
Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican who is supporting Jordan, said there is ample support for Scalise to retain his No. 2 leadership spot. "Theres no contest there," he said. As the clock ticks down to the floor vote, the Republican conference must find a way to unite behind a single candidate, ensuring the smooth continuation of legislative business.
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