House Majority Leader Steve Scalise made a surprising announcement on Thursday, stating that he is removing himself from consideration for the vacant House speaker position.
Scalise informed reporters that he had recently informed his colleagues about his decision to withdraw his candidacy for the position of speaker designee.
The Republican conference on Wednesday nominated Scalise for the speaker position, which has sat vacant since California Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a historic vote last week.
Scalise explained his decision to drop out, stating that there are still individuals who prioritize their personal agendas.
The Louisiana congressman emphasized the necessity of a speaker for the House of Representatives and the urgency to reconvene the session. However, it is evident that not all individuals are present, and there are lingering divisions that must be addressed.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, received 99 votes during Wednesday’s closed-door meeting. Scalise received 113.
Jordan late Thursday refused to comment on Scalise’s withdrawal, saying he would address the situation on Friday.
“I think today we ought to focus on a great American like Steve Scalise. Any type of announcement about what may or may not happen I think is best done tomorrow,” Jordan said.
Scalise declined to indicate on Thursday whether he would endorse Jordan’s nomination.
Scalise stated that a speaker is still required and he will persistently strive to expedite its procurement, emphasizing its imperative nature.
In addition, he claimed that certain GOP members who had apparently promised their support to him were now “shifting the goalposts.”
Scalise stated that there were individuals who had previously expressed their approval of him three days ago, but they later changed their stance and started creating baseless excuses that were unrelated to the original matter. He mentioned that these individuals were engaging in manipulative tactics, and he made it clear that he did not want to be involved in such games.
It is uncertain what the next course of action for Republicans will be. As there is no nominee, Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry retains his position with restricted authority. While a few Republicans have already departed, a significant number of GOP lawmakers are currently participating in a conference meeting to strategize the way forward. Representative Greg Murphy of North Carolina approximated that approximately 80% of the conference was still engaged in discussions following Scalise’s announcement.
Speaking to the press at the Capitol, Murphy expressed his belief that Jordan should be given an opportunity to gather the required 217 votes to become the nominee. However, he acknowledged that it would be challenging for Jordan to achieve that threshold. Murphy shared his opinion that the conference might ultimately choose a “compromise” candidate, and he proposed McHenry, Reps. Byron Donalds from Florida, and Kevin Hern from Oklahoma as potential candidates who could bring the conference together due to their qualities.
Hern had considered running soon after McCarthy’s ouster, and said in a letter to colleagues that he “called, texted or met” with all 221 Republicans in the conference to ask what they wanted to see in their next speaker. He said that he withdrew from the race because he believed a “three-man race for Speaker will only draw this process out longer, creating further division which would make it harder for any candidate to reach 217 votes.”
As he departed the conference meeting, Hern addressed journalists, clarifying that he had no intentions to challenge Jordan for the speakership. However, he subtly hinted at the possibility of running as a team, mentioning ongoing conversations. Hern mentioned that Jordan had not commented on this matter and declined to provide further details.
If all members are present and each votes for a candidate, the Republican nominee for House speaker will require 217 GOP votes to succeed.
Scalise faced an uphill battle in getting the necessary votes, with at least 16 Republican representatives, including several of Jordan’s supporters, indicating they would not be voting for him.
Ever since McCarthy’s removal last week, the House has been on a break, seemingly unable to continue with its proceedings until a permanent speaker is chosen. In the meantime, Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina is fulfilling the role of speaker pro tempore.
A historic event occurred on Oct. 3, as the House made the decision to remove McCarthy with a vote of 216 to 210. In an unprecedented move, eight Republicans on the far-right united with the Democrats to oust him. Consequently, this marked the first instance in American history where a House speaker was removed through a no-confidence vote.
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a major critic of McCarthy, forced the vote when he put forth the motion to vacate the office of speaker. Gaetz said his decision came after McCarthy helped pass a bipartisan 45-day stopgap bill earlier this month to prevent an impending government shutdown. Gaetz claimed that McCarthy had betrayed conservatives in pushing the bill through.
Melissa Quinn, Ellis Kim and Alan He contributed to this report.
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