The office of Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA) announced on Thursday that the lawmaker&#8217;s battle against blood cancer is going well and he plans to return to Capitol Hill next week, potentially giving House Republicans the key vote they need to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/impeachment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impeach</a> Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alejandro-mayorkas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alejandro Mayorkas</a> in a second try.
Scalise <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4391685-scalise-stem-cell-transplant-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has been out</a> of Washington and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/05/scalise-work-remotely-cancer-treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working remotely</a> for several weeks to undergo a stem cell transplant and then recover from the treatment. His absence has effectively made a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/slim-house-gop-majority-gets-narrower" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slim GOP majority in the House even narrower</a>. But even with Scalise expected to make a comeback, the margin is poised to change again with a special election to fill a vacancy in New York scheduled for next week.
&#8220;Leader Scalise has successfully completed his autologous stem cell treatment and has been medically cleared to resume travel. He is in complete remission and will be returning to Washington next week for votes,&#8221; Scalise&#8217;s office said in a brief <a href="https://www.majorityleader.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2040" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. &#8220;He is thankful for his positive prognosis, and for the support of his medical team, family, colleagues, and fellow Louisianans.&#8221;
Scalise was the sole missing vote when the GOP-led House held a vote on Tuesday to impeach Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis. Three GOP lawmakers broke ranks and joined all voting Democrats, resulting in a tie that would have made the effort a failure. But GOP Vice Chairman Blake Moore (R-UT) changed his vote to <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/06/mayorkas-impeachment-vote-fail/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oppose the resolution</a>, <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/congressman-blake-moore-votes-against-171709230.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a &#8220;procedural&#8221; move</a> allowing the House to consider it.
Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) told reporters on Wednesday that House Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-vows-mayorkas-will-be-impeached-despite-setback" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will prevail</a> the next time the chamber considers the articles of impeachment. He also said &#8220;democracy is messy&#8221; and talked about how the &#8220;razor thin margin&#8221; House Republicans have over the Democrats makes for a challenge when considering measures on the floor.
&#8220;Sometimes when you&#8217;re counting votes and people show up when they&#8217;re not expected to be in the building, that changes the equation,&#8221; Johnson said, alluding to Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/06/mayorkas-impeachment-vote-fail/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed up</a> at the last moment to cast his vote against impeachment while in a wheelchair after being rushed from a hospital where he has been recovering from abdominal surgery.
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The House has not yet scheduled an exact time for a second go at impeaching Mayorkas, but Democrat leadership <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewSolender/status/1755332805268046129" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> their members to be ready for the resolution to be brought to the floor again as early as Tuesday, when the first votes of the week are expected.
There are currently <a href="https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/party-breakdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four vacancies</a> in the House, which has 435 members when at full strength, but that will soon change. With New York expected to hold its special election to replace now-former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) next week, the Democrats <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/05/politics/george-santos-replacement-seat-suozzi/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may have</a> another member in their ranks. Other special elections to fill other vacancies will follow in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/slim-house-gop-majority-gets-narrower" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coming weeks and months</a>.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA)

Scalise Expects Return Next Week, Could Break Mayorkas Impeachment Standoff

Alejandro Mayorkas

Congress

House Republicans

Impeachment

Politics

Steve Scalise

U.S. House of Representatives

With the exit of another member of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress</a>, the GOP&#8217;s narrow majority in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> got even smaller — a slim margin that has complicated matters for leadership when it comes to key issues.
The House <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1749463468720206234" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> on Monday the resignation of Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), who left office to <a href="https://www.wfmj.com/story/50294578/bill-johnson-to-begin-serving-as-ysu-president-earlier-than-expected-resigns-from-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">become president</a> of Youngstown State University, making the party breakdown 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats.
There are now three vacancies in the 435-member chamber. Lawmakers voted to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-votes-to-expel-george-santos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expel</a> Rep. George Santos (R-NY) following the release of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/george-santos-says-he-wont-seek-re-election-after-release-of-ethics-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scathing ethics report</a> in December. After losing the speakership in October, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) opted to leave Congress at the end of last year.
A special election for the seat vacated by Santos is <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/george-santos-congress-special-election-long-island-queens/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set for mid-February</a>. California <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-announces-dates-for-special-election-to-replace-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has settled on</a> a March 19 primary and general election on May 21 <a href="https://twitter.com/rpyers/status/1744420082577559917" target="_blank" rel="noopener">if no candidate</a> beats the 50% threshold in the primary to replace McCarthy. Ohio is <a href="https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2024/01/04/special-election-for-ohio-congress-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">going with</a> a special election primary for Johnson&#8217;s vacant seat on March 19 and a general election on June 11.
Beyond vacancies, House Republicans are temporarily short a couple of men due to medical reasons. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) is <a href="https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=5F7349B9-2573-463F-A600-DB1A11B685BF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recovering</a> from a back injury he sustained in a motor vehicle collision this month. And Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) has been away from Washington to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4391685-scalise-stem-cell-transplant-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">undergo a stem cell transplant</a> as he battles <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rep-steve-scalise-delivers-update-on-cancer-battle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blood cancer</a>.
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Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeland-security-chair-says-we-have-the-votes-to-impeach-mayorkas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> in a Fox interview over the weekend that one of the &#8220;challenges&#8221; the GOP faces in its effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is members being out for &#8220;medical issues,&#8221; but he suggested a House floor vote could happen sometime after early February.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speaker Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) recently spoke about the political situation for House Republicans as he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-rule-in-second-attempt-johnson-ducks-gop-revolt-for-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faces pushback</a> from a group of conservatives, including members of the Freedom Caucus, amid negotiations on spending and border security with a Senate and White House that are controlled by Democrats.
&#8220;Everyone understands the reality of where we are,&#8221; Johnson <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/19/us/politics/mike-johnson-republican-majority.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at a news conference last week. &#8220;The House Republicans have the second-smallest majority in history. We&#8217;re not going to get everything that we want. But we&#8217;re going to stick to our core conservative principles.&#8221;

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

Slim House GOP Majority Gets Narrower

Kevin McCarthy

Mike Johnson

Starting the new year, the second-ranked Republican in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> endorsed former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> in the 2024 election.
House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA) announced his stance on Tuesday, two weeks before Iowa GOP caucuses kick off the primary season, as Trump continues to dominate in the polls.
&#8220;I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2024, and I look forward to working with President Trump and a Republican House and Senate to fight for those families who are struggling under the weight of [President Joe] Biden’s failed policies,&#8221; Scalise <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveScaliseGOP/status/1742198082576502909" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a post to X</a>.
Trump has accrued more than 90 endorsements in the GOP-led House, along with 18 senators and seven governors, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3942482-2024-gop-primary-endorsements/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The Hill&#8217;s tracker</a> as of the end of last year. The numbers put Trump well ahead of his remaining Republican rivals.
With his pick, Scalise joins other members of leadership in the lower chamber in rallying around Trump, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-endorses-trump-for-president-in-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)</a> and House Republican Conference Chairwoman <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elise-stefanik-a6db4f53af168be7f8483f29495eaba1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elise Stefanik (R-NY)</a>. He has supported Trump <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/239559-2016-lawmaker-endorsements-for-president/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dating back to the 2016 election</a>.
Scalise was first elected to the House in 2008 after serving in the Louisiana State Legislature for more than a decade. He was seriously wounded during a shooting at a congressional baseball practice in the summer of 2017 but managed to recover, continue serving in Congress, and even participate in future congressional baseball games.
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Last fall, Scalise ran an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scalise-drops-out-of-speaker-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unsuccessful bid</a> to become House speaker. At the time, Trump said he liked Scalise as well as Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/12/congress/scalise-health-worries-gop-house-speaker-00121178" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;very much,&#8221;</a> but he raised concerns about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rep-steve-scalise-delivers-update-on-cancer-battle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scalise&#8217;s bout with cancer</a>. &#8220;He&#8217;s got to get better for himself,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.nola.com/news/politics/donald-trump-says-steve-scalise-too-sick-to-be-house-speaker/article_3eafb8ee-692a-11ee-927b-fb44f0f9dec4.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Fox News radio host Brian Kilmeade</a>. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-endorses-jim-jordan-for-speaker-of-the-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed Jordan</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-gop-drops-jordan-as-speaker-nominee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who also failed to achieve victory</a>.
Trump is running for a second presidential term, potentially setting up a 2020 general election rematch against Biden, as he faces a slew of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jack-smith-urges-appeals-court-to-reject-trumps-immunity-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criminal cases</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maine-kicks-trump-off-2024-primary-ballot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ballot access issues</a>. National polls show Trump as the <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-r/2024/national/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clear frontrunner</a> in a wide but shrinking GOP field.
Other major GOP candidates still in the race for the presidency include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson.

Rep. Steve Scalise

No. 2 House Republican Scalise Endorses Trump

2024 Election

2024 Primaries

Donald Trump

Elections

Endorsement

Republican Primary

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans</a> selected House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) on Tuesday to be their third nominee for speaker three weeks after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) was voted out of the role.
Emmer <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716851015889170908" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secured</a> the majority in the fifth secret ballot in a face-off against Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), who is the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference. A House floor vote for the speakership could happen as early as later on Tuesday. Because Republicans have a narrow majority in the House, Emmer can only afford to lose a handful of GOP votes if all Democrats oppose his bid.
<a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716813829890507006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seven</a> lawmakers faced off across several rounds of voting, including Reps. Emmer, Johnson, Jack Bergman (R-MI), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Kevin Hern (R-OK), Austin Scott (R-GA), and Pete Sessions (R-TX). The candidate with the <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716800145906430293" target="_blank" rel="noopener">least amount of votes</a> was dropped following each of the first four ballots. Sessions was <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716800145906430293" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a> after the first round, Bergman after the second, and Scott after the third. Hern came in last and dropped out following the fourth vote while Donalds bowed out, setting up Emmer and Johnson to go head-to-head in ballot No. 5.
Emmer led the field across every ballot but did not clinch the majority until the last one. The final tally showed Emmer with <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1716855817700356415" target="_blank" rel="noopener">117 votes and Johnson with 97</a>.
A follow-up GOP conference vote to see if Emmer would have enough support in a House floor vote revealed <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1716863571395502452" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than two dozen holdouts</a>, signaling that Emmer lacks the 217 votes or a simple majority within his own party to win the speakership, though he could still convince skeptical Republicans to back his candidacy.
Another contender, Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), bowed out before the voting got underway on Tuesday, <a href="https://twitter.com/cami_mondeaux/status/1716810842908615060" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> in a statement, &#8220;If withdrawing my name can help expedite that process even a little, then I will gladly step aside.&#8221; A ninth candidate, Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA), withdrew from the race during a candidate forum on Monday night.
There had been scrutiny on the voting record of each candidate, including when it came to certifying the results of the 2020 election. Emmer stood out as the only candidate who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-controlled-house-passes-same-sex-marriage-bill-39-republicans-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> last year to pass a bill that codified same-sex marriage protections. Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1716831128630522054" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CNN that he was &#8220;very concerned&#8221; about the vote and said there was no way he would vote for Emmer.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Here&#39;s how all the speaker candidates voted on key votes over the last few years. 
from <a href="https://twitter.com/PunchbowlNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PunchbowlNews</a> AM<a href="https://t.co/ec4I0rQQnJ">https://t.co/ec4I0rQQnJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/MRyITTJnWz">pic.twitter.com/MRyITTJnWz</a>
&mdash; Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1716452640349978858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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All the candidates signed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-consider-unity-pledge-for-speaker-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;unity pledge&#8221;</a> in which members vowed to support the nominee, according to Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE), though <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1716590038035619912" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not every lawmaker</a> in the GOP conference supported the idea. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) reportedly <a href="https://twitter.com/lindsemcpherson/status/1716839258315469186" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> members should consider lowering the House floor vote threshold from a majority to a plurality to win the speakership if a Republican nominee cannot muster enough support to secure the gavel.
The GOP-led House of Representatives has been without a speaker for about 21 days since eight Republicans joined with Democrats to oust McCarthy in a no-confidence vote. The vacuum has left the chamber in limbo with Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) serving as speaker pro tempore and no movement on pressing issues, such as reaching a deal to avert a government shutdown that could happen as early as mid-November.
House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA), who won the GOP nomination in a face-off against Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH), ended his candidacy before a House floor vote could happen as he faced opposition from a small group of Republicans. Jordan then won the nomination in a second ballot. However, the GOP conference elected to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-gop-drops-jordan-as-speaker-nominee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drop</a> Jordan as its nominee last week after he failed to win speakership across three House floor ballots in which he got fewer votes each time.
Democrats nominated Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hakeem-jeffries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY) for speaker and have so far voted in unison for him in all the speakership votes this month. There could be a shift in strategy, as <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDeanPhillips/status/1716787827713732972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punchbowl News reported</a> that House Democrats see Emmer as the least disagreeable candidate and some would sit out of a House floor vote to help him win if they got certain assurances. But the <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/speaker-candidates-face-major-challenges/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news outlet noted</a> Emmer has no interest in negotiating with them.
As the majority whip, Emmer is <a href="https://www.house.gov/leadership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tasked</a> with rallying votes for the party&#8217;s legislative priorities. When it came to the race for speaker, Emmer had the support of McCarthy, who <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4269413-mccarthy-backs-emmer-for-speaker-he-knows-how-to-do-the-job/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the Minnesota Republican &#8220;knows how to do the job.&#8221;
In a <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1715744128166760891" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to colleagues explaining what he would do as speaker, Emmer pledged to use a &#8220;culture of teamwork, communication, and respect to build on the moments that brought us success, learn from our mistakes, and keep fighting for each and every one of you and our Republican majority.&#8221;
He also said: &#8220;I will also always be honest and direct with all of you, even if we disagree. I will never make a promise I cannot fulfill. I expect to be held accountable, and you can expect that we will also keep you to your word.&#8221;
Former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race, had endorsed Jordan for speaker. Trump declined to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-house-speaker-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pick a new favorite</a> among the new slate of candidates.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN)

House GOP Nominates Tom Emmer For Speaker

House GOP Picks Emmer As Third Speaker Nominee In 3 Weeks

House Speaker

Jim Jordan

U.S.

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) won the second GOP nomination vote this week for Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Jordan, who previously came up short against House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) earlier this week, won the vote against Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA).
Jordan got approximately 124 votes and Scott got 81, according to reporters on Capitol Hill.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Jordan got around 124 votes, and Scott got 81
&mdash; Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1712922805111595200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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The vote comes on the heels of House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) dropping out of the Speaker race following Republican members of Congress failing to coalesce around him.
Scalise edged out Judiciary Chairman Jordan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-nominate-steve-scalise-for-speaker-of-the-house">113-99 in a secret ballot vote for the GOP</a> nomination on Wednesday, but more than 24 hours later, <a href="https://twitter.com/haleytalbotcnn/status/1712568436117721235">a couple dozen</a> GOP members either opposed him or were undecided.
The race for Speaker of the House has suffered several setbacks with Republicans in Congress finding themselves divided following the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as Speaker after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) initiated a &#8220;motion to vacate.&#8221;
With Democrats united in nominating Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for speaker, Republicans can only afford to lose a handful of votes to secure the simple majority needed to secure the Speaker’s gavel unless there is a bipartisan compromise.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Jim Jordan Wins GOP Speaker Nomination In New Round Of Voting

House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA) announced on Thursday evening that he is ending his bid for speaker after failing to muster enough support to win the gavel.
In confirming the decision to reporters, after making his intentions known to fellow Republicans in a <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1712603643382297048">members-only discussion</a>, Scalise <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1712619385880301626">said</a>, &#8220;There are still schisms that have to be resolved.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) announces he is withdrawing from the speaker race. <a href="https://t.co/G9EbSSeGMx">pic.twitter.com/G9EbSSeGMx</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1712624836768321686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Scalise edged out Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-nominate-steve-scalise-for-speaker-of-the-house">113-99 in a secret ballot vote for the GOP </a>nomination on Wednesday, but more than 24 hours later <a href="https://twitter.com/haleytalbotcnn/status/1712568436117721235">a couple dozen</a> GOP members either opposed him or were undecided.
Once he withdrew from the contest for speaker, Scalise <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1712618605995499652">said</a> he intends to remain as majority leader and indicated that he would push for the speaker vacuum to be filled &#8220;as quickly as it has to happen.&#8221;
With Democrats united in nominating Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hakeem-jeffries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY) for speaker, Republicans can only afford to lose a handful of votes to secure the simple majority needed to secure the speaker&#8217;s gavel unless there is a bipartisan compromise.
The House has been without a speaker for more than a week after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was voted out of the role on Tuesday. Eight Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-ousted-from-speakership-after-democrats-side-with-matt-gaetz">joined</a> with Democrats, citing objections to McCarthy&#8217;s leadership, in securing McCarthy&#8217;s ouster after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) got the process underway with a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/motion-vacate-lightning-rod-stormy-house-speakers-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;motion to vacate.&#8221;</a>
Leading up to and after Scalise&#8217;s exit from the race, some members suggested Jordan would ultimately be a more viable candidate. Jordan had the backing of former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race, during the nomination contest.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) listed Jordan along with some other names as possibilities in a <a href="https://twitter.com/realannapaulina/status/1712621838885408998">post</a> to X on Thursday evening. Among the additional recommendations were Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), who had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/likely-house-speaker-candidate-bows-out-the-need-for-unity-comes-first">previously bowed out</a> of the race for speaker; Rep. Mark Green (R-TN); and former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY). Luna later added Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) as <a href="https://twitter.com/realannapaulina/status/1712624652831367180">&#8220;another good option.&#8221;</a>
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I am asking members of the GOP to return to Washington so that we can nominate a Speaker. Scalise is a statesman and acted in true selfless fashion by stepping aside. This needs to happen. Here are some options: 
Jim Jordan Kevin Hern Lee Zeldin Mark Green
&mdash; Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) <a href="https://twitter.com/realannapaulina/status/1712621838885408998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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There is a sense of urgency as Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who is serving as speaker pro tempore, is limited in what he can do in the temporary role at a time when Israel goes to war with Hamas after a terrorist attack over the weekend and a government shutdown possible by mid-November.
Some have proposed <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMessenger/status/1712610521705271671">empowering</a> McHenry in the short term to get legislative business in motion. Others are <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCarlos/status/1712655352754262328">pulling for</a> a McCarthy comeback. Democrats have floated the idea of entering talks to find a &#8220;bipartisan path forward,&#8221; which Jeffries <a href="https://twitter.com/jordainc/status/1712463079294808411">reportedly</a> suggested would include tweaks to the rules &#8220;enacted in January that empower their most extreme members.&#8221;

Scalise Drops Out Of Speaker Race

Several GOP lawmakers raised objections about backing House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA) as the next Speaker of the House after the Louisiana Republican clinched the nomination during a closed-door vote on Wednesday.
House Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-nominate-steve-scalise-for-speaker-of-the-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> 113-99 to nominate Scalise over Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, who first announced his bid to claim the gavel last week following the chamber&#8217;s historic removal of former Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). McCarthy told reporters he would support the current GOP nominee and wasn&#8217;t involved in swaying other lawmakers opposition of him.
&#8220;Steve is going to have to talk to them all, see what their concerns are, but I support Steve,&#8221; McCarthy said.
Scalise will need to secure 217 votes on the floor. Still, as it stands, he currently lacks support from a critical bloc of Republicans who mostly favored Jordan after the Ohio Republican received former President Donald Trump&#8217;s endorsement.
&#8220;I think the leader is a really great man, and I&#8217;ve committed publicly to voting for Jim Jordan on the floor,&#8221; Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) told reporters, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/house-speaker-race-10-11-23/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CNN. &#8220;My main concerns are the way this place is run. I think that there&#8217;s a problem with leadership in our conference.&#8221;
Boebert is one of several Freedom Caucus members holding out on Scalise, who reportedly has some lawmakers skeptical of his leadership. Other members of the group, including Virginia Rep. Bob Good, Alabama&#8217;s Barry Moore, and Texas Reps Michael Cloud and Chip Roy, remain undecided on their support.
&#8220;I talked to Steve,&#8221; Roy reportedly said. &#8220;As I said earlier, I was unhappy with the way things unfolded this morning. We should figure this out behind closed doors as a conference before we started moving towards the floor.&#8221;
POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/11/congress/217-fails-00120960" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> earlier Wednesday that House Republicans refused to change a set of internal rules that would require 217 of the 221 GOP lawmakers to agree on the next speakership role before the vote hits the floor, which Roy co-sponsored.
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&#8220;There was an effort after we did not agree to do that to start moving towards the floor today, and some of us said, &#8216;woah woah, let&#8217;s all hold your horses,&#8217; let&#8217;s figure out where we are because we don&#8217;t want to be on the floor until we have 217,&#8221; he said.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) told CNN the Freedom Caucus members would support a Jordan speakership despite him telling them to shift their vote toward Scalise. Greene voiced her concerns over Scalise&#8217;s health, who is currently battling blood cancer.
Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina told CNN she would not support Scalise after learning about the lawmaker speaking to a white supremacist group founded by former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke in 2002.
&#8220;I&#8217;m trying to reconcile it, and right now I can&#8217;t,&#8221; Mace said.
The speech happened before he entered Congress while appearing in front of different Louisiana groups as a state representative to build support for legislation he proposed at the time. Scalise later issued a <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/steve-scalise-white-supremacy-group-reaction-113872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement of regret</a> and rejected the organization’s racist ideology.
Mace later said during a separate interview she would vote for Jordan &#8220;for several rounds&#8221; and not move from that position &#8220;at least initially.&#8221;
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida reportedly said she felt &#8220;comfortable&#8221; enough to support the Speaker nominee.
&#8220;After talking to Representative Scalise, I feel very confident he&#8217;s going to allow me to aggressively pursue justice for this country and this nation,&#8221; Luna said. &#8220;And so I&#8217;ll be supporting him on the floor.&#8221;
In her personal Instagram story on Wednesday night, Luna posted a text image saying that after speaking with Scalise, she &#8220;feels confident he will be supportive of the following items,&#8221; which include &#8220;Defund[ing]&#8221; DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith, an impeachment vote, and issuing a subpoena against Hunter Biden.
House lawmakers were told the lower chamber of Congress would not hold a speaker vote Wednesday evening and would reconvene Thursday around noon, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/the-gop-race-for-house-speaker-begins?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.

GOP Speaker Meeting Oct 11

Scalise Faces Uphill Battle Convincing House Republicans To Support His Bid For Speaker

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) was nominated by House Republicans on Wednesday to become the next Speaker of the House.
The final tally for the secret ballot vote was 113 for Scalise and 99 for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) despite Jordan receiving former President Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-endorses-jim-jordan-for-speaker-of-the-house">endorsement</a> last week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
STEVE SCALISE is the House Republican&#39;s nominee for speaker of the House.
113-99
&mdash; Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1712152966549930494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The vote was held in a closed-door meeting where no cellphones were allowed.
&#8220;We need to make sure we’re sending a message to people all throughout the world that the House is open and doing the people’s business,&#8221; Scalise said after the vote.
He added that there was &#8220;a lot of important work to do on behalf of people who are struggling not only here in America, but who are concerned all around the world.&#8221;
&#8220;We’re going to provide that vision,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We have a lot of work to do, obviously.&#8221;
To become Speaker of the House, Scalise will need to earn 217 votes which is the threshold for a simple majority assuming all members are present.
Some Republicans did not want to move forward with bringing Scalise forward until they were sure that they had 217 votes within their own party.
Republicans have a narrow lead in the House over the Democrats, 221-212.
&#8220;I think it is foolish to rush this to the floor unless you have 217 votes,&#8221; said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). &#8220;It’ll be interesting.&#8221;
The House will <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/the-gop-race-for-house-speaker-begins?intcmp=tw_fnc">reportedly</a> recess on Wednesday afternoon and there are no plans for a vote, however, one could happen.
&nbsp;

Republicans Nominate Steve Scalise For Speaker Of The House

House Democrats nominated Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hakeem-jeffries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY) for speaker on Tuesday as Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-to-expect-with-the-gops-house-speaker-forum">held a forum</a> for its candidates.
Party leaders said members voted <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanstruyk/status/1711889903737311577">&#8220;unanimously&#8221;</a> to renominate Jeffries, who was also the Democrats&#8217; pick in January when the House eventually settled on Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) for speaker after 15 contentious rounds of voting.
In a <a href="https://democraticleader.house.gov/media/press-releases/leader-jeffries-statement-upon-being-nominated-speaker-house-democratic-caucus">statement</a>, Jeffries thanked his colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus for their support and urged &#8220;traditional Republicans&#8221; to break from &#8220;MAGA extremism&#8221; to create an &#8220;enlightened, bipartisan coalition.&#8221;
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House Democrats tonight renominated Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker: “I am grateful to my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus for their extraordinary support and the unanimity of purpose as we continue to put people over politics.” <a href="https://t.co/9HBh6wVfyB">pic.twitter.com/9HBh6wVfyB</a>
&mdash; Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1711885341873877219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Republicans, who hold a slim majority in the House, held a forum on Tuesday to hear from their candidates for speaker. House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA) and Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) are facing off as the two declared GOP contenders. Though McCarthy said he <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1711847654907351176">urged</a> his supporters not to nominate him, at least one GOP House member — Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) — <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCarlos/status/1711947132771401771">said</a> he will vote for McCarthy anyway.
A Republican internal election for speaker is <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/live-blog/house-speaker-vote-live-updates-rcna119454/rcrd20599?canonicalCard=true">expected</a> to take place on Wednesday morning, but after the forum on Tuesday, it was not clear whether either Jordan or Scalise had sufficient support to win their party&#8217;s nomination. Ultimately, a simple majority will be needed to win the speaker&#8217;s gavel in a chamber-wide vote.
Upon leaving the GOP forum, Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) said there were &#8220;50/50 odds&#8221; of a speaker being chosen on Wednesday, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/house-speaker-race-10-10-23/h_faf932f2e9744b5c4371ece6ac933fa9">according to CNN</a>. A far less optimistic Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said he &#8220;put it at 2%&#8221; that Republicans can settle on a speaker by Wednesday, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/live-blog/house-speaker-vote-live-updates-rcna119454/rcrd20596?canonicalCard=true">per NBC News</a>.
A single member — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) — triggered a no-confidence vote in McCarthy last week over objections to his leadership. Gaetz was joined by seven fellow Republicans and the Democrats in successfully <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-ousted-from-speakership-after-democrats-side-with-matt-gaetz">removing</a> the speaker from the role.
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The unprecedented series of events has led to debate about whether to change or get rid of the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/motion-vacate-lightning-rod-stormy-house-speakers-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;motion to vacate&#8221; rule</a> that resulted in McCarthy&#8217;s ouster, as well as to revamp GOP <a href="https://twitter.com/juliegraceb/status/1711850290608038287" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conference</a> rules <a href="https://twitter.com/juliegraceb/status/1711850687263306237">governing</a> the <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1711749990928756750">threshold</a> for picking a nominee.
Despite uncertainty on the GOP side as to whether the conference can unite around a specific candidate, there is a sense of urgency as Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who is serving as speaker pro tempore in the short term, is limited in what he can do in the role.
One leading issue is government spending, with a government shutdown possible in mid-November if lawmakers cannot come to an agreement after a six-week continuing resolution expires.
Then there is Israel&#8217;s war on Hamas after the militant group&#8217;s deadly attack from Gaza over the weekend. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) said he expects a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/most-house-members-rally-behind-resolution-supporting-israel-against-hamas">bipartisan resolution</a> declaring support for Israel &#8220;to be one of the first, if not the first items considered on the floor once we elect a new Speaker.&#8221;

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)

House Democrats Pick Nominee For Speaker As GOP Hears From Candidates

Hakeem Jeffries

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans</a> are set to hold a forum on Tuesday for candidates to make their final pitch in the race for speaker in the GOP-controlled <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a>.
Details about the event, which reportedly will <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1711762488998465581" target="_blank" rel="noopener">begin at 5 p.m. EST</a>, were shared by House Republican Conference Chairwoman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/elise-stefanik">Elise Stefanik</a> (R-NY) in a <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1711761372764070141" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post to X</a>.
&#8220;This evening, the House Republican Conference will host a candidate forum for GOP Members to hear from Speaker of the House declared candidates,&#8221; Stefanik said.
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This evening, the House Republican Conference will host a candidate forum for GOP Members to hear from Speaker of the House declared candidates. Each declared candidate for Speaker will have 5 minutes of opening remarks, followed by a Q&amp;A session with Members, and concluding with…
&mdash; Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1711761372764070141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Each declared candidate for Speaker will have 5 minutes of opening remarks, followed by a Q&amp;A session with Members, and concluding with a 2 minutes closing statement,&#8221; she added.
Stefanik concluded, &#8220;I look forward to hosting a productive session to ensure we focus on delivering for the American people.&#8221;
An internal party leadership election is expected to follow on Wednesday; a simple majority in the conference, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/09/politics/house-speaker-race-jordan-scalise/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which CNN says would be 111</a>, is needed to win the party&#8217;s nomination.
Ultimately who becomes speaker will be decided in a full House floor vote. Again, a simple majority will be needed for victory. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) is serving as speaker pro tempore in the short term.
While Democrats are <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1711742102319640945" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected to rally behind</a> Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hakeem-jeffries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY), two GOP members have announced candidacies for the House speaker&#8217;s gavel on the Republican side after the chamber voted last week to remove Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) as speaker.
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The declared GOP candidates are House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA) and Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH), who is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Both have already begun to <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveScalise/status/1710426849556218120">share their</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ByMonaSalama/status/1709593857715769432">respective visions</a> for the House and called for unity among Republicans. Some members have <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/house-speaker-race-endorsement-live-tracker-steve-scalise-jim-jordan">announced</a> their support for Scalise or for Jordan, while many others in the conference have yet to say who they will support.
Former President Donald Trump, who has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-endorses-jim-jordan-for-speaker-of-the-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed</a> Jordan for speaker, was reportedly considering an appearance at the forum on Tuesday though is now said to be <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/09/trump-change-plans-unlikely-dc-tomorrow-speaker-race-meeting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;unlikely&#8221;</a> to attend. A few members have even floated Trump to become interim speaker, as the Constitution does not rule out non-House members from holding the title, but Trump has signaled he is focused on his 2024 campaign seeking another term in the White House.
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), another Republican considered to be a possible candidate for speaker, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/likely-house-speaker-candidate-bows-out-the-need-for-unity-comes-first" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declined</a> to enter the contest. &#8220;I believe a three-man race for Speaker will create even more division and make it harder to elect a Speaker,&#8221; he said in a statement.
There is also some hope within the conference that McCarthy, who had said he will not run for speaker again, will make a comeback. Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), for instance, is urging McCarthy to <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCarlos/status/1711212421744898336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reconsider</a>. So far, McCarthy hasn&#8217;t quite ruled out a return, <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1711454084589289750" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, &#8220;That&#8217;s a decision by the conference.&#8221;
As members hash out who they will elect as their next speaker, some have also raised the prospect of reforming or getting rid of the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/motion-vacate-lightning-rod-stormy-house-speakers-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;motion to vacate&#8221; rule</a> that was used by a single member — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) — to trigger the no-confidence vote against McCarthy. Though a majority of GOP members voted to keep McCarty as speaker, eight Republicans joined Democrats to secure his ouster, citing objections to McCarthy&#8217;s leadership.
The Republican Main Street Caucus <a href="https://twitter.com/CaucusMain/status/1709619808159858922" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the one-person threshold for a no-confidence vote keeps a &#8220;chokehold&#8221; over the House. The group also called for speaker candidates to &#8220;explain&#8221; how what happened to McCarthy will &#8220;never happen again.&#8221;

Rep. Steve Scalise (R) (R-LA) talks to U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)

What To Expect With The GOP’s House Speaker Forum

What To Expect With The GOP's House Speaker Forum

Matt Gaetz

Plans for a televised debate involving candidates for House speaker were scrapped after the two announced contenders reportedly agreed that such an event &#8220;wouldn&#8217;t be wise.&#8221;
Fox News was reportedly planning to host a televised speaker debate between Republican Reps. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> of Ohio and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> of Louisiana on Monday night, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1710275941727895769" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punch Bowl News</a>. The event fell through after Jordan and Scalise spoke and agreed against participating in such an event.
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Another source familiar tells me that Scalise and Jordan talked and agreed it wouldn’t be wise. 
The forum is off. <a href="https://t.co/mRUBERyMnk">https://t.co/mRUBERyMnk</a>
&mdash; Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) <a href="https://twitter.com/MZanona/status/1710337666808532993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Scalise and Jordan announced their candidacies to be the next Speaker of the House soon after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was deposed on Tuesday. Oklahoma GOP Rep. Kevin Hern, the chair of the Republican Study Committee, has <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/house-speaker-vote-kevin-mccarthy-matt-gaetz/card/rep-kevin-hern-to-run-for-speaker-CyivcZtPNBkLNfWyZJ1k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> members of the Texas delegation that he intends to run, according to one of those lawmakers, Rep. Michael McCaul. McCarthy has said he will not run for speaker again.
Hern had also been named as a potential debater, but issued a statement on social media Friday morning saying he would not take part. He also said he has yet to make a decision on whether to run.
&#8220;I still haven’t made a decision on my candidacy for speaker, but I know one thing for sure. I will not be participating in the televised debate,&#8221; Hern <a href="https://twitter.com/repkevinhern/status/1710329039980835086" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;We need to make this decision as a conference, not on TV. The Republican conference needs a family discussion.&#8221;
Neither of the announced candidates nor the likely competitor are close to securing the 218 votes needed to secure the speaker’s gavel. Roughly a quarter of the Republican conference has come out publicly backing a candidate, and Democratic votes are unlikely to support any Republican candidate.
A significant bloc of Republican lawmakers have pledged not to back any candidate unless House rules are changed that strengthen the next speaker’s hold over the gavel. A coalition of 45 GOP lawmakers say the next speaker must commit to changing the current rules around the motion to vacate the chair that allowed a single Republican, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, to bring the motion up for a vote. Gaetz led seven other Republicans and every Democratic member in voting to oust former Speaker McCarthy.
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It’s unclear how long picking another speaker of the House could take. McCarthy won the gavel after 15 grueling rounds of voting, and the Republican caucus currently is much more split on a successor than it was on McCarthy. The current situation also has no good historical analogue to guide predictions.
“It’s uncharted territory because we’ve never done that in the history of the United States,” Catholic University politics professor Matthew Green told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kevin-mccarthy-removed-house-speaker-what-happens-next/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>.
Scalise is the head of the Republican conference as majority leader, though he is currently undergoing treatment for blood cancer, raising concerns about his health. Jordan, not currently a member of leadership, is well-liked by the Republican conference’s conservative wing, and Jordan received former President Donald Trump’s endorsement to be the next speaker on Thursday. Hern runs the largest Republican caucus as chair of the Study Committee.

House chamber

Republicans Scrap Potential House Speaker Debate: Report

Washington D.C.

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lauren-boebert">Lauren Boebert</a> (R-CO) said she would support getting rid of the mechanism by which Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-ousted-from-speakership-after-democrats-side-with-matt-gaetz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">removed</a> as House speaker — under one condition.
In a <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenboebert/status/1709957401246302501">post</a> to X on Thursday, the congresswoman said she is &#8220;willing to ditch&#8221; the &#8220;motion to vacate&#8221; with Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) in that position.
&#8220;The House has a lot of work ahead, let’s get this over with and take our country back!&#8221; she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’m willing to ditch the Motion To Vacate with <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jim_Jordan</a> as Speaker. 
The House has a lot of work ahead, let’s get this over with and take our country back!
&mdash; Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenboebert/status/1709957401246302501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The &#8220;motion to vacate the chair&#8221; is a parliamentary tool that has <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/rep-gaetz-threatens-to-oust-speaker-mccarthy-after-deal-averting-government-shutdown#:~:text=The%20rules%20of%20the%20House,twice%20in%20the%20past%20century.">rarely been used</a> throughout the history of the United States.
After lawmakers raised the threshold to require <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mccarthy-motion-to-vacate-rule-speaker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a majority</a> of either party to bring a motion to vacate to the House floor <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/motion-vacate-key-sticking-point-gop-speaker-battle/story?id=96241364">in 2019</a> — as Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) began her second stint as speaker — the House rules package <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/motion-vacate-key-sticking-point-gop-speaker-battle/story?id=96241364" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> for this session of Congress restored the ability of a single member to trigger the process.
Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matt-gaetz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Gaetz</a> (R-FL) filed a &#8220;motion to vacate the chair&#8221; this week after the GOP-controlled House passed a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-fires-back-at-the-8-republicans-who-upended-his-speakership">Eight Republicans</a> joined with Democrats in a <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023519">216-210</a> vote that ousted McCarthy, who later <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBNgruEBPIo">said</a> he would not run again for the speaker&#8217;s gavel. Boebert voted against removing McCarthy.
House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA) and Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, have announced candidacies for the speakership on the GOP side. Democrats are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-democrat-floats-potential-candidates-for-speaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likely to rally</a> behind someone such as Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hakeem-jeffries">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY).
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There has also been some chatter about former President Donald Trump taking on the role, as the Constitution <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/29/opinion/kevin-mccarthy-house-speaker-vote.html">does not require</a> a speaker to be a sitting member of the House, even while Trump is running a 2024 campaign for a second term in the White House.
A simple majority is needed to secure victory in a chamber-wide vote. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) is serving as a temporary speaker in the interim.
At least one other House Republican — Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) — said he would not support any candidate until there is a commitment to reform the motion to vacate.
&#8220;The coup against Speaker McCarthy was DESPICABLE &amp; must never happen again. No one can govern effectively while being threatened by fringe hostage takers,&#8221; Gimenez <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCarlos/status/1709611565169725641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> in a post to X.
Gaetz <a href="https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/1709642137480937490">responded with a post</a>, saying, &#8220;So the way moderates want to punish me is by making it harder to remove Speaker Jordan or Speaker Scalise? OH NO! ANYTHING BUT THAT!!!!&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-KY), in <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1709642657713000480">comments to reporters</a> on Wednesday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-advises-next-house-speaker-to-get-rid-of-motion-to-vacate">described</a> the &#8220;motion to vacate&#8221; as being unproductive and advised the next speaker to do away with it.
&#8220;It makes the speaker&#8217;s job impossible, and the American people expect us to have a functioning government,&#8221; McConnell said.

Representative Lauren Boebert

Boebert Supports Ditching Motion To Vacate With Jordan As Speaker

Boebert Supports Ditching Motion To Vacate — Under One Condition

Lauren Boebert

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