this Shocking removal of Kevin McCarthy as spokesman The House was effectively paralyzed on Wednesday as Republicans struggled to bring order to their fractured majority and begin the difficult and potentially lengthy process of rallying around new leadership.
The House met briefly and then went into recess, with Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina serving as caretaker speaker, with minimal power for the foreseeable future. Other Republicans leave Washington, Wait for next step.
The House will try to elect a speaker as soon as next week. The timing is uncertain as Republicans line up for the chance to bring down the gavel amid bitter divisions that have stoked chaos.
House Majority Leader, Rep. Steve Scalise, Republican of Louisiana was running for the position, but he immediately faced pressure from Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, Judiciary Committee chairman and conservative favorite, he quickly announced his candidacy. Others are expected to appear as well.
Many doubted anyone would be able to get the 218 votes needed to become speaker. Although McCarthy was the unanimous choice of the Republican conference, the vote on McCarthy in January took 15 agonizing rounds.
House Republicans plan to hold the first intra-party vote at the Capitol next Tuesday night.
“I think the circus needs to be done behind closed doors,” said Rep. Garrett Graves, R-Los Angeles.
The battle is shaping up to be an open battle just as Congress faces a new deadline to fund the government by mid-November. With a vacancy in the Speaker’s office, this legislative work in the House of Representatives has been put on hold, potentially leading to long-term paralysis.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called it a “dangerous situation.”
President Biden said at the White House that the American people still expect the government to get its work done in a timely manner. McCarthy was ousted because he worked with Democrats to keep the government open and avoid a shutdown, with the Democratic president saying: “We need to stop seeing each other as enemies.”
Electing a new speaker could exacerbate divisions that have plagued House Republicans all year, especially if lawmakers make new demands before committing to support.
Scalise has long been viewed as a potential speaker-elect and is revered as a survivor after he was shot in the hip during a 2017 congressional baseball team practice. But Scalise is also undergoing treatment for a blood cancer that has forced him to stay away from the Capitol at times.
In a letter to colleagues seeking support, Scalise acknowledged the challenges he and Republicans face but said he has overcome adversity before.
“This next chapter won’t be easy, but I know what the fight requires and I’m ready for the battles ahead,” he wrote.
Jordan made his point by emphasizing his oversight efforts and desires. He echoed Scalise’s call for unity in “a time of division.”
“The problems we face are challenging, but not insurmountable,” he said.
Jordan and Scalise are expected to be joined by at least one other Republican in the race: Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the House’s largest Republican caucus.
The three, along with Minnesota Majority Whip Tom Emmer, spoke at a luncheon for the Texas congressional delegation, which represents the largest group of Republican members in the House.
“I think you have to have a different set of skills, you know, I’ve spent 35 years working at some of the largest companies in the world,” Hearn said as he left the meeting. “Conflict is common when people work together, and finding common solutions takes experience.”
But some Republicans, including Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, said lawmakers should look outside the Capitol for the next speaker and draft the former president, as the Constitution allows. Donald Trump.
Trump told reporters at a New York court on Wednesday that he would “do everything we can to help” Republicans in the speaker’s race but that he was “completely” focused on the presidential race.
“If I can help them in the process, I will. But we have some great people in the Republican Party who would do a great job as speaker,” he said.
The more pressing challenge for Republicans is overcoming the extraordinary conflicts that have plagued their conference in recent weeks. That raw emotion was evident during a closed-door meeting Tuesday night, as members vented their anger at the eight Republicans who joined Democrats in ousting McCarthy.
Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., pointed to the lawmakers who voted against McCarthy and said, “I’ve never had a worse team than McCarthy,” said one Republican in the room who spoke on condition of anonymity. .
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Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed to this report.
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