Jim Jordan wins GOP House Speaker nomination after Scalise failed to secure the vote - latest

Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) has secured a majority of the GOP votes for speaker to grasp the nomination but he was unable to reach the 217 votes he needs from his caucus to win a vote of the full House.

Mr Jordan beat challenger Rep Austin Scott (R-GA) by 124 votes to 81 on Friday afternoon. Mr Scott is reported to not actually want to be speaker and observers say the vote for him indicates the significant part of the party which would be uncomfortable with him as speaker.

This comes after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) gave up his attempt to become speaker after he beat Mr Jordan in the first internal ballot on nominating a candidate for speaker earlier this week by a vote of 113 to 99.

Mr Jordan is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and has a reputation in Congress as a rightwing hardliner and brawler. He may yet end up failing to get the votes he needs for a floor vote as the GOP divisions appear far from softening.

Key Points

• Jordan could be charged in connection to 2020 election scheme, legal observer says

• VIDEO: Kevin McCarthy says he will support Jim Jordan for House speaker

• ‘The adults in the room on Capitol Hill ... ought to sit some people down’

• Trump-backed Jim Jordan secures GOP nomination for speaker amid party chaos

• Jim Jordan is a conservative hellraiser in the House. Now he’s Trump’s top choice for speaker

Jordan could be charged in connection to 2020 election scheme, legal observer says

Friday 13 October 2023 22:20 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) may be indicted as “an accessory after the fact” to former President Donald Trump and his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, legal observers have told Newsweek, noting that prosecutors would have to show that Mr Jordan’s claims were part of a larger conspiracy.

An adjunct professor of law at New York University, Peter Shane, told the outlet that the First Amendment doesn’t protect against intentionally false statements.

“Laws against fraud, perjury, and defamation, for example, are not unconstitutional,” he said.

“The First Amendment would make it difficult to uphold a prosecution of Jordan based solely on his speech unless it could be shown to be part and parcel of some larger criminal act,” he added.

“If it could be shown that Jordan was part of a conspiracy to defraud the United States of the sort charged against Trump in his DC indictment, and his false statements were made in furtherance of that conspiracy, the First Amendment would not preclude using his statements as evidence,” Mr Shane said.

‘We must unite behind one leader’

Friday 13 October 2023 22:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The focus has returned to Mr Jordan as he was the only challenger to Mr Scalise, with the supporters of the Ohioan noting his conservative pedigree as a former chair of the Republican Study Committee and the House Freedom Caucus, adding that he has become less and less of a thorn in the side of GOP leadership in the last few years.

Rep Richard Hudson (R-NC) said in a statement on Friday that “we must unite behind one leader with the integrity, the ability and the vision to lead us. I believe that Jim Jordan is that leader and I ask my colleagues to join me now”.

The House Republican conference met again on Friday morning as they attempted to get over the so far insurmountable divisions within the caucus.

The chaos began last week when then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted after eight Republicans voted with all the Democrats to remove him after a motion to vacate was triggered by Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL).

“We had a process and we had a nominee and people stabbed him in the back,” Rep Pat Fallon (R-TX) said, according to NBC News. “So that’s not something to be proud of.”

VIDEO: Kevin McCarthy says he will support Jim Jordan for House speaker

Friday 13 October 2023 21:56 , Billal Rahman

Friday 13 October 2023 21:56 , Gustaf Kilander

‘The adults in the room on Capitol Hill ... ought to sit some people down’

Friday 13 October 2023 21:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Mike Pence said on Friday that it was a “breach of trust” for some Republicans not to back Steve Scalise after he was nominated to be speaker.

“It’s time for them to step up … Get it done this week because the days are only becoming more dangerous and more perilous,” he said.

“The adults in the room on Capitol Hill ... ought to sit some people down. Just ask them if they want to be on the team ... I give no quarter to those that are sowing chaos in the Congress today,” he added.

Trump-backed Jim Jordan secures GOP nomination for speaker amid party chaos

Friday 13 October 2023 21:19 , Gustaf Kilander and Eric Garcia

Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) has secured a majority of the GOP votes for speaker to grasp the nomination but he was unable to reach the 217 votes he needs from his caucus to win a vote of the full House.

Mr Jordan beat challenger Rep Austin Scott (R-GA) by 124 votes to 81 on Friday afternoon, according to Politico.

This comes after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) gave up his attempt to become speaker after he beat Mr Jordan in the first internal ballot on nominating a candidate for speaker earlier this week.

Mr Jordan is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and has a reputation in Congress as a rightwing hardliner and brawler. He may yet end up failing to get the votes he needs for a floor vote as the GOP divisions appear far from softening.

As the GOP has a very small majority, Mr Jordan can only lose four votes on the House floor, and a number of Republicans on the moderate end of the conference have already said they won’t back Mr Jordan even in a vote of the full chamber.

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Dems sends pitch to temporary speaker to get House back in business

Friday 13 October 2023 21:03 , Gustaf Kilander

Americans united behind Biden and Israel even as House has no speaker, Raskin says

Friday 13 October 2023 21:02 , Gustaf Kilander

Jim Jordan is a conservative hellraiser in the House. Now he’s Trump’s top choice for speaker

Friday 13 October 2023 21:00 , Eric Garcia

Early in the morning of 6 October, former president Donald Trump threw his support behind Rep Jim Jordan in the race to become speaker of the House. The endorsement was not entirely surprising given Mr Jordan, an Ohio congressman, occupied the same lane in the House of Representatives that Mr Trump has as a presidential candidate and president – as an expression of conservatives who were dissatisfied with Republican leadership and a candidate who channelled their rage.

Following the failure of Majority Leader Steve Scalise to get the backing he needed for vote on the floor of the House, the focus has now returned to Mr Jordan, who was the only challenger to Mr Scalise in the first internal GOP vote on who should be the next speaker. Mr Scalise won that vote 113 to Mr Jordan’s 99.

A product of the Tea Party wave and founder of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, Mr Jordan’s tenure in the House led to the ouster of former speaker John Boehner, which set the stage for Kevin McCarthy’s downfall earlier this month, despite his steadfast support for the speaker.

In addition, as a previous chair of the House Oversight Committee and now the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, he has defended Mr Trump vociferously. Fast-talking, pugnacious and prone to inflammatory rhetoric that veers into outright falsehoods, Mr Jordan often can be seen roaming the halls of the House not wearing a suit jacket.

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Here’s what will happen next — maybe — after Steve Scalise quits contest for House speaker

Friday 13 October 2023 20:30 , Gustaf Kilander and Eric Garcia

The mess that is the Republican contest to choose a new House speaker just got worse, with no clear path in sight. Here’s what could happen next:

THE BACKGROUND The new chaos emerged after the initial GOP nominee for speaker, Rep Steve Scalise (R-LA), declared on Thursday that he had been unable to secure the support he needed to take the vote to the House floor. Mr Scalise’s decision came after he had failed to convince 217 of the 221 members of the House Republican Conference required to win the gavel to vote for him for speaker.

“If you look at where our conference is, there’s still work to be done,” he said. “Our conference still has to come together. And it’s not there.”

“There are still some people that have their own agendas,” he added. “And I was very clear we have to have everybody put their agendas on the side and focus on what this country needs this country is counting on us to come back together.”

READ MORE

Santos in heated exchange over Israel with a protester

Friday 13 October 2023 20:23 , Eric Garcia

Republicans to vote at 3.15pm

Friday 13 October 2023 20:04 , Gustaf Kilander

Fetterman: The US ‘is not sending their best and brightest’ to Congress

Friday 13 October 2023 20:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Sen John Fetterman (D-PA) said on Wednesday that the US “is not sending their best and brightest” to Congress.

“Sometimes you literally just can’t believe like, these people are making the decisions that are determining the government here. It’s actually scary,” Mr Fetterman told Stephen Colbert during an appearance on The Late Show on CBS.

“Before the government almost shut down, I mean, it came down to a couple hours,” he noted about the last-minute deal struck between Republicans and Democrats to fund the government until the middle of next month that prompted the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

“I was in my office, and they finally came over from the House. And they’re like, ‘Okay, well, this has to be unanimous in the Senate.’ And out of 99 of us, if one single one of us would have said no, the whole government would have shut down,” Mr Fetterman said.

“That’s how dangerous that is to put that kind of power in one’s hands because you have some very less gifted kinds of people there that are willing to shut down the government just as score points on Fox,” he noted.

Amid the GOP’s seemingly never-ending struggle to agree on a new speaker, Mr Colbert asked if the members of the upper chamber “feel pretty good right now that they’re not the most dysfunctional part of the government?”

“Well it’s a low bar, really,” Mr Fetterman said.

“I just want everybody to realize just how truly dysfunctional it really is,” he added. “And I always tell people, don’t worry, please don’t worry. It’s much worse than you think.“

John Fetterman says America’s ‘best and brightest’ are not in Congress

Sean Hannity of Fox News comes out in support of Jordan

Friday 13 October 2023 19:53 , Gustaf Kilander

VOICES: The speaker fracas has real-life consequences

Friday 13 October 2023 19:45 , Eric Garcia

The House Republican conference experienced just its latest faceplant on Thursday evening when House Majority Leader Steve Scalise withdrew his nomination for speaker of the House.

The announcement was not entirely surprising. The House GOP conference is still incredibly split following the ouster of Kevin McCarthy. Plenty of conservatives who supported Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) and others had objections that they just otherwise couldn’t articulate, a sign of how much just simply opposing anything leadership supports has become a feature of being a rank-and-file House Republican.

At this point, no Republican has a clear path to reaching the required 217 votes to get the gavel in the House. Ever since January, media reports have popped up about a handful of swing-district Republicans teaming up with Democrats to vote on a consensus speaker. But these stories are always as plausible as the idea of a contested presidential nomination at a party convention; they are catnip for political junkies but almost never come to fruition.

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Liz Cheney slams Jim Jordan: ‘They’ll lose the House majority and they’ll deserve to'

Friday 13 October 2023 19:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Former Rep Liz Cheney (R-WY) slammed Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), writing on X on Friday: “Jim Jordan was involved in Trump’s conspiracy to steal the election and seize power; he urged that Pence refuse to count lawful electoral votes.

“If Rs nominate Jordan to be Speaker, they will be abandoning the Constitution. They’ll lose the House majority and they’ll deserve to.”

‘Polarizing’ Jordan struggling to get to 217

Friday 13 October 2023 19:29 , Gustaf Kilander

‘I fear of different people retiring'

Friday 13 October 2023 19:12 , Gustaf Kilander

McCarthy backs Jordan

Friday 13 October 2023 19:01 , Gustaf Kilander

‘Everything is up in the air'

Friday 13 October 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Brian Fitz (R-PA) said on Friday that he’s not ready to back anyone for speaker, adding that he wants answers on the debt limit, how to fund the government, aid to Ukraine, and the rules on a motion to vacate.

“The only thing I really know right now is: Everything is up in the air,” he said, according to NBC.

‘There’s not a person in America ... that is going to get 217 votes’

Friday 13 October 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Jim Jordan declines to say if he’ll step aside if he doesn’t get 217 GOP votes

Friday 13 October 2023 18:57 , Gustaf Kilander

Jim Jordan launches fresh speaker bid after Steve Scalise fails

Friday 13 October 2023 18:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) is returning to the race for House speaker for another attempt after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) failed to get the 217 votes needed from his 221 members to take the gavel.

The House Judiciary Committee chair announced his second attempt on Friday after he lost an internal GOP vote to Mr Scalise earlier this week, receiving 99 votes to 113 for the majority leader.

Mr Jordan is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and has a reputation in Congress as a rightwing hardliner and brawler. He may yet end up failing to get the votes he needs as the GOP divisions appear far from softening.

Since the GOP has a very small majority, Mr Jordan can only lose four votes, and a number of Republicans on the moderate end of the conference have already said they won’t back Mr Jordan, including Reps Ann Wagner (R-MO), Austin Scott (R-GA), and Don Bacon (R-NE).

“I think he’s gonna have a math problem as well,” Rep Mike Garcia (R-CA) told Axios and Rep Greg Murphy (R-NC) added that “it’s going to be hard” for Mr Jordan to become speaker.

READ MORE

GOP possibly to vote on speaker nomination at 2pm

Friday 13 October 2023 18:22 , Gustaf Kilander

The next steps to choose a speaker

Friday 13 October 2023 18:18 , Gustaf Kilander

The next steps in the process include the candidate forum that began at 1pm on Friday, where a majority of the conference is needed to select the next nominee.

The nominee will then decide if and when to proceed with a vote on the House floor where they’ll need 217 votes to secure the gavel.

Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) to run for speaker if Jordan fails, report says

Friday 13 October 2023 18:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) is likely to run for speaker if Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) fails, according to Politico.

Heading into the candidate forum that was set for 1pm on Friday, Mr Jordan told the press: “I think I can unite the conference. I think I can go tell the country what we’re doing and why it matters.”

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer is also expected to run if Mr Jordan is unsuccessful.

Georgia Republican announces campaign for speaker

Friday 13 October 2023 18:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Austin Scott (R-GA) announced that he’s running for speaker on Friday.

“I have filed to be Speaker of the House. We are in Washington to legislate, and I want to lead a House that functions in the best interest of the American people,” he wrote on X.

“I don’t necessarily want to be the speaker of the House. I want a House that functions correct, but the House is not functioning correctly right now,” he told Punchbowl News, calling Mr Jordan a “good friend”.

“Translation: The number of people who vote for Austin will be a slightly overstated proxy for the Never Jordan people. … Others are keeping their powder dry until Jordan realizes he has no path to 217,” one House Republican told Politico.

Cory Booker leads criticism of GOP House speaker turmoil: ‘We are in crisis right now’

Friday 13 October 2023 17:30 , Rachel Sharp

The Republican Party is coming under intense criticism for plunging the US government into chaos as infighting continues to derail all hopes of appointing a new leader of the House of Representatives.

On Thursday night, hopes that the House would finally get a new speaker were dashed when the GOP nominee Steve Scalise suddenly dropped out of the race.

In a bombshell move, House Majority Leader Mr Scalise announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy, hitting out at the “agenda” of members of his own party.

“If you look over the last few weeks, if you look at where our conference is, there’s still work to be done,” he told reporters.

“Our conference has to come together and is not there. There are still some people that have their own agenda.”

READ MORE:

Cory Booker leads criticism of GOP House speaker turmoil

Raskin ‘dumbfounded’ Scalise’s cancer used against him

Friday 13 October 2023 17:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Jamie Raskin (D-MD) wrote on X on Friday: “When I came down with cancer, my Caucus colleagues rallied around to support me as Ranking Dem on Oversight”.

“I’m dumbfounded that GOP Members (& Trump!) used Steve Scalise’s cancer as a reason to abandon him on the House floor—after nominating him for the job!” he added.

‘It’s going to be a sort of consensus opinion'

Friday 13 October 2023 16:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Mr Bacon said before Mr Scalise announced his withdrawal that “at some point we’re going to be exasperated [and say], ‘Okay, this is not working’”.

Following Mr Scalise making his failure official, Mr Bacon was asked if Republicans were closer to that point.

“I think we are ... It’s going to be a sort of consensus opinion between a group of us,” he told Axios.

Jordan gets back into House speaker race after Scalise bows out

Friday 13 October 2023 16:14 , Gustaf Kilander

Jim Jordan is returning to the race for House speaker for another attempt after Majority Leader Steve Scalise failed to get the 217 votes needed from his 221 members to take the gavel.

The House Judiciary Committee chair announced his second attempt on Friday after he lost an internal GOP vote to Mr Scalise earlier this week, receiving 99 votes to 113 for the majority leader.

Mr Jordan is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and has a reputation in Congress as a rightwing hardliner and brawler. He may yet end up failing to get the votes he needs as the GOP divisions appear far from softening.

As the GOP has a very small majority, Mr Jordan can only lose four votes, and a number of Republicans on the moderate end of the conference have already said they won’t back Mr Jordan, including Missouri’s Ann Wagner, Georgia’s Austin Scott, and Nebraska’s Don Bacon.

“I think he’s gonna have a math problem as well,” Californian Mike Garcia told Axios and Greg Murphy of North Carolina added that “it’s going to be hard” for Mr Jordan to become speaker.

‘Whatever solution we have will be unprecedented'

Friday 13 October 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander

While coalition government is foreign to Congress, even as it’s common in state legislatures and internationally, the House is “setting precedent every day,” the lawmaker added.

Before Rep Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) ouster last week, a speaker had never before been voted out.

“Whatever solution we have will be unprecedented,” the moderate GOP member said.

Mr Landsman said that Democrats want “institutional reforms, rules changes that allow for bipartisan votes ... not every couple months but every day”.

But heavy scepticism remains that any bipartisan deal is possible after every single Democrat voted to boot Mr McCarthy.

Rep Blake Moore (R-UT) told Axios that “there was no sense of [bipartisanship] when it was the motion to vacate a week and a half ago, so I don’t think anything is credible that could be realistic at the moment”.

Some GOP members think Jim Jordan will struggle to become speaker

Friday 13 October 2023 15:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Following Mr Scalise’s failure, the focus is now back on Mr Jordan, but a number of his party colleagues believe it’s likely that he would end up failing in the same way.

“I think he’s gonna have a math problem as well,” Rep Mike Garcia (R-CA) told Axios and Rep Greg Murphy (R-NC) added that “it’s going to be hard” for Mr Jordan to become speaker.

A group of 10 lawmakers including members of both parties are having discussions, according to a moderate GOP member.

“The question is who gets you to the largest minority of the majority,” the lawmaker told Axios. “Is it Don Bacon, who gets 20 [GOP] votes and 200 Democrats? Is it French Hill who gets 100 votes from Republicans? And the fewer Republicans, the more dangerous this is – not just politically, but structurally.”

The lawmaker, who requested to remain anonymous, noted that another issue is how many candidates have to fail before members are open to a deal.

“Kevin, Steve, Jordan, Emmer … how many losses do you have to have to make that an acceptable outcome?” the lawmaker asked.

‘There are enough Republicans and Democrats saying we’ve got to get this fixed’

Friday 13 October 2023 15:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Don Bacon (R-NE), who has a reputation for making deals across the aisle, told Axios that “at this point, there are enough Republicans and Democrats saying we’ve got to get this fixed”.

Rep Greg Landsman (D-OH) said that he “absolutely” is seeing Republicans open up to a deal, saying: “Yes, I mean you’re seeing that.”

‘Bipartisanship is not a sin’

Friday 13 October 2023 15:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Members of both parties are now appearing more open to a possible bipartisan deal to elect a speaker as a number of Republicans are worried that no one can win a House vote with only GOP votes because of the division within their conference.

Rep Dan Kildee (D-MI) is part of the Democratic leadership in the House and hails from a Michigan swing district.

“There’s a sentiment building around [a bipartisan deal] among Democrats and Republicans,” he told Axios.

Rep Maria Salazar (R-FL) is a member of the moderate Republican Governance Group. She told the outlet that “we’re open to anything that’s reasonable,” adding that “bipartisanship is not a sin”.

'Any deal with Democrats would be to elect a Republican Speaker’

Friday 13 October 2023 14:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Mike Lawler, a freshman Republican in a district won by President Joe Biden in 2020, appeared on Bloomberg TV saying that all the options must be exhausted before any Republican will turn to Democrats to possibly make a deal on who can become speaker.

“Any deal with Democrats would be to elect a Republican Speaker,” he said amid suggestions that five Republicans could cross the aisle and back Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

House GOP to meet at 10am following Scalise exit to debate rule changes

Friday 13 October 2023 14:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Following the exit from the speaker’s race by Rep Steve Scalise, the House GOP is now set to meet at 10am on Friday to debate changes to how they elect their leaders.

Among the proposed changes is a requirement that for a representative to be nominated for speaker, they must get 217 votes within the conference – the number of votes needed on the House floor – to be nominated, not a simple majority, according to CNN.

This would prevent Mr Scalise from having been nominated in the first place, as he received 113 votes to Rep Jim Jordan’s 99.

Another proposed rule would kick people off committees if they don’t follow through and vote on the floor the way they said they would in the conference.

Exasperation as Scalise withdraws nomination: ‘House Republicans need to end the GOP Civil War’

Friday 13 October 2023 13:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

After Republican Steve Scalise ended his bid to become House speaker, Democrats expressed exasperation with New York representative Hakeem Jeffries saying that “the House Republicans need to end the GOP Civil War, now”.

He said: “The House Democrats have continued to make clear that we are ready, willing and able to find a bipartisan path forward,” and urged that the House reopen and change GOP-led rules that allowed a single lawmaker to put in motion the process to remove the speaker.

Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, said the meetings had been marked by “emotional” objections to voting for Scalise.“It’s not for your personal grievances, but that’s unfortunately what I keep seeing.”

“Stop dragging it out,” Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga, said on her social media. “If Kevin McCarthy had to go 15 rounds then the next Speaker should be able to do the same or more if they have to.”

ICYMI: Steve Scalise’s shock announcement he won’t seek House Speaker role

Friday 13 October 2023 13:00 , Josh Marcus

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise withdrew his name from the running to become speaker of the House of Representatives after he failed to secure enough votes.

Mr Scalise’s decision came after he had failed to convince 217 of the 221 members of the House Republican conference required to win the gavel to vote for him for speaker.

“If you look at where our conference is, there’s still work to be done,” he said. “Our conference still has to come together. And it’s not there.”

The House Republican conference had nominated Mr Scalise on Wednesday to replace former speaker Kevin McCarthy after an hours-long bull session. Mr Scalise beat out Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), a hardliner conservative whom former preisdent Donald Trump endorsed.

Eric Garcia reports.

Steve Scalise fails to secure enough votes for house speaker

ICYMI: What’s next for the Republicans in the House?

Friday 13 October 2023 12:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Republicans offered little clarity on Thursday evening about next steps following the shock announcement that Steve Scalise would withdraw his nomination to be the next Speaker of the House, just a day after his colleagues voted to support him for the role.

The party has yet to coalesce around another candidate for the top House role.

Congressman Jim Banks of Indiana, for his part, said he’d throw his support behind Jim Jordan of Ohio, who competed against Mr Scalise for the party’s nomination during Wednesday’s original behind-the-scenes vote.

“I voted for Jim Jordan in the conference election yesterday and I remain committed to doing everything I can to help elect him the next Speaker of the House,” Mr Banks told NBC News. “He is a conservative fighter and a leader who can unite our party.”

Mr Scalise has said he’ll continue to serve as Majority Leader and will not get involved in endorsing who should be the GOP’s next pick for speaker.

‘We’re dysfunctional, we’re disorganised and we’re broken'

Friday 13 October 2023 12:00 , Josh Marcus

The evasiveness is (almost) enough to make this dispatcher admire Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene’s answer that she supports Mr Jordan and opposes Mr Scalise because of the latter’s cancer treatment. It was a cruel and mean-spirited answer that doesn’t take into account the fact Mr Scalise, who announced on Thursday he’s dropping out of the race, largely continued leading the House GOP conference after he was shot in 2017. But at least she gave a reason.

Of course, there are the ones who gave even worse answers, such Rep Troy Nehls of Texas, who has reiterated his initial idea of nominating Mr Trump to be the leader of the House. But Mr Nehls seemed to admit the conference was in trouble and nobody could get enough votes.

“We’re dysfunctional, we’re disorganised and we’re broken,” he told me. “One of the members said in there, you know, I don’t think the Lord Jesus Himself could get 217.”

And no miracle is coming for House Republicans as of right now.

ICYMI: Steve Scalise fails to secure enough votes for house speaker

Friday 13 October 2023 11:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise withdrew his name from the running to become speaker of the House of Representatives after he failed to secure enough votes.

Mr Scalise’s decision came after he had failed to convince 217 of the 221 members of the House Republican conference required to win the gavel to vote for him for speaker.

“If you look at where our conference is, there’s still work to be done,” he said. “Our conference still has to come together. And it’s not there.”

Steve Scalise fails to secure enough votes for house speaker

Several personal vendettas led to McCarthy ouster

Friday 13 October 2023 11:00 , Eric Garcia

On Wednesday, we reported that Rep Ken Buck (R-CO), who voted to boot Mr McCarthy, said he voted “present” after he asked Mr Scalise and Mr Jordan whether they believed the 2020 election was legitimate. Mr Buck is correct that the House GOP should have to deal with reality – if not for virtuous reasons, then to realise that election denial prevents them from making the right moves to keep and expand their majority.

But Mr Buck had such deeply seated convictions, those should have prevented him from opposing Mr McCarthy, who also voted to object on January 6 and flew to Mar-a-Lago to patch things up with Donald Trump in the days after January 6, rather than voting for Mr McCarthy from the beginning. (Mr Buck likely also voted to vacate the chair partially because Mr McCarthy gave Rep Thomas Massie of Kentucky a subcommittee chairmanship Mr Buck was in line to receive).

Jordan might face similar problem as Scalise, Mike Garcia predicts

Friday 13 October 2023 10:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Mike Garcia [R-Calif] said that Jim Jordan of Ohio might face the same problem as Steve Scalise if he gets nominated, predicting Mr Jordan would also face difficulties getting 217 votes on the House floor.

“I think it’s a math problem, frankly,” Mr Garcia said.

“There’s an academic debate about whether we reward, you know, the tyranny of the minority in this case,” he said, adding, “I would support Jordan.

“The problem is I think there’s enough people who see what’s happened in the last 48 hours to not support him that we’re going to have the same problem with Jordan that we had with Scalise.”

The angriest, and loudest, voice in the House GOP conference right now

Friday 13 October 2023 10:00 , Josh Marcus

Perhaps the angriest, and loudest, voice in the House GOP conference right now is Rep Chip Roy (R-TX). A member of the House Freedom Caucus who initially opposed Mr McCarthy before he flipped his vote in January, he had initially proposed an amendment that would require that any nominee receive 217 of the 221 votes in the conference. Republicans tabled the motion, which enraged Mr Roy.

“I will not be voting for Steve on the floor, so they better not force this to the floor,” Mr Roy told reporters. “I’ve got strong disagreements in the way things were carried out yesterday and we’re going to figure this out here.”

Mr Scalise and Mr Jordan hold almost identical policy views and both supported Mr McCarthy’s bid for speaker in January. Both voted to object to the 2020 election results on January 6 (Mr Roy, meanwhile, voted to certify the election). Their major split was that Mr Scalise voted for the continuing resolution to keep the government open, which is unsurprising since he’s a member of leadership, while Mr Jordan opposed it.

Voices: ‘Dysfunctional, disorganised, broken’: The GOP’s speaker race is a total mess

Friday 13 October 2023 09:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Nobody can effectively make the case for their side in the House Republican conference, Eric Garcia writes:

‘Dysfunctional, disorganised, broken’: The GOP’s speaker race is a total mess

VOICES: ‘Dysfunctional, disorganised, broken’: The GOP’s speaker race is a total mess

Friday 13 October 2023 09:00 , Josh Marcus

At least Steve Scalise didn’t start measuring the drapes in the speaker’s office. On Thursday, he announced he is dropping his campaign to be the next House Speaker.

As of Thursday, the House Republican conference appeared far from picking a speaker of the House, nine days after the motion to vacate that deposed Kevin McCarthy.

That did little to assuage frustration, particularly from many supporters of Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH). But all of the discontent – both from opponents and supporters – seems to betray the fact that nobody really knows why they are doing what they are doing or how exactly how to do it. Rather, conversations with members gives the impression that Republicans are winging it.

READ MORE:

‘Dysfunctional, disorganised, broken’: The GOP’s speaker race is a total mess

Jim Jordan dodges questions over his nomination

Friday 13 October 2023 08:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Jim Jordan dodged questions on Thursday about his potential nomination.

“Look, when I decided to run before, I waited until the next day after Kevin [McCarthy] made his decision. I thought that was appropriate. I will do the same thing right now. I’ll wait,” he told reporters.

‘If Steve Scalise can’t win the Speakership, I will be aggressively urging Jim to put his name back in the race'

Friday 13 October 2023 08:00 , Josh Marcus

Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician and now a Texas US House representative, wrote on X on Thursday afternoon, “I was one of the earliest endorsers for Jim Jordan for Speaker. I whipped hard for his support around the Republican conference and I enthusiastically voted for Jim for speaker yesterday. Jim is a great conservative and I was proud to be one of his strongest supporters”.

“Last night when we voted, Steve Scalise received the majority of votes. Jim Jordan withdrew his name from consideration and pledged to vote for Steve Scalise, as did I... If Steve Scalise can’t win the Speakership, I will be aggressively urging Jim to put his name back in the race,” he added.

That scenario has come to pass – Mr Scalise announced Thursday he won’t seek the speaker’s gavel – meaning Mr Jordan may have another chance to gain the nomination.

Some lawmakers cheering for Jim Jordan of Ohio to become the nominee

Friday 13 October 2023 07:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Following the announcement by Steve Scalise, some lawmakers hoped Jim Jordan would now become the nominee.

“I hope now he’s the obvious choice,” Representative Jim Banks of Indiana said. “He barely came in second place to Steve Scalise.”

Mr Scalise, when asked if he would support Mr Jordan after dropping out, said “it’s got to be people that aren’t doing it for themselves and their own personal interest”.

However, Representative Mike Garcia of California mentioned that the behaviour of Mr Jordan’s supporters following his defeat could create challenges for some within the conference who are considering supporting the Ohioan.

Rep Anna Paulina Luna backtracks on support for Scalise

Friday 13 October 2023 07:00 , Josh Marcus

After changing her mind to support Steve Scalise on Wednesday, Rep Anna Paulina Luna turned around on Thursday and backtracked, saying that she wouldn’t back the current majority leader for the speakership.

Such shaky support for Mr Scalise may be why he decided on Thursday to drop his candidacy for the position.

‘People refused to vote for him’

Friday 13 October 2023 06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

After Steve Scalise withdrew his nomination, Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska said that “Steve won fair and square, and yet we had people who refused to vote for him”.

He added: “If you reward bad behaviour, you’re going to get more of it.”

Emmer working on possibly running for speaker

Friday 13 October 2023 06:00 , Gustaf Kilander

A member of the House Republicans told The Messenger that Majority Whip Tom Emmer is working to possibly become speaker.

“If Tom Emmer running for Majority Leader, he would be doing his job and WHIPing votes for our Speaker candidate. It’s obvious to everyone that Tom Emmer is positioning himself to run for Speaker,” the member told the outlet.

Cami Mondeaux of the Washington Examiner wrote: “Multiple sources told me last week that while Emmer was making calls to position himself for majority leader if Scalise became speaker, he left the door open for a possible jump to speaker himself someday”.

Trump rallies against Scalise: ‘Steve is a man that is in serious trouble, from the standpoint of his cancer’

Friday 13 October 2023 05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Former president Donald Trump weighed in yesterday against Steve Scalise before the Republican withdrew his candidacy for House Speaker.

Mr Trump said that Mr Scalise was unfit for the speakership role as he is battling blood cancer.

“Steve is a man that is in serious trouble, from the standpoint of his cancer,” Mr Trump said on Fox News Radio, adding, “I just don’t know how you can do the job when you have such a serious problem.”

He said: “I mean, he’s got to get better for himself. I’m not talking about even country now. I’m saying got to get better. And this is tremendous stress. ... And, you know, most importantly, I want Steve to get well.”

Mr Scalise has said that his multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, is “very treatable” and that he is already exceeding his doctors’ expectations in terms of his progress.

‘Jesus couldn’t get the 217 votes'

Friday 13 October 2023 05:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Lauren Fox of CNN wrote on X on Thursday that “it’s been 9 days since McCarthy was ousted. GOP conference has gathered every day this week. Members joke Jesus couldn’t get the 217 votes to be their speaker. The amount of shrug emojis I’ve gotten from sources when asking what happens next? Too many to count”.

Exasperation as Scalise withdraws nomination: ‘House Republicans need to end the GOP Civil War’

Friday 13 October 2023 04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

After Republican Steve Scalise ended his bid to become House speaker, Democrats expressed exasperation with New York representative Hakeem Jeffries saying that “the House Republicans need to end the GOP Civil War, now”.

He said: “The House Democrats have continued to make clear that we are ready, willing and able to find a bipartisan path forward,” and urged that the House reopen and change GOP-led rules that allowed a single lawmaker to put in motion the process to remove the speaker.

Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, said the meetings had been marked by “emotional” objections to voting for Scalise.“It’s not for your personal grievances, but that’s unfortunately what I keep seeing.”

“Stop dragging it out,” Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga, said on her social media. “If Kevin McCarthy had to go 15 rounds then the next Speaker should be able to do the same or more if they have to.”

Scalise says 'some people still have their own agendas'

Friday 13 October 2023 03:57 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Steve Scalise told GOP colleagues at a closed-door meeting late yesterday of his decision to withdraw his candidacy.

“I just shared with my colleagues that I’m withdrawing my name as a candidate for speaker-designee,” Mr Scalise told reporters soon after.

He said the Republican majority “still has to come together and is not there”.

Mr Scalise continued: “There are still some people that have their own agendas. And I was very clear, we have to have everybody put their agendas on the side and focus on what this country needs.”

Republicans blasted after House goes into recess after two minutes

Friday 13 October 2023 03:15 , Gustaf Kilander

The GOP has been criticised after the chaos within the House Republicans caused the chamber to go into recess after two minutes on Thursday.

“Dems put #peopleoverpolitics and are focused on lowering costs and supporting allies. What are Republicans focused on? Nothing. They’ve shut down the House for another day. Dems are ready to work on a bipartisan path forward. We need partners willing to abandon MAGA extremism,” California Democrat Ted Lieu wrote on X.

Fred Wellman, the host of the On Democracy podcast, added: “Republicans are blanketing media and social media attacking Biden for not doing enough for Israel. Meanwhile, these incompetent idiots can’t even hold a session of Congress. Journalists do your damn jobs. Call them out for their failure.”

House has been in session for less than nine hours in two weeks

Friday 13 October 2023 02:30 , Gustaf Kilander

After going into recess after two minutes on Thursday, Kristin Wilson of CNN noted that the House has “been in session a total of 8 hours and 39 minutes since McCarthy cancelled recess two weeks ago tomorrow”.

What’s next for the Republicans in the House?

Friday 13 October 2023 02:00 , Josh Marcus

Republicans offered little clarity on Thursday evening about next steps following the shock announcement that Steve Scalise would withdraw his nomination to be the next Speaker of the House, just a day after his colleagues voted to support him for the role.

The party has yet to coalesce around another candidate for the top House role.

Congressman Jim Banks of Indiana, for his part, said he’d throw his support behind Jim Jordan of Ohio, who competed against Mr Scalise for the party’s nomination during Wednesday’s original behind-the-scenes vote.

“I voted for Jim Jordan in the conference election yesterday and I remain committed to doing everything I can to help elect him the next Speaker of the House,” Mr Banks told NBC News. “He is a conservative fighter and a leader who can unite our party.”

Mr Scalise has said he’ll continue to serve as Majority Leader and will not get involved in endorsing who should be the GOP’s next pick for speaker.

‘It is not for us to fix the chaos in the House Republicans,’ White House says

Friday 13 October 2023 01:45 , Gustaf Kilander

White House Press Secretary said on Thursday that “it is not for us to fix the chaos in the House Republicans ... it is for them to fix”.

Steve Scalise fails to secure enough votes for house speaker

Friday 13 October 2023 01:15 , Josh Marcus

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise withdrew his name from the running to become speaker of the House of Representatives after he failed to secure enough votes.

Mr Scalise’s decision came after he had failed to convince 217 of the 221 members of the House Republican conference required to win the gavel to vote for him for speaker.

“If you look at where our conference is, there’s still work to be done,” he said. “Our conference still has to come together. And it’s not there.”

The House Republican conference had nominated Mr Scalise on Wednesday to replace former speaker Kevin McCarthy after an hours-long bull session. Mr Scalise beat out Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), a hardliner conservative whom former preisdent Donald Trump endorsed.

Eric Garcia is following all the details from Washington.

Read his full story for more.

Steve Scalise fails to secure enough votes for house speaker

Santos says he won’t back Scalise

Friday 13 October 2023 01:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Scandal-ridden Rep George Santos, who faces a litany of federal fraud charges, said on Thursday he wouldn’t support Steve Scalise for speaker.

“I’m not voting for someone who lacks fundamental leadership skills,” he said.

“I’ve reached out numerous times to Scalise and me reaching out and asking him for his guidance and leadership and him not reaching back out, that’s a dereliction of duty,” he added.

‘You don’t put an injured player on the field’

Friday 13 October 2023 00:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Marjorie Taylor Greene went after Steve Scalise on Thursday, referring to his ailing health when she argued “you don’t put an injured player on the field”.

“We elect a speaker, not his staff … I say that as a person concerned about the President probably having dementia,” she said in reference to President Joe Biden. There’s no evidence to back up Ms Greene’s claim.

“I say that as a person concerned about a Senate Minority Leader who looks like he’s having ministrokes,” she added in reference to Mitch McConnell, who has frozen and appeared unable to speak during multiple press conferences this year.

Florida Democrat slams Trump for suggesting Scalise’s cancer makes him unfit for speakership

Thursday 12 October 2023 23:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz criticised Donald Trump for suggesting that Steve Scalise’s health issues make him unfit to be speaker.

“I like Steve, I like both of them very much, but the problem, you know, Steve is a man that is in serious trouble, from the standpoint of his cancer. I mean, he’s got to get better. For himself. I’m not talking about even country now,” he told Fox radio.

“I feel compelled to say something. I barely know @SteveScalise,” Mr Moskowitz wrote on X. “I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer right before I ran for Congress. My dad worked every day until he died. It gave him purpose, normality. He was no less of a person because he ‘had cancer’. This offensive to survivors.”

Trump suggests Scalise is unfit to be speaker because of his health

Thursday 12 October 2023 22:45 , Gustaf Kilander

Former President Donald Trump appeared on Fox Radio, suggesting that Steve Scalise is unfit to be speaker because of his health issues.

Donald Trump

‘The next one maybe needs to go 15 or more and I’m all game for it'

Thursday 12 October 2023 22:00 , Eric Garcia

Many Republicans are frustrated at the holdouts.

“My message to them is the same as those who are holding off McCarthy, unify behind our conference candidate,” Rep Ashley Hinson (R-IA), told The Independent. “We need to get back to work because it’s certainly the American people who suffer. It’s not the politicians playing games here.”

The House was set to hold a vote for speaker on Wednesday but members left after it was clear Mr Scalise did not have the votes. But Ms Greene said she was not concerned about the process being drawn out.

“I think we should get to the House floor and do the votes. Kevin McCarthy had to go 15 rounds,” she said. “The next one maybe needs to go 15 or more and I’m all game for it.”

VOICES: ‘Dysfunctional, disorganised, broken’: The GOP’s speaker race is a total mess

Thursday 12 October 2023 21:45 , Eric Garcia

At least Steve Scalise didn’t start measuring the drapes in the speaker’s office.

As of Thursday afternoon, the House Republican conference appears far from picking a speaker of the House, nine days after the motion to vacate that deposed Kevin McCarthy.

Republicans spent much of the first part of Thursday in the basement of the Capitol once again deliberating about whether to promote Mr Scalise from House majority leader to speaker. If that sounds familiar, it’s because they spent much of Wednesday in the Longworth House Office Building before they nominated Mr Scalise.

That did little to assuage frustration, particularly from many supporters of Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH). But all of the discontent – both from opponents and supporters – seems to betray the fact that nobody really knows why they are doing what they are doing or how exactly how to do it. Rather, conversations with members gives the impression that Republicans are winging it.

Perhaps the angriest, and loudest, voice in the House GOP conference right now is Rep Chip Roy (R-TX). A member of the House Freedom Caucus who initially opposed Mr McCarthy before he flipped his vote in January, he had initially proposed an amendment that would require that any nominee receive 217 of the 221 votes in the conference. Republicans tabled the motion, which enraged Mr Roy.

READ MORE:

‘Dysfunctional, disorganised, broken’: The GOP’s speaker race is a total mess

‘I wouldn’t vote for any member of our current leadership'

Thursday 12 October 2023 21:30 , Eric Garcia

Rep Chip Roy was one of the initial opponents of former speaker Kevin McCarthy who later flipped his vote and opposed a motion to vacate last week.

But even supporters of Mr McCarthy in January – when Mr McCarthy won the speaker’s gavel – now have concerns about Mr Scalise, who serves as House majority leader. Rep Brian Mast, who supported Mr McCarthy and vehemently criticised holdouts in January, said that he shared many of the concerns of his colleagues.

“I wouldn’t vote for any member of our current leadership,” he told The Independent. “Because they’re not leading right now.”

Rep Thomas Massie (R-KY), who also supported Mr McCarthy, said he continues to back Mr Jordan and criticised Mr Scalise.

“He hasn’t given us a plan to get past the spending bills actually,” he told The Independent. House Republicans generally oppose passing an “omnibus” spending bill which puts all 12 spending bills for the fiscal year into a single piece of legislation.

Republicans had hoped to pass single pieces of legislation before the end of the fiscal year last month, but after negotiations failed, Mr McCarthy passed a continuing resolution to keep the government open for 48 days.

Mr Massie said he preferred Mr Jordan’s leadership style.

“It’s more of a meritocracy on these committees instead of fundraising-tocracy are some of the ways this place is broken,” he said. He added that voters back in Kentucky preferred Mr Jordan. “Like 10 to one in my district, they’re for Jordan.”

Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), repeated her concerns to reporters that Mr Scalise has myeloma, a type of cancer in the plasma cells.

“I like him so much, I want to see him beat cancer,” she told The Independent. “My father died from cancer. It’s a serious battle. But our country we have many issues right now and I want the strongest, healthiest Speaker of the House.”

‘Serious doubts’ about votes today or tomorrow

Thursday 12 October 2023 21:18 , Gustaf Kilander

Melanie Zanona of CNN wrote on Thursday that “Scalise failed to move the needle after a 2+ hour meeting”

“Now he’s meeting with holdouts & others in office,” she added, noting that there are “serious doubts about a floor vote today or tomorrow” and that members are beginning to discuss a possible plan B.

She noted that they may need to draft a new candidate or grant more power to the temporary speaker, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina.

Conservative holdouts dig in their heels against Scalise for House speaker

Thursday 12 October 2023 21:00 , Eric Garcia

Republican opponents of making Steve Scalise speaker of the House dug their heels in on Thursday before the House was set to vote for a new leader.

The House Republican Conference met in the basement of the US Capitol on Thursday to continue their deliberations after they had spent most of Wednesday morning in the Longworth House Office Building nominating Mr Scalise.

But many Republicans who supported Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), a hardline conservative and chairman of the House Judiciary Chairman, remain dissatisfied with Mr Scalise as the nominee for speaker.

Rep Chip Roy (R-TX), a member of the House Freedom Caucus which Mr Jordan co-founded, criticised the process on Thursday after Republicans tabled an amendment of his that would have required any Republican nominee for speaker to have the support of 217 of 221 members. Mr Roy told reporters the process was “one of the swampier things” he’d seen, mentioning how leaders invoked K Street, the famous lobbying corridor of Washington DC.

“Many of us who can do our own whip count knew that the votes weren’t there,” he told reporters. “So let’s figure this out. And they tried to steamroll it. And that’s not a good direction to go. So I’m not there.”

READ MORE:

Conservative holdouts dig in their heels against Scalise for House speaker

‘The House Republican Conference is a mess'

Thursday 12 October 2023 20:48 , Gustaf Kilander

Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News wrote on X on Thursday that “the House Republican Conference is a mess. Complete and utter mess.”

“They are no closer to picking a speaker. They are a month away from a shutdown. Israel is asking for aid, which needs to pass in the next few weeks. They are completely lost. And have no idea how they will get out,” he added.

Unclear if House will vote on speaker today

Thursday 12 October 2023 20:30 , Gustaf Kilander

It remains unclear if the House will vote on a speaker today.

Whip Tom Emmer was asked if there will be votes, he said, “I don’t know that. They’re working through some stuff,” according to Politico.

Steve Scalise told reporters, “we’re going to continue to have conversations with the members”.

‘We can’t move anything substantial’

Thursday 12 October 2023 20:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Jim McGovern (D-Mass) has said that the House can’t pass legislation, and cannot aid Israel, until the GOP can elect a new speaker.

“What they can do is, they could is they could vote to elect [acting Speaker Patrick] McHenry or whoever speaker pro tem for a time certain and then you could get some stuff done, but as the acting speaker pro tem, no, we can’t move anything substantial,” the ranking member of the Rules Committee told Politico.

He added that he has no idea what the timeline is for getting a new speaker.

“The right-wing is fighting with the extreme right-wing,” he said.

Far-right network claims Scalise to withdraw from race

Thursday 12 October 2023 19:30 , Gustaf Kilander

The far-right network Newsmax reported on Thursday that Mr Scalise can’t get the 217 votes he needs on the Gouse floor and that he’s expected to withdraw his nomination.

“Now Newsmax is reporting that Steve Scalise is going to drop out and other people are jumping in. These people can’t get the most basic things accomplished,” Ron Filipkowski wrote on X.

“Observing the House GOP electing a Speaker is like watching a monkey trying to hump a football,” Lincoln Project adviser Jeff Timmer added.

Jordan urges his supporters to 'come together behind’ Scalise

Thursday 12 October 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Jim Jordan pushed for his supporters to to “come together behind” Steve Scalise as he entered a GOP meeting on Thursday.

“I told [Scalise] I’m willing to nominate him on the floor,” Mr Jordan said, according to Punchbowl News.

This comes after Keith Self of Texas wrote on X on Thursday: “While I had hoped to support the Republican Conference nominee for Speaker, it has become evident that all the agreements and Rules with the former Speaker are null and void.”

“In January, we held the line for a Rules package that restores power back to the people. We need a leader with the same resolve. Therefore, I will be casting my vote on the House Floor for Jim Jordan,” he added.

Some Republicans are still pushing for Jordan to become speaker

Thursday 12 October 2023 18:30 , Gustaf Kilander

A number of Republicans are still pushing for Mr Jordan (R-OH) to become speaker, despite him receiving 99 votes to Mr Scalise’s 113 in the GOP vote on Wednesday.

“I think Jim Jordan is not out of the mix. I’ve talked to a lot of people who still support him. I’ve actually spoken to Democrats who trust him at his word. I don’t think that’s out of the realm of possibility,” Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC) told CNN.

When asked to name a single Democrat who trusts Mr Jordan, Ms Mace declined to answer, citing privacy concerns.

With this ongoing uncertainty and division, even GOP leadership can’t be sure when the vote will take place.

The process to make Mr Scalise speaker may actually turn out to be longer and more arduous than Rep Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) January battle to grasp the gavel – which took 15 votes of the full House.

Punchbowl News notes that “the stakes this time are higher, the time frame is shorter, the opposition is larger and the House Republican Conference is angrier”.

Mr Scalise sent out surrogates on Wednesday night to understand how he could possibly flip some of the 99 Mr Jordan supporters, a number of whom have said they won’t vote for Mr Scalise.

Mr Scalise’s hope – that once he became the GOP’s speaker nominee, the wing of the party who didn’t support him in the internal vote would fall in line – appears to be falling flat, at least for the time being.

When is the House speaker vote?

Thursday 12 October 2023 18:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The GOP nominee for speaker, Rep Steve Scalise (R-LA), hasn’t yet secured the support he needs to take the vote to the House floor – making it unclear when exactly the lower chamber will get a new leader.

The House gavelled in and out of session in a matter of minutes on Wednesday (11 October) as a vote of the full House on a new speaker appeared to be coming – before it quickly became clear that it wasn’t on the cards after all.

In a closed-door meeting, Mr Scalise defeated Rep Jim Jordan to become the Republican party’s nomination for the role.

But, facing unified Democratic opposition, Mr Scalise still needs to rally his caucus to support him, as he needs 217 votes to grasp the gavel.

Adding to the uncertainty, a number of Republicans are still pushing for Mr Jordan (R-OH) to become speaker, despite him receiving 99 votes to Mr Scalise’s 113 in the GOP vote on Wednesday.

READ MORE:

When is the House speaker vote?

Patrick McHenry emerges as possible consensus pick

Thursday 12 October 2023 17:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Reports are coming in that a number of Republicans are working to grant temporary Speaker Patrick McHenry (R-NC) more powers while he holds the position as the chamber waits to vote on the nomination of Rep Steve Scalise (R-LA). Others are pushing Mr McHenry as a possible consensus option within the party as a permanent solution.

“Keep an eye on McHENRY,” Robert Costa of CBS News wrote on Thursday. “If Scalise fails to get necessary votes today, several House Rs tell me this morn there will be push to have him emerge as consensus pick who can win over everyone from Mace to moderates. Yes/but... Emmer & Jordan might also be in play in such a scenario.”

Chad Pergram of Fox News wrote that “there are a few Republicans exploring ways to potentially empower House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) with temporary powers through mid-November”.

“Such a scenario would get the House operational for the time being, prospectively avert a government shutdown and buy the GOP time to elect a new Speaker,” he added.

Liberal group mocks Scalise’s ‘speaker dreams’ as it mimics lettuce live stream from 2022 ouster of UK prime minister

Thursday 12 October 2023 17:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The liberal group Meidas Touch has mocked the “speaker dreams” of Steve Scalise, mimicking the live stream set up by the UK Daily Star to see if the premiership of then-Prime Minister Liz Truss could last longer than a lettuce.

Ms Truss was ousted after fewer than 50 days on the job in the summer of last year.

“My money’s on the lettuce,” Meidas Touch wrote on X.

Chip Roy says he’ll try to get Jordan votes needed to become speaker

Thursday 12 October 2023 16:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Chip Roy appeared on rightwing radio host Glenn Beck’s programme on Thursday, appearing steadfast in his support for Rep Jim Jordan despite that Rep Steve Scalise won the internal GOP vote on Wednesday.

Mr Roy appeared to suggest that Mr Scalise is a member of the so-called “swamp”.

He added that he’ll attempt to get Mr Jordan the votes required, despite that Mr Jordan himself has indicated that he’ll back Mr Scalise and urged his backers to do the same.

“We’re in a game-time decision,” Mr Roy told Mr Beck, according to Punchbowl. “Who is going to be the face of the Republican Party?”

‘Steve Scalise … is definitely someone the Biden administration should not be playing games with'

Thursday 12 October 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Steve Scalise’s hope – that once he became the GOP’s speaker nominee, the wing of the party who didn’t support him in the internal vote would fall in line – appears to be falling flat.

While others in the GOP leadership think Mr Scalise should be given some time to win over members, there simply isn’t much time to be had amid a looming government shutdown and turmoil in the Middle East.

Mr Scalise has been able to convince Jordan-backer Ann Paulina Luna of Florida, whose priorities include the impeachment of President Joe Biden and the subpoenaing of his son Hunter, as well as the defunding of Special Counsel Jack Smith, the man in charge of two criminal investigations into former President Donald Trump.

When asked if Mr Scalise had promised a vote on these matters, she said, “What I will say is that Steve Scalise … is definitely someone the Biden administration should not be playing games with,” according to Punchbowl News.

Scalise scrambles to win over Jordan supporters

Thursday 12 October 2023 15:30 , Gustaf Kilander

The process to make Rep Steve Scalise (R-LA) speaker may turn out to be longer and more arduous than Kevin McCarthy’s January battle to grasp the gavel, which took 15 votes of the full House.

Punchbowl News notes that “the stakes this time are higher, the time frame is shorter, the opposition is larger and the House Republican Conference is angrier”.

After narrowly winning the GOP nomination for speaker against Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) on Wednesday, Mr Scalise now has to reach 217 votes in the full House to become speaker.

Mr Scalise sent out surrogates on Wednesday night to understand how he could possibly flip some of the 99 Jordan supporters, a number of whom have said they won’t vote for Mr Scalise.

‘Pandora’s Box of unrestrained ambition'

Thursday 12 October 2023 15:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Mike Gallagher (R-WI) commented on the GOP’s inability to choose a speaker, telling Bloomberg: “It does seem like we’ve opened the Pandora’s Box of unrestrained ambition. People feel no loyalty to this institution.”

Jake Tapper stunned by Nancy Mace’s claims about speaker vote

Thursday 12 October 2023 14:45 , Rachel Sharp

CNN host Jake Tapper was left stunned when Rep Nancy Mace made a wild claim about the future of the House speakership live on air on Wednesday night.

The MAGA Republican appeared on CNN after Rep Steve Scalise defeated Rep Jim Jordan to take the GOP nomination to become the next speaker of the House of Representatives.

During the segment, she claimed that there are several Democrats in Congress who “trust” Mr Jordan – the Donald Trump ally who has spent more than 500 days evading a subpoena about his involvement in the events leading up to the January 6 Capitol riot.

“I think Jim Jordan is not out of the mix. I’ve talked to a lot of people who still support him. I’ve actually spoke to Democrats who trust him at his word. I don’t think that’s out of the realm of possibility,” Ms Mace claimed.

Mr Tapper balked at the suggestion, questioning: “Jim Jordan?”

Read the full story:

Jake Tapper stunned by Nancy Mace’s claims about speaker vote

Marjorie Taylor Greene won’t back Scalise as speaker – but insists it’s for his own good

Thursday 12 October 2023 14:15 , Rachel Sharp

Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene is refusing to back Steve Scalise for House speaker – but she insists it’s for his own good.

Despite Mr Scalise securing the GOP nomination on Wednesday, Ms Greene – who is one of Donald Trump’s most vocal supporters – announced that she is backing the former president’s pick Jim Jordan instead.

In a social media post, Ms Greene claimed that this is because she likes Rep Scalise “so much” that she does not want to see him “sacrifice his health in the most difficult position in Congress”.

Read the full story:

Marjorie Taylor Greene gives excuse for not backing Scalise as speaker

Who is Steve Scalise?

Thursday 12 October 2023 13:45 , Rachel Sharp

Steve Scalise, a longtime member of House Republican leadership, has been nominated by his GOP colleagues to be Speaker of the House, following the dramatic ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

In a Wednesday morning vote, the Louisiana congressman beat out Jim Jordan to win the nomination by a total of 113-99. He will now need to win 217 votes on the House floor to take the speaker’s gavel. That means he can only lose up to four Republican votes, and multiple members of his caucus have expressed they may still vote for Mr Jordan.

Despite serving as House majority leader under Mr McCarthy, the Louisiana Republican has a strained relationship with the Californian. In 2018, Mr Scalise said he was interested in the speakership after the upcoming departure of then-Speaker Paul Ryan if Mr McCarthy couldn’t get the support he needed, with the relationship between the two men subsequently taking a turn for the worse.

Read more here...

Who is Steve Scalise? GOP leader seeks promotion in house speaker race

Ohio State wrestlers spoke out against ex-coach Jordan running for speaker

Thursday 12 October 2023 13:15 , Martha McHardy

Four former Ohio State University wrestlers have spoken out against their ex-coach Jim Jordan and his bid to become speaker of the House of Representatives.

The ex-athletes accused Rep Jordan of ignoring accusations and failing to protect them from sexual abuse by school doctor Richard Strauss, who died in 2005, when he was the team’s assistant coach in the 1980s and ‘90s.

One former wrestler, Rocky Ratliff, told NBC News that Rep Jordan “abandoned his former wrestlers.”

“Do you really want a guy in that job who chose not to stand up for his guys?” former wrestler Mike Schyck added. Is that the kind of character trait you want for a House speaker?” he asked.

Meanwhile, Dunyasha Yetts claimed that Rep Jordan “doesn’t deserve” to be speaker and that he “still has to answer for what happened to us.”

Read the full story.

Jake Tapper stunned by Nancy Mace’s claims about speaker nomination

Thursday 12 October 2023 12:45 , Rachel Sharp

Deposed McCarthy wouldn’t back either candidate before Wednesday vote

Thursday 12 October 2023 12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

But has now...

Here’s our earlier reporting:

Kevin McCarthy has urged his Republican allies not to vote for him to retake the role as speaker of the House of Representatives – while also refusing to endorse either of the two candidates Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan.

Members of the GOP gathered behind closed doors in the US Capitol on Tuesday night for a forum to try to decide who should take the gavel.

In the session, former House speaker Mr McCarthy told his party not to nominate him this time round, following his unceremonious ouster last week.

Instead, he read aloud the poem “Anyway” by Mother Teresa – curiously on the topic of forgiveness – and led the party members in a prayer before quickly exiting the forum.

Speaking to CNN after, he said: “I know a lot of them want to nominate me, I told them ‘please, do not nominate me’.”

Kevin McCarthy refuses to back Scalise or Jordan for House speaker

Marjorie Taylor Greene reveals why Steve Scalise won’t get her vote

Thursday 12 October 2023 11:45 , Rachel Sharp