In a historic turn of events, House Republicans find themselves in disarray as they gather behind closed doors to select their candidate for speaker following the ousting of former House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy. The urgency to restore order in Congress is heightened by the unfolding crisis in Israel, adding a sense of urgency to the proceedings.
The closed-door GOP meeting on Tuesday night left many uncertain about the timeline for selecting a new speaker. Representative Kat Cammack of Florida expressed her doubts, stating, “I don’t know if by the end of this week we will have a speaker. If you were to ask me a couple days ago, pre-Israel being horrifically attacked by Hamas, I would have told you that it would have been a month before we had a speaker.”
Two prominent Republicans, Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Steve Scalise of Louisiana, have formally launched bids for House speaker. However, the selection process is expected to be prolonged, with Representative Greg Murphy of North Carolina stating, “I think there’s some [lawmakers] that have some problems with past behavior and each other, and so I think it’s going to take more than one day to get this done.”
Another factor complicating the situation is an expected rules vote that will determine whether the threshold for choosing a speaker within the GOP conference will be raised. Currently, a speaker nominee is chosen by a simple majority vote of the party. However, more than 100 lawmakers have called for the threshold to be set at 217, a majority of the House overall.
The issue of changing the rules is a contentious one, with some lawmakers expressing their support for a more private process. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who led calls for the rule change, stated, “That’s the first thing we’ve got to consider, our rules, that’s going to be tomorrow morning, I believe.” However, the outcome of the rules vote remains uncertain.
The timeline for the full House vote on a speaker is still unclear and will likely be scheduled after Republicans have chosen their candidate. The selection process and the ensuing chaos within the Republican Party highlights the divisions and challenges they face in restoring stability and unity.
Elizabeth Elkind, a reporter for Digital, who focuses on Congress and the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and politics, provided this report. Elkind has previously written for Daily Mail and CBS News. For the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews, and more political content, follow her on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected].
