FOX News senior congressional correspondent reports that the House of Representatives is currently experiencing a state of unprecedented chaos. A new contender has emerged in the race for the speaker’s gavel, adding to the already tense situation. Georgia Republican Rep. Austin Scott, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, has announced his candidacy for the position of speaker. This announcement comes after Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., withdrew from the race on Thursday night. The House GOP is now engaging in serious discussions about potential rule changes following Scalise’s surprising exit.
Scott’s communications director, Alex Enlow, confirmed his candidacy for speaker, stating that Scott aims to lead a House that operates in the best interest of the American people. Speaking to reporters, Scott referred to Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, as his “good friend.” He emphasized that his main goal is to ensure that the House functions correctly, highlighting that it is currently not doing so. Scott believes that if the GOP wants to be the majority party, they need to act accordingly.
Scott mentioned that Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Ok., the chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, will be nominating him for speaker. However, Scott emphasized that his focus is on the GOP conference and his colleagues performing their duties, rather than who holds the position of speaker. He admitted that his decision to run for speaker was sudden and that he had not made any preparations or gathered support beforehand. Nevertheless, Scott believes that if the Republicans want to be the majority, they must prioritize doing the right things in the right way, which he believes is not happening currently.
Scott criticized the eight Republicans who voted with House Democrats to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., stating that it was the wrong decision. Jordan received 99 votes compared to Scalise’s 113 during the conference’s secret ballot earlier in the week. Although Jordan has been garnering support since Scalise’s withdrawal, Scott’s popularity among the conference members may draw supporters away from Jordan.
House Republicans are scheduled to hold their candidate forum and conference vote later in the day to determine the candidate for speaker. However, it remains unclear if there will be a full floor vote to decide the House’s next speaker. Democrats have been instructed to stay in D.C. in preparation for a potential floor vote, indicating that the vote could occur on Friday.
During the private conference meeting, four amendments to the House Republican Conference Rules aimed at raising the threshold required to select a candidate for speaker before nomination on the House floor were tabled.
It is evident that the House Speaker race has caused significant disruption and uncertainty within the House of Representatives. The outcome of this race will have profound implications for the functioning of the House and the priorities of the majority party. As the situation unfolds, stay tuned for further updates and developments.
