Republican Steve Scalise Withdraws From House Speaker Bid, Leaving GOP Majority in Chaos
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a shocking turn of events, Republican Steve Scalise announced on Thursday night that he was ending his bid to become House speaker after facing resistance from hardline holdouts within his party. This decision has thrown the GOP majority into deeper chaos and left the chamber unable to effectively function.
Scalise made the announcement during a closed-door meeting with GOP colleagues, where he declined to endorse any other candidate, including his chief rival Rep. Jim Jordan. Jordan, the far-right Judiciary Committee chairman who had already withdrawn from the race earlier, had been backed by Donald Trump.
The next steps for the House are uncertain as the Republican majority struggles to elect a new speaker following the ousting of Kevin McCarthy.
“I just shared with my colleagues that I’m withdrawing my name as a candidate for speaker-designee,” Scalise, the House majority leader, said after the meeting. He acknowledged that not everyone within the Republican majority was on board and called for unity among his colleagues.
Scalise had been working tirelessly to secure the necessary votes after being nominated by a majority of his colleagues. However, many Republican lawmakers remained steadfast in their refusal to support him, causing frustrations to boil over within the party.
When asked if he would support Jordan, Scalise insisted that he would only back individuals who weren’t driven by personal interests. He also spoke about his perspective on life following his survival of a gunshot during a 2017 incident and expressed the urgency for a resolution, even though he acknowledged it wouldn’t happen immediately.
The House is now entering its second week without a speaker, and it is clear that the Republican majority must find a way to resolve this political crisis. The pressure is increasing on Republicans to restore majority control and effectively govern in Congress during these turbulent times.
The path forward seems daunting as Scalise, despite winning the closed-door Republican vote 113-99, needs to secure the support of just a few more Republicans to reach the majority threshold. However, with opposition from Democrats who will likely back their own leader, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Scalise’s chances seem uncertain. Additionally, absences heading into the weekend could further complicate the majority calculation.
Attention now shifts to Jordan and his backers, who are calling for party members to support the Ohio Republican as the new speaker. However, Jordan also has a significant number of detractors, making other potential speaker choices a possibility. Some Republicans have even proposed giving Rep. Patrick McHenry, the interim speaker pro tempore, additional authority to lead the House temporarily.
Lawmakers from both parties left Thursday’s meeting feeling overwhelmed and uncertain of what comes next. Democrats urged Republicans to resolve their internal disputes, as the world watches the GOP’s struggle for leadership. Meanwhile, frustrated Republicans express a desire to end the stalemate quickly and move forward.
As Congress remains inactive, Republicans continue to hold closed-door meetings, airing grievances, and failing to unite behind a candidate. Emotions ran high during the discussions, with objections raised against voting for Scalise.
The situation remains critical, and the Republican majority must find a resolution soon to overcome the political turmoil they face. The House cannot afford to remain leaderless while the United States tackles pressing issues both at home and abroad.