House Majority Leader Steve Scalise Secures GOP Nomination for House Speaker
Washington, D.C. – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, has won the nomination of his party to be the next House speaker. However, he still needs to win an election on the House floor to formally assume the position.
In the secret ballot election held in the GOP conference on Wednesday, Scalise received 113 votes, while his opponent, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, received 99 votes. Despite this, Scalise is facing opposition and can only afford to lose the support of four Republicans out of the total 217 in the conference.
It is expected that Democrats will vote against Scalise, making the support from his Republican colleagues crucial. Many of those who initially supported Jordan have agreed to vote for Scalise on the House floor. However, the number of Republicans who oppose him exceeds the number he can afford to lose.
The scheduled vote by the full House, which was originally planned for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, has been postponed for now.
Several Republicans have already stated that they will not vote for Scalise as House speaker. Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado tweeted her support for Jim Jordan and said, “I will be voting for Jim Jordan to be Speaker of the House on the floor when the vote is called.” Representative Michael Cloud of Texas also tweeted his refusal to support Scalise, citing the rushed nomination process.
Other Republicans against Scalise include Representative Carlos Gimenez of Florida, who declared his loyalty to Kevin McCarthy, and Representative Bob Good of Virginia, who stated, “I am still supporting Jordan. The country cannot afford the status quo.” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also endorsed Jordan, considering him the fighter needed in this “time of national crisis.” Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who plans to vote for Jordan, explained her decision by referencing Scalise’s past apology for his 2002 speech at a white supremacist conference.
Representative Max Miller of Ohio maintained his support for Jordan, emphasizing that he will not change his vote. Similarly, Representative Chip Roy of Texas criticized the timing of the vote, tweeting, “I will not be voting for @SteveScalise on the floor this afternoon. The House GOP should NOT have called a vote at 300pm after finishing the vote at 130pm in Conference. That is unacceptable & purposeful.”
Representative Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania expressed his frustration with the House GOP Conference and voiced his intention to vote for Jordan on the floor. Representative George Santos of New York also announced his refusal to support Scalise, stating that his vote does not appear to matter to the Speaker-Designate.
Additionally, two lawmakers, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Representative Mike Turner of Ohio, have not committed to supporting Scalise yet. Massie stated that he is still reluctant, while Turner emphasized that Scalise needs to bridge the gap between the votes he has and the number required to secure the position.
The upcoming vote for the House speaker position holds significant importance for the GOP and the House of Representatives. Scalise’s ability to secure the necessary votes from his Republican colleagues will determine the future leadership of the House.