House Majority Leader Steve Scalise won the Republican nomination to serve as the next speaker of the House, setting up a vote, potentially later today, on the floor.
Scalise now needs to get 217 votes of the full House to become speaker, a far from certain prospect given the Republicans narrow majority and Democrats’ plans to nominate and unite behind their party leader, Hakeem Jeffries. In a behind-closed-doors meeting of the GOP caucus, Scalise defeated Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). Punchbowl News reported that the vote was 113-99.
Republicans want to prevent an extended floor fight, which is what happened in January, when Kevin McCarthy went 15 rounds before he was elected speaker late on a Friday evening. But McCarthy had to make concessions to hard-right Republicans, including one that made it easier for just one member to call for a vote to remove him. That is what happened last week, when Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) led a successful effort to oust McCarthy.
More to come.
