Steve Scalise's Speaker Nomination in Jeopardy as Votes Slip Away
Despite being chosen as GOP speaker nominee, Rep Steve Scalise faces challenges in securing enough votes to win the gavel Uncertainty looms as he works to win over holdouts, while GOP leadership posts are also up for grabs in the aftermath of the nomination vote
House Republicans selected Rep. Steve Scalise as their candidate for speaker on Wednesday. However, the Louisiana Republican currently does not have enough votes to secure victory, and it is uncertain if he can persuade those who are hesitant to support him. This has caused concern among Republicans, as Scalise's chances of becoming speaker appear bleak due to internal opposition. Consequently, the GOP's leadership crisis that arose after Kevin McCarthy's removal may persist.
The House is currently paralyzed due to McCarthy's removal, and this situation has become more urgent with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Additionally, if Republicans do not elect a new speaker soon, lawmakers will have less time to prevent a government shutdown before the mid-November funding deadline. In a closed-door vote, Scalise emerged as the winner over Rep. Jim Jordan to become the speaker nominee chosen by the House GOP conference. This nomination was a disappointment for former President Donald Trump, who had endorsed Jordan, a strong supporter of Trump and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
The battle for the speaker position proved to be more complicated than anticipated, as several Republicans were hesitant to pledge their vote to Scalise in a floor vote. During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, Scalise secured 113 votes while Jordan received 99, leaving Scalise short of the 217 votes required to win the speakership in a final vote on the House floor.
The current concern is if Scalise will be able to secure the necessary votes, which is a significant hurdle on his journey towards becoming the speaker. With House Republicans holding a slim majority, Scalise can only afford to lose four votes from the GOP and still emerge victorious. The removal of McCarthy, led by a faction of staunch conservatives, has heightened divisions within the House GOP and increased tensions. This situation poses a greater challenge for Republicans to come together and support a new speaker.
Its not yet clear when the House will hold a floor vote to elect a new speaker. House Republicans adjourned the chamber on Wednesday without scheduling a vote.
GOP holdouts create obstacle for Scalise
Scalise commenced individual meetings with GOP members in the evening as he and his whip operation strive to persuade over a dozen holdouts to support him on the floor, as per multiple GOP sources.
Jordan is also making efforts to persuade his fellow representatives, who voted for him, to support Scalise, as Republicans aim to prevent another chaotic floor conflict, a source with direct knowledge informed CNN. Jordan intends to cast his vote for Scalise on the floor and is urging his colleagues to do likewise, the source disclosed.
It remains uncertain whether this will be sufficient to obtain the required votes.
"I won't back Steve Scalise; my vote goes to Jim Jordan," expressed Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia in her conversation with CNN's Manu Raju. "Well, Jim Jordan put forth a robust and detailed plan for us, outlining a way to progress. We did not hear such a plan from Steve Scalise; his responses were more ambiguous."
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Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky stated that surprises should be left for little children's birthday parties, not for Congress. He personally informed Scalise that he would not be receiving his vote on the floor due to his failure to present a feasible plan to avoid an omnibus, which refers to a comprehensive package of spending bills. Massie later cautioned that Scalise will face significant opposition in his bid to secure the gavel, as he believed there were at least 20 members who were prepared to vote against Scalise on the floor.
McCarthy expressed his support for Scalise, but mentioned that he had not been engaged in any discussions with the individuals who are not in agreement.
"He will need to personally speak with all of them, understand their concerns, but I stand by Steve," McCarthy informed reporters.
Asked if he was trying to sway any holdouts, he said, "No."
Nomination vote sets off scramble for other leadership posts
The nomination vote triggered a rush to fill other positions in GOP leadership. On Wednesday, Oklahoma GOP Rep. Kevin Hern announced his candidacy for the majority leader position.
Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida is also vying for the position of majority leader, as confirmed by a spokesperson. Additionally, a source familiar with the matter revealed to CNN that House Majority Whip Tom Emmer is reaching out to members in his bid to become majority leader should Scalise be elected as speaker.
At the closed-door meeting where Republicans selected Scalise as speaker, they also rejected a proposal to increase the required votes for a GOP speaker nominee. This proposal aimed to avoid a contentious debate on the House floor. The rule change would have raised the threshold for selecting a speaker nominee from a majority of the GOP conference (111 votes) to 217 votes, a majority of the full House, which is necessary to win the speakership during the chamber-wide vote.
Scalise is a veteran of House GOP leadership
Scalise's ascent in Congress has seen him move steadily up the ranks of leadership. As House majority leader, he held the distinction of being the second-highest-ranking House Republican, trailing only McCarthy. This was until the momentous vote to remove the speaker took place.Scalise is a well-known and influential member of the House GOP conference and has often been regarded as a possible successor or competitor to McCarthy. Prior to his current position as majority leader, Scalise held the role of House GOP whip, where he was responsible for counting votes and ensuring support for important party objectives. As the majority leader, his main responsibility is to oversee the House floor and arrange the scheduling of legislative votes.
Scalise has faced and overcome numerous challenges throughout his career.
In 2017, he suffered serious injuries in a shooting incident, undergoing a challenging and lengthy recovery. Scalise was targeted by a gunman during a practice session for a yearly charity baseball game, where congressional Republicans were present.
In August, Scalise revealed that he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that he deemed as highly manageable. By September, he informed reporters that his cancer had significantly decreased in response to the treatment he received.
This story and headline have updated with additional developments.
CNNs Manu Raju, Jeremy Herb, Sam Fossum, Morgan Rimmer, Kristin Wilson and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.
