The GOP House Speaker Crisis: Unraveling the Party's Identity

The US government is currently confronted with the pressing question of which Republican lawmaker possesses the ability to resolve this complex situation, bring their party together, and reopen the House of Representatives.

The Republicans face an even bigger challenge in determining their true identity. Are they the proponents of limited government or are they the ones struggling to effectively govern? As of Tuesday, it has been three weeks without a House speaker and there are only 24 days left until the government faces a financial crisis. This is in addition to the aid packages sought by numerous lawmakers for Israel and Ukraine.

Lawmakers must choose a speaker before any legislation can be moved forward, and they are far beyond the point of searching for the perfect candidate, like in the story of Goldilocks.

► Rep. Kevin McCarthy was dismissed by a small group because they believed he was too willing to depend on Democrats to prevent a government shutdown.

► Rep. Steve Scalise prematurely ended his campaign due to his refusal to compromise in order to secure votes from hesitant individuals.

► Rep. Jim Jordan, despite facing immense pressure and receiving support from former President Donald Trump, was unable to convince a handful of moderate individuals, resulting in his campaign's failure.

Most Republicans voted for all three men as speaker, but the outside edges of the party were too big to get a majority.

Maybe a fresh face will do the trick

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The concept of collaboration between Republicans and Democrats remains stagnant, and so does the notion of granting temporary authority to Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry.

Furthermore, nine additional Republicans have expressed their interest and will present their arguments to fellow colleagues in a confidential gathering on Monday evening. The sole existing member of the House leadership vying for the role of Speaker is Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who currently serves as the GOP whip.

CNNs Stephen Collinson lays out the rest of the all-male candidate lineup, which doesnt include any household names:

Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, who chairs the influential Republican Study Committee.

Jack Bergman of Michigan, a mainstream conservative and Marine veteran.

Austin Scott of Georgia, who launched a last-minute bid against Jordan last week but quickly dropped out.

Byron Donalds of Florida, a rising star Freedom Caucus member and one of the few Black Republicans in Congress.

Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the GOP conference vice chairman.

Pete Sessions, a seasoned congressman from Texas, was ousted from his seat in 2018 but swiftly made a comeback to represent another constituency.

Dan Meuser, a former Pennsylvania secretary of revenue and active member of the Problem Solvers Caucus.

Gary Palmer of Alabama, who chairs the Republican Policy Committee.

A lot of different views

The GOP conference will be holding yet another gathering soon, showcasing a diverse range of stances. CNN's Dana Bash highlighted this during "Inside Politics" as she categorized the candidates based on recent important votes.

Out of the nine candidates, only two of them supported the certification of the 2020 election. A crucial moment for lawmakers occurred after the insurrection on January 6, 2021, when they twice dismissed objections to the election results. Emmer and Scott are the only speaker candidates who backed the 2020 election results.

Four out of the nine candidates offer their support for additional aid to Ukraine. The Republican Party has rapidly shifted its stance on supporting Ukraine and is now leaning towards a more nativist foreign policy approach, similar to that advocated by Trump. However, most party members recently joined forces with Democrats to reject a proposal aimed at blocking security aid to Ukraine. This includes Emmer, Scott, Sessions, and Bergman.

Five out of the nine candidates voted in favor of preventing a default on the national debt. McCarthy's ability to prevent a potential US default on interest payments for the national debt is regarded as a significant accomplishment. However, the vote did not receive unanimous support from Republicans.

What party is this?

It can be argued that the Republican Party has undergone a shift centered around Trump, who is currently the favored candidate to represent the party in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. However, Trump's influence within the House GOP remains restricted, as evidenced by his inability to boost Jordan's candidacy, for example.

Former Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming who faced backlash from her party for aligning with Democrats in the committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, stated in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday that despite her strong conservative beliefs, her insistence on acknowledging election results would be detrimental to any candidate seeking her endorsement.

Cheney believes this is a clear indication of the current state of our country, implying that the GOP has strayed from its principles.

"It is essential for us to have a party that renews its commitment to promoting conservative policies and upholds the Constitution," Cheney expressed. "Unfortunately, the Republican Party is failing to fulfill these objectives at present."

Cheney is currently working on a book highlighting the transformation of the GOP under Trump, shedding light on the phenomenon of individuals condoning behavior that was previously deemed unacceptable.

The book serves as a warning, illustrating how the inclination to side with Trump over upholding the Constitution occurred with surprising ease, according to Cheney.

Meanwhile, Republican frustration is becoming increasingly childish. "This is reminiscent of junior high behavior," stated Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas while speaking to Tapper last Friday. This comment followed Jordan's failure to unite the party, resulting in heated closed-door meetings and members taking shots at each other on social media.