Trump Does Not Want Scalise as House Speaker, Do You?

Steve Scalise (R-La.), the anticipated Speaker, is encountering difficulty securing the requisite backing for his election to the paramount position in the House, hinting at a potential repeat of the previous Speaker’s arduous journey to claim the gavel in January.

Despite triumphing over Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the House Judiciary Committee Chairman, in an in-house vote to be the GOP’s Speaker nominee, Scalise’s narrow win of 113-99, with a scattering of votes for other contenders or marked as “present,” underscores the challenges ahead. Even as Jordan endorsed Scalise post-vote, there’s ambiguity if Jordan’s backers will follow suit.

A minimum of seven Republicans have indicated their intention to support a candidate other than Scalise, with at least six more on the fence, and a handful refraining from revealing their choice. This opposition is sufficient to thwart Scalise’s ascent to the Speakership during the House floor vote.

It’s anticipated that Democrats will uniformly support Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for Speaker, mirroring their undivided stance through 15 rounds of voting in January. Consequently, just like the ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Scalise can endure only a few Republican dissents.

However, a potential second skirmish for the Speakership, echoing McCarthy’s prolonged struggle in January, is set against a precarious scenario: an escalating conflict in Israel and an impending government funding expiration in November, both casting a shadow over the already fragmented GOP conference.

Post the GOP’s nomination session, members were informed that the House might initiate a floor vote by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, mere hours after the GOP narrowly rallied behind Scalise. Yet, facing palpable opposition, the session was paused, and those resisting Scalise’s nomination were seen entering and exiting the Speaker’s office for discussions.

Although the House plans to resume at midday on Thursday, the schedule for the Speaker’s floor vote remains uncertain.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) voiced his support for McCarthy in the forthcoming Speaker vote on the House floor. Meanwhile, Republican Representatives such as Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Bob Good (Va.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Max Miller (Ohio), Nancy Mace (S.C.), and Lloyd Smucker (Pa.) have expressed their intention to back Jordan.

The lingering question is the number of the initial 99 Jordan supporters who might resist endorsing Scalise in the public vote — and for how long they might stall the House’s regular proceedings.