The House is entering its second week without a speaker and is essentially unable to function, so the pressure is on Republicans to reverse course, reassert majority control and govern.
Nominated to be House speaker, Rep. Steve Scalise is heading straight into a familiar Republican problem: Skeptical GOP colleagues are reluctant to give their support, denying him the majority vote needed to win the gavel.
The House opened its Thursday session at midday in anticipation of floor action to elect a speaker, but quickly gaveled to a recess. Scalise must peel off more than 100 votes, mostly from those who backed his chief rival, Rep. Jim Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman favored by hard-liners, as lawmakers dig in for a fight to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy after his historic ouster from the job. No votes were scheduled.
“Time is of the essence,” McCarthy said when he arrived at the Capitol.
Asked if it was still possible for Scalise, R-La., to find enough support, McCarthy said: “It’s possible — it’s a big hill, though.”
The House is entering its second week without a speaker and is essentially unable to function, so the pressure is on Republicans to reverse course, reassert majority control and govern.
Action is needed to fund the government or face the threat of a federal shutdown in a month. Lawmakers also want Congress to deliver a strong statement of support for Israel in the war with Hamas, but a bipartisan resolution has been sidelined by the stalemate in the House. The White House is expected to soon ask for money for Israel, Ukraine and the backfill of the U.S. weapons stockpile.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Scalise said after Wednesday’s private balloting by Republicans when he fell short of expectations.
A steady stream of some of the more hard-line Republicans filed into Scalise’s office late into the evening, bringing their complaints, criticisms and demands as he worked to shore up support.
