Two leading contenders for the gavel, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, were scheduled to address colleagues Tuesday behind closed doors at a candidate forum.
By Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking, Associated PressThe Capitol is seen at sunrise, in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. After Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted as speaker of the House, the upheaval has put Congress at a crossroads during a moment of crisis. House business, and with it most congressional action, has come to a standstill.
McCarthy, meanwhile, was openly ready to reclaim the gavel he just lost, but was seen by many as a longshot option unlikely to win back the handful of hardliners who just ousted him. Now as House Republicans push ahead toward snap elections Wednesday aimed at finding a new nominee for speaker, the hard-right flank coalition of lawmakers that ousted McCarthy has shown what an oversized role a few lawmakers can have in choosing the successor.ADVERTISEMENT
Several lawmakers, including Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who engineered McCarthy’s ouster said they would be willing to support either Scalise or Jordan. Others though, particularly more centrist conservative Republicans from districts that are narrowly split between the parties, are holding out for another choice.
For the interim, Speaker Pro-Tempore Rep. Patrick McHenry is effectively in charge. He has shown little interest in expanding his power beyond the role he was assigned — an interim leader tasked with ensuring the election of the next speaker.
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