A day after he bested House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan for the nomination in a secret party ballot, the Louisiana Republican had not yet proven whether he could muster the 217 Republican votes needed to overcome Democratic opposition and be elected to the role second in line to the presidency, after the vice president.
"When we go to the floor, there'll be at least a relatively high expectation on the part of Steve Scalise and his team that he's got the votes," said Representative John Duarte, a Scalise supporter.
Jordan planned to vote for Scalise and encouraged his fellow Republicans to do the same, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Clearly, this does not look good for the House or for the country," Representative Dusty Johnson, a Republican, told reporters. "We have incredibly tight margins, and frankly, some members who have a hard time getting to 'yes' on almost anything."Republicans are determined to avoid a recurrence of the embarrassing public spectacle that occurred in January, when hardline conservatives forced McCarthy to endure 15 floor votes over four days before winning the gavel.
Scalise, 58, gained near legendary status within Republican circles by surviving a severe gunshot wound after a gunman opened fire during practice for a charity baseball game in 2017. He also commands widespread respect as a veteran legislator, who has spent years in party leadership positions.
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