House of Representatives No. 2 Republican Steve Scalise shockingly drops out of the race for chairman as chaos consumes the GOP
Steve Scalise has withdrawn from the race to become speaker in a stunning development.
Scalise, the number two Republican in the House of Representatives, had won an election among Republicans to become their candidate for chairman after Kevin McCarthy was ousted last week.
With Republicans’ narrow majority, he could afford to lose only four votes in the House of Representatives, but more than a dozen Republicans remained stubborn in their opposition to him.
“Our conference has yet to meet and it is not here. There are still people who have their own agendas,” Scalise told reporters after meeting with Republicans in the House of Representatives and announcing his plans.
The list of Republicans who say they will oppose Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the House’s No. 2 Republican, has grown longer, not shorter, since he was elected to the conference.
‘There are people who will have to look you in the mirror in the coming days and decide to get back on track. You can try to get back on track, or you can pursue your own agenda, but you can’t do both.”
Still, Scalise seemed optimistic that Republicans could unite around a speaker who could be elected through the House.
‘I think we’ll get there. “I was very clear in that room,” he said. “It’s not going to happen tomorrow, it has to happen quickly.”
Tensions are sky high on Capitol Hill as ten days pass and Republicans now have no candidate for chairman.
“Dysfunctional, disorganized and broken,” is how Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, — who wants Donald Trump to become speaker of the House of Representatives — described his party after leaving a meeting of House Republicans.
‘I don’t think the Lord Jesus could make it to 217!’ Nehls recalled a statement made by a member during the meeting.
“We’re not moving forward,” said Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., who admitted she worries about how the disarray will affect her 2024 swing district race.
“We have a war in Israel… It’s really frustrating.”
Scalise and Donald Trump ally Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee, faced off in an internal Republican House vote, where Scalise won 113-99.
