Kevin McCarthy visited Steve Scalise’s office as the new Republican nominee for Speaker of the House of Representatives prepared to battle Jim Jordan for the 217 votes needed to secure his position.
Ousted Speaker McCarthy, 58, was pictured walking into his old office, where his replacement Steve Scalise, 58, settled into the new post after securing the Republican nomination for speaker of the House of Representatives.
The GOP conference chose Scalise as its candidate in a closed-door secret ballot Wednesday morning after days of drama and infighting.
Lawmakers leaving the chamber said Scalise won 113 votes, while Ohio’s Jim Jordan, who Trump’s enthusiastic supporter calls him a “STAR,” received 99. A handful of Republicans declined to vote for either.
With Scalise falling short of 217 points in the conference vote, the Louisiana congressman’s path to the speakership is uncertain. He held rallies to try to unite Republicans behind him, but some lawmakers said they still supported Jordan.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise emerged from the House Republican Conference after being nominated for Speaker of the House of Representatives
Lawmakers including Kevin McCarthy (pictured) left the room saying Scalise won 113 votes, while Ohio’s Jim Jordan, who Trump’s enthusiastic supporter calls him a “STAR,” received 99 votes.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy walked into his former office where Majority Leader Steve Scalise worked, after Scalise was nominated as the candidate for Speaker of the House, on Capitol Hill
With Scalise falling short of 217 points in the conference vote, the Louisiana congressman’s path to the speakership is uncertain. He held rallies to try to unite Republicans behind him, but some lawmakers said they still supported Jordan
Trump posted his endorsement on Truth Social on Friday: “Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before he made his very successful trip to Washington, D.C. He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House of Representatives, and has my complete and total approval!”
McCarthy, R-Calif., was suddenly and unexpectedly fired as speaker last week after just nine months in office, leaving the House essentially leaderless with North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry in the caretaker role.
Scalise, McCarthy’s No. 2 in leadership, is a popular lawmaker who suffered serious injuries after being shot during a baseball practice with colleagues in 2017. He recently announced he has blood cancer but has insisted he is feeling well and awake. to the top job.
Scalise has said that if elected, his first action would be to pass a bipartisan resolution making clear that the House stands with Israel in its war with Hamas. The speaker will also have to quickly figure out a way to unite Republicans and keep the government open before the mid-November deadline.
“It’s clear we still have work to do,” Scalise told reporters after the vote. “We’re going to have to go to the top floor of the House and solve this problem to get the House open again.”
The “magic” number to become Speaker is 218 of the House’s 435 members.
Many previous speakers, including McCarthy and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, secured the position with fewer votes than that, as some members voted present rather than calling a name.
Each legislator who votes “present” reduces the total number needed to reach a majority.
A source familiar with Jordan’s plans said he will drop out of the race and urge his supporters to vote for Scalise.
McCarthy was suddenly and unexpectedly fired as speaker last week after just nine months in office
Scalise has said that if elected, his first action would be to pass a bipartisan resolution making clear that the House stands with Israel in its war with Hamas.
Matt Gaetz spoke to reporters as he left a meeting where House Republicans voted to appoint House Majority Leader Steve Scalise as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida has pledged to continue supporting Kevin McCarthy despite not being on the ballot.
McCarthy said he was not involved in the effort to convince holdouts to vote for Scalise. Most of the holdouts who opposed Scalise also opposed McCarthy.
Asked about his relationship with Scalise on Wednesday, McCarthy told DailyMail.com: “I want to help everyone get a speaker.”
The tensions between McCarthy and Scalise are an open secret in Washington.
They boiled over publicly for the first time when conservatives grew angry over McCarthy’s deal with Joe Biden on the debt ceiling.
