Effort to Appoint Temporary House Speaker Falls Apart as Republicans Express Opposition

The Republican Party’s attempts to appoint a temporary House speaker have hit a roadblock as multiple Republicans voiced their opposition to a back-up plan that had gained momentum. This comes after several unsuccessful attempts to elect a speaker, leaving Republicans unsure about their next steps as the House enters its third week without a speaker.

A resolution sponsored by Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) aimed at allowing Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) to bring legislation to the floor for a vote is not expected to move forward in the House, at least for now. Multiple members expressed their opposition to the proposal on Thursday, leading to its uncertain future. The effort to appoint a temporary speaker has been in discussion since Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was removed from the speakership on October 3.

The possibility of Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry having expanded powers, as outlined in the resolution, was briefly considered on Thursday. McHenry assumed the position of speaker pro tempore automatically when McCarthy was removed, as per a House rule that required McCarthy to select a secret list of successors in the event of a vacancy. However, the exact extent of McHenry’s authority under the rules is unclear. McHenry interpreted his role as limited to overseeing the election for the next speaker, therefore, rendering the House unable to vote on any legislation without a speaker to bring it to the floor.

Rep. Dave Joyce was expected to introduce a resolution to expand McHenry’s powers, but the effort was delayed and might be permanently halted. Opposition to the plan came from a coalition of Republicans, including Reps. Steve Scalise (La.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.). They cited concerns about potential constitutional violations, the unprecedented nature of the move, and fears that some GOP members might align with Democrats to pass it in exchange for concessions.

Initially, Rep. Jim Jordan was expected to support the proposal to empower McHenry, but he changed his stance when the back-up plan was declared dead. Jordan, who lost more votes on the second ballot and was expected to lose further support in a third round, told reporters that he was still running for speaker and would push for another round of voting.

The Republican Party’s internal disagreements reached a boiling point during an hours-long House GOP meeting on Thursday, which reportedly descended into a shouting match. Attendees witnessed a verbal altercation between Reps. Matt Gaetz and Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy instructed Gaetz, who spearheaded the effort to remove him, to “sit down” when he approached the microphone during McCarthy’s speech. The situation escalated when the entire conference expressed their displeasure towards Gaetz. Gaetz later commented that McCarthy’s emotions seemed heightened as he was working through the stages of grief.

Patrick McHenry, an ally of McCarthy, has not made any public statements about the effort to expand his powers. However, he has mentioned in the past that he has no desire to become speaker. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), who declared the proposal “dead,” relayed that McHenry is also opposed to the idea.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressed skepticism about the feasibility of extending McHenry’s powers. She raised questions about the duration of his tenure, the limits of his legislative authority, and whether he could be subject to the motion to vacate rule that led to McCarthy’s removal.

Some Republicans, including Rep. Debbie Lesko and Rep. Troy Nehls, who voted for Jordan in the first two rounds, along with Reps. Don Bacon and Carlos Gimenez, who voted against him, have asked Jordan to drop out of the race. However, Jordan insisted that he would continue his bid and planned to meet with his 22 holdouts.

The uncertainty surrounding the appointment of a temporary House speaker has left the GOP considering alternative options as they navigate through this difficult period.

Sources:
– Forbes: “House Speaker Election: Jordan’s Third Attempt Stalls—GOP Considers Back-Up Plan”
– Forbes: “House Speaker Election: Jim Jordan Loses Second Round As More Republicans Vote Against Him”
– Forbes: “House Speaker Election: If Jordan Fails Again, GOP May Vote To Expand Acting Speaker’s Powers”