House Majority Leader Steve Scalise Nominated for House Speaker, Faces Tight Election
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is pursued by reporters after he won a majority of votes in the House Republican caucus to become their nominee for next Speaker of the House during a Republican meeting held behind closed doors in the Longworth House office building on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
In a crucial development, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, has secured the nomination of his party to become the next House speaker. However, his journey to this role is not yet complete, as he must now win an election on the House floor to officially assume the office. The situation is especially precarious for Scalise, given that if all lawmakers are present and voting, he can only afford to lose the support of four Republicans out of the 217 in the conference. Moreover, it is expected that Democrats will vote against Scalise.
The nomination process took place in a secret ballot election held in the GOP conference on a Wednesday. During this vote, Scalise managed to secure 113 votes, while his opponent, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, garnered 99 votes. An interesting aspect of this development is that many of those who had supported Jordan in the nomination process have indicated their willingness to vote for Scalise on the House floor. However, the number of lawmakers opposing Scalise exceeds the margin of votes he can afford to lose.
Originally, the full House was scheduled to hold the vote at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, but it has since been postponed, creating a sense of anticipation and uncertainty.
In addition to the dynamics within the Republican Party, there are specific lawmakers who have publicly stated that they will not vote for Scalise, thereby making his path to becoming the next House speaker more challenging. On the other hand, there are also a few lawmakers who have not yet committed to supporting Scalise, potentially influencing the outcome of the election.
The election for the next House speaker is an important political moment, and the results will shape the leadership and direction of the House. The tension and intrigue surrounding Scalise’s nomination and the upcoming House floor vote make this a significant development in the world of American politics.
This article was initially published on October 11, 2023, at 7:44 PM.
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