UPDATED 1:35 P.M.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The race to replace ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy took shape on Wednesday as Steve Scalise, the chamber’s No.2 Republican, and Jim Jordan, a leading antagonist of Democratic President Joe Biden, said they would seek the post.
The two lawmakers could be joined by several other candidates in what could be a lengthy and likely messy battle to fill the post in the House where Republicans hold a majority.
Republican lawmakers emerging from a private meeting mainly named the two as leading candidates.
Tuesday’s historic removal of McCarthy, driven by a rebellious faction of Republicans, marked the first time the chamber has removed its leader from a position that is second in line to the president after the vice president.
Republicans have set an Oct. 11 vote to choose a successor and are due to meet the day before to hear from their candidates.
The leadership fight is eating into the time lawmakers have to extend government spending before it expires on Nov. 18 and update farm-subsidy and nutrition programs, among other tasks.
Scalise, who has been getting treatment for cancer, has long been considered McCarthy’s heir apparent and has been meeting privately with Republicans to build support for his bid. He is seen as more conservative than McCarthy.
He was critically wounded in 2017 when a man who had criticized Republicans on social media shot him and other party lawmakers as they were practicing for a baseball game.
“We all need to come together and pull in the same direction to get the country back on the right track,” he wrote in a letter to Republicans.
FORMER WRESTLER
Jordan, 59, a former college wrestler who has led investigations of the Biden administration, first gained prominence as a leader of the party’s right wing before eventually forming an alliance with McCarthy. He is known for eschewing suit jackets and is a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump.
As chair of the Judiciary Committee, he is involved in the impeachment investigation into Biden and has tangled with state prosecutors who have filed criminal cases against Trump.
Jordan highlighted his leading role in a bill that would dramatically tighten immigration, calling it “the most significant legislation this Congress.” That bill has passed the House but gotten nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
“We can focus on the changes that improve the country and unite us in offering real solutions. But no matter what we do, we must do it together as a conference,” he wrote to Republicans.
Representative Kevin Hern, who leads a policy group for conservative lawmakers, also said he was considering a speakership bid.
“I think we need to be pointing our guns outward, not at each other,” he told reporters.
Representative Patrick McHenry is temporarily serving as speaker following McCarthy’s removal.
WORRIES ABOUT GOVERNANCE
McCarthy’s ouster is the latest factor causing Wall Street to worry about U.S. political governance, following the near-miss with a partial federal government shutdown this weekend and congressional Republicans’ flirtation with defaulting on the government’s $31.4 trillion in debt earlier this year.
Those concerns, alongside worries about interest rates, have played a role in a sustained sell-off in government bonds.
The speaker’s job has proven challenging for Republicans in recent years. The last Republican speaker, Paul Ryan, retired from Congress after struggling to work with Trump, a fellow Republican. His predecessor John Boehner left after clashes with the party’s right wing.
McCarthy, who led a narrow 221-212 majority, made the job even more difficult for himself.
During 15 grueling rounds of voting on his bid for the speakership in January, he agreed to change House rules to allow any one member of Congress to call for the speaker’s ouster, setting the stage for Representative Matt Gaetz to do just that.
“We can’t put a new speaker in place with this structure. It’s completely dysfunctional,” Representative Garret Graves, a key McCarthy ally, told reporters.
The entire House – Republicans and Democrats – vote for speaker, who would hold the position until early January 2025, unless they were deposed as well. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to run against any Republican candidate nominated by the party conference, as he did in January.
Congress is struggling to fund the government in the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Four days ago, lawmakers narrowly averted a partial government shutdown that would have stopped pay for more than 4 million federal workers and shuttered a wide range of federal programs.
McCarthy relied on Democratic votes to pass a stopgap spending bill which angered Gaetz and other hard-right Republicans.
(Reporting by David Morgan, Moira Warburton and Richard Cowan; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone, Cynthia Osterman and Howard Goller)
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UPDATED 11:17 A.M.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Representative Jim Jordan, a leading antagonist of Democratic President Joe Biden, became the first Republican on Wednesday to launch a run for Speaker of the House of Representatives to succeed the ousted Kevin McCarthy.
Jordan will likely contend with Steve Scalise, the chamber’s No. 2 Republican, and several other candidates in what could be a lengthy and likely messy battle to fill the post in the House where Republicans hold a majority.
Tuesday’s historic removal of McCarthy, driven by a rebellious faction of Republicans, marked the first time the chamber has removed its leader from a position that is second in line to the president after the vice president.
Republicans have set an Oct. 11 vote to choose a successor and are due to meet the day before to hear from their candidates.
Jordan, a combative conservative who has led investigations of the Biden administration, is the first to publicly say he is interested in the job.
“We need to unite the caucus, I think I can do that,” he told reporters.
A former college wrestler from Ohio known for eschewing suit jackets at congressional hearings and press conferences, Jordan, 59, first gained prominence as a vocal leader of the party’s right wing before eventually forming an alliance with McCarthy.
As chair of the Judiciary Committee, he is involved in the impeachment investigation into Biden and has tangled with state prosecutors who have filed criminal cases against former President Donald Trump.
Other possible candidates include Scalise, who has been getting treatment for cancer, and Tom Emmer, the No. 3 Republican in the House. Representative Patrick McHenry is temporarily serving as speaker following McCarthy’s removal.
The leadership fight is eating into the time lawmakers have to avert a looming partial government shutdown, which would begin on Nov. 18 if Congress fails to pass legislation providing more funding.
“We’re in uncharted waters,” Republican Representative Byron Donalds told reporters after supporting McCarthy in a vote the speaker lost 216-210.
The job has proven challenging for Republicans in recent years. The last Republican speaker, Paul Ryan, retired from Congress after struggling to work with then-President Donald Trump, a fellow Republican. His predecessor John Boehner left after clashes with the party’s right wing.
McCarthy, who led a narrow 221-212 majority, made the job even more difficult for himself.
During 15 grueling rounds of voting on his bid for the speakership in January, he agreed to change House rules to allow any one member of Congress to call for the speaker’s ouster, setting the stage for Representative Matt Gaetz to do just that.
“We can’t put a new speaker in place with this structure. It’s completely dysfunctional,” Representative Garrett Graves, a key McCarthy ally, told reporters.
Several Republican lawmakers predicted that it would take some time for them to unite behind a successor to McCarthy.
‘I’VE NEVER SEEN THIS’
Democrats were stunned when Republicans dumped their own leader.
“I’ve been here for a while, and I’ve seen a lot, but I’ve never seen this,” Democratic Representative Jim McGovern told Reuters.
The entire House – Republicans and Democrats – vote for the chamber’s speaker, who would hold the position until early January 2025, unless they were deposed as well. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to run against any Republican candidate nominated by the party conference, as he did in January.
Congress is struggling to fund the government in the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Four days ago, lawmakers narrowly averted a partial government shutdown that would have stopped pay for more than 4 million federal workers and shuttered a wide range of federal programs.
McCarthy relied on Democratic votes to pass a stopgap spending bill which angered Gaetz and other hard-right Republicans.
The crisis also could complicate the party’s drive to tighten immigration laws and pursue its impeachment inquiry into Biden.
(Reporting by David Morgan, Moira Warburton and Richard Cowan; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone, Cynthia Osterman and Howard Goller)
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives was leaderless on Wednesday, after hardline Republicans narrowly won a vote to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, an historic move that triggered what will be a lengthy and likely messy battle to find a replacement.
It was the first time that the House has removed a speaker – a position that is second in line to the president after the vice president.
Republicans lawmakers signaled they would need a week to regroup, planning to meet on Tuesday to discuss possible candidates to replace McCarthy – who said he would not run again – with votes on Oct. 11 at the earliest.
The leadership fight is eating into the time lawmakers have to avert a looming partial government shutdown, which would begin on Nov. 18 if Congress fails to pass legislation proving more funding.
“We’re in uncharted waters,” Republican Representative Byron Donalds told reporters after supporting McCarthy in a vote the speaker lost 216-210.
It was not clear who might seek to succeed McCarthy in a job that has proven challenging for Republicans in recent years. The last two Republican speakers, Paul Ryan and John Boehner, retired from Congress after clashes with their right wing.
McCarthy, who led a narrow 221-212 majority, made the job even more difficult for himself. During 15 grueling rounds of voting on his bid for the speakership in January, he agreed to changes to House rules that allowed any one member of Congress to call for the speaker’s ouster, setting the stage for Representative Matt Gaetz to do just that.
“I don’t envy anyone this job,” Republican Representative Mike Garcia said. He described the rule change as “like handing 220 matches out to people in your party and dousing yourself in fuel and hoping none of them are crazy.”
McCarthy said only that his advice to the next speaker was: “Change the rules.”
Republican Representative Dusty Johnson, asked about the prospect of picking a new speaker, told reporters: “Frankly, one has to wonder whether or not the House is governable at all.”
‘I’VE NEVER SEEN THIS’
Even though many lawmakers saw this day coming, given McCarthy’s tenuous hold on the speakership, they nonetheless were stunned that Republicans actually dumped their own leader.
“I’ve been here for a while, and I’ve seen a lot, but I’ve never seen this,” Democratic Representative Jim McGovern told Reuters.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged “traditional Republicans” in the House to “walk away from MAGA extremism and join us in partnership for the good of the country,” a reference to former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
The names being mentioned as replacements for McCarthy include House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Republican Whip Tom Emmer. Representative Patrick McHenry, who was named speaker pro tempore after McCarthy’s removal, could also become a candidate.
None have said if they are interested, and other names could emerge in the week ahead.
Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, is viewed by many in the party rank-and-file as a more rock-solid conservative than some House Republicans viewed McCarthy. Scalise recently was undergoing cancer treatment but has been working in the Capitol since then.
The entire House – Republicans and Democrats – vote for the chamber’s speaker who normally holds the position for two years or until the end of the current Congress in early January 2025. Jeffries is expected to run against any Republican candidate nominated by the party conference, as he did in January.
The Republican Party chaos comes as Congress already was struggling over how to fund the government in the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Just four days ago, lawmakers narrowly averted a partial government shutdown that would have stopped pay for more than 4 million federal workers and shuttered a wide range of federal programs.
McCarthy’s move Saturday to join forces with opposition Democrats to enact a stopgap spending bill saved the country from a wrenching shutdown.
But it sparked the revolt led by Gaetz among hard-right Republicans who were angered by the failure to achieve deep spending cuts in that temporary measure.
The crisis also detracts from Republican hopes to fix the public’s focus on an impeachment inquiry into Democratic President Joe Biden and immigration troubles at the southwest U.S. border with Mexico.
McCarthy and his fellow Republicans had hoped to make those twin issues the centerpiece of the 2024 congressional and presidential campaigns along with inflation.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan, David Morgan and Moira Warburton; Editing by Scott Malone and Cynthia Osterman)
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