U.S. House Republicans have nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise for speaker in a closed-door vote, following the ouster of Kevin McCarthy last week. Scalise won the nomination with a 113-99 vote over Jim Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
This vote comes after McCarthy was removed from his position, making history as the first House speaker to be voted out of office in the middle of a term. Scalise’s narrow victory by only 14 votes highlights the deep divisions among House Republicans.
In order for Scalise to become speaker, House Republicans will need to unite behind him and reach the required simple majority threshold. However, several Republicans have stated that they still plan to support Jordan on the House floor, creating uncertainty for Scalise’s chances.
Ahead of the vote, concerns were raised about Scalise’s ability to lead due to his cancer diagnosis earlier this year. Some questioned his fitness for the role, while others praised his personal courage.
According to The Hill, a messy floor fight may be on the horizon, as many Republicans remain noncommittal about supporting Scalise. The House convened briefly after the vote, with Speaker Pro Tempore Representative Patrick McHenry calling for a recess to allow Scalise to organize his votes for the floor.
The election of a speaker is crucial for the House to proceed with its legislative process, especially with the need to pass a spending bill before government funding expires in mid-November. Pressure is also mounting on the House to take action following the increased Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
“It’s really, really important that this Congress get back to work,” Scalise emphasized, stating that expressing support for Israel would be his main priority if elected speaker.
While the U.S. narrowly avoided a partial government shutdown and witnessed the first ousting of a speaker in history, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that two-thirds of Americans believe politicians in Washington are unable to put aside partisan differences to effectively fulfill their job responsibilities.
An analysis published in The Washington Post titled “Chaos in Congress points to failures in the U.S. system” described how observers around the world perceive the American political system as being plagued by dysfunction and a legislature characterized by politicians uninterested in governance or democratic deliberation.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
