House Republicans Remain in Stalemate Over Next Speaker of the House, One Week After Kevin McCarthy’s Removal

House Republicans remain in a stalemate over who should be the next Speaker of the House, one week after Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed. On Tuesday evening, two leading contenders for the gavel, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, outlined their visions behind closed doors at a lengthy candidate forum.

Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) told reporters after the meeting that both candidates have “good perspectives on where the party needs to go and an understanding and an emphasis on reuniting the party.” However, it appears doubtful either could win the near-unanimous Republican support needed to get the gavel.

The stalemate threatens to keep Congress partly shuttered indefinitely. Rep. McCarthy was ousted last week after allowing the House to vote on and pass a bill avoiding a government shutdown.

It is unclear if House Republicans will be able to pick a speaker this week. The two candidates have been unable to coalesce around a new leader, and the stalemate continues. It is uncertain what the outcome of the situation will be, and how long the stalemate will last.