House Republicans are attempting to move past the divisions that have marked their search for a new House Speaker, and will meet on Tuesday to narrow the field of eight candidates to one. The chosen candidate must secure at least 217 votes in order to win, and the outcome of Tuesday's meeting will determine whether the GOP can set aside their differences and move forward.
Posts tagged as “John Boehner”
This week, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is leading the race for the next Speaker of the House, with 152 Republicans having expressed their support for him in a secret ballot. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) has also announced his support for Jordan, citing their shared views on defense funding and other appropriations. Jordan has expressed confidence in his chances, having stayed in Washington over the weekend to meet with GOP lawmakers and address their concerns. If he wins the majority of the votes, he will become the first Republican from Ohio to hold the position since 2011.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has won the majority of votes in the House GOP conference to become the new House Speaker, but he faces difficulty in uniting the 217 Republicans necessary to vote for him due to petty and more esoteric disagreements. This follows previous Republican rebellions, such as the battles between then-Speaker John Boehner and the House Freedom Caucus. Meanwhile, a traumatic event recently struck the immediate family of a TPM writer, involving a car accident and a sailing accident. These events have been difficult for both the family and Scalise as he attempts to gain the necessary support.
John Boehner, former House Speaker, praised current Speaker Kevin McCarthy for his handling of negotiations to raise the debt ceiling and trim the federal budget deficit. The bill passed the House with broad bipartisan support, and is expected to be taken up by the Senate in the coming days. If passed, it would be the first major legislative achievement of the Biden administration.