Republican Matt Gaetz plunged the House into chaos by turning on his own leader. He moved to get Kevin McCarthy kicked out of the Speakership. Now, instead of doing work for the American people, Republicans are fighting over who should replace him.
Rep. Jim Jordan was endorsed by Trump to be the next Speaker. Rep. Steve Scalise also lobbied for the job. Republicans held a closed-door meeting to decide their nominee. And they picked the guy who nearly died serving his country,
During a closed-door vote on Wednesday, Majority Leader Steve Scalise was nominated by the GOP to be the next House Speaker.
Multiple lawmakers told The Hill that Scalise won the nomination in a 113-99 vote, defeating House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan. [Source: The Post Millennial]
Republicans picked Steve Scalise, who will need to win 217 votes to become the next speaker. But before the news could even properly circulate, there were Republicans ready to sabotage this move.
[Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene] said that despite Jordan not winning the nomination, she would be voting for him on the House floor during the upcoming vote to elect the House speaker. [The Post Millennial]
I just voted for Jim Jordan for Speaker on a private ballot in conference, and I will be voting for Jim Jordan on the House floor.
I like Steve Scalise, and I like him so much that I want to see him defeat cancer more than sacrifice his health in the most difficult position in…
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) October 11, 2023
MTG stabbed Scalise in the back. She claimed he was a “friend,” but suggested his recent cancer diagnosis was grounds to disqualify him. Way to undermine a man’s chances, Marge. But what Nancy Mace said was even more indefensible.
[Representative Nancy Mace said] “I personally cannot, in good conscious, vote for someone who attended a white supremacist conference and compared himself to David Duke. I would be doing a disservice to the voters I represent in South Carolina.” [Source: Breitbart]
Mace tried to kill Scalise’s chances by referring to something that happened over 20 years ago. Scalise attended that meeting in 2002 and has since apologized, condemning the group’s views. But I guess Mace isn’t interested in forgiveness or moving on.
I wonder if she would be disqualified for leadership if all of her indigressions from 20 years ago came to light?
The ongoing House Speaker drama has been going on since January of this year when hardliner Republicans opposed McCarthy’s original campaign. The divisiveness among House Republicans is frequently used by Democrats, who attack Republicans for their inability to unite or cooperate.
Author: Bo Dogan