Scalise plays whack-a-mole with surprise speaker holdouts
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Scalise talks to the press after winning today's vote. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
House Republicans inched one step closer to finding their next speaker today, nominating Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) in a closely contested vote behind closed doors.
Why it matters: Scalise's nomination may have placated Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and other hardliners who led the charge against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). But new holdouts — including some not-so-usual suspects — are suddenly complicating Scalise's path to the gavel.
Driving the news: By a secret-ballot vote of 113-99, Scalise defeated House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — a former Freedom Caucus agitator who was backed by former President Trump.
- Jordan offered to give Scalise's nominating speech on the House floor in a bid for GOP unity, but there's no indication the move will prompt enough of Jordan's supporters to fall in line behind his erstwhile opponent.
- Republicans — including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Max Miller of Ohio, Troy Nehls of Texas, Mary Miller of Illinois and Lauren Boebert of Colorado — have already stated plans to vote for Jordan on the House floor.
What they're saying: "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 Congress," Greene tweeted.
- "The House GOP Conference is broken. So we oust Kevin McCarthy and all other leaders are rewarded with promotions? How does that make sense or change anything?" tweeted Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.), another Jordan supporter.
- "I personally cannot, in good conscience, vote for someone who attended a white supremacist conference and compared himself to David Duke," said Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy.
Context: Mace was referring to past racism controversies that have dogged Scalise's career, including his alleged remark to a reporter in the 1990s that he was like former KKK grand wizard David Duke "without the baggage."
The intrigue: Simmering tensions with allies of McCarthy — who said he supports Scalise despite a long-running feud with the Louisiana Republican — are also proving to be a wild card.
- Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.), for example, has said he has no plans to back Scalise.
- House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said he's undecided on Scalise, telling CNN: "He came out with 110 votes; he needs 217. He's going to have to give us a message or an understanding of how he's going to bridge that gap."
- Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), an arch conservative who became a surprise backer of McCarthy during the ex-speaker's ouster, estimated there are "at least" 20 Republicans who currently oppose Scalise.
The bottom line: In January, McCarthy won the GOP conference's nomination for speaker by a 188-31 margin. He then endured a grueling 15-ballot battle on the House floor — a cakewalk compared to what Scalise is facing.
