'Accept that reality': Ex-GOP rep. predicts Republicans will need Dems to end infighting

Former Pennsylvania Republican congressman Charlie Dent is letting it be known that for the House to get in order they need to reach over the aisle with an olive branch.

"The House Republican Conference is deeply fractured," he said during an appearance on MSNBC's "Alex Wagner Tonight." "I've been saying for sometime now that Hakeem Jeffries is going to probably have to come in and help solve this problem."

Dent explained that to get to some semblance of business as usual, his friends must start working with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and fellow Dems and cede some of the political sway.

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"They need basically a bipartisan solution, and a power-sharing agreement," said Dent. "What I mean by that is they need to run somebody -- it could be Patrick McHenry -- they empower him on a temporary basis; I think they could have some Democratic votes."

House Republicans appeared to have floated just that: to empower Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) as temporary speaker of the House.

But that strategy was declared "dead" as of Thursday.

Dent then suggested that it's going to take them electing a more "pragmatic, institutionalist Republican" and "not an election denier."

He then believes that the committees will need to be split "evenly" so both parties share equal representation.

Should any of the Republicans want to throw some salt on Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), whose three tries to get to 217 votes kept laying eggs -- they could strip him of running the House Judicial Committee.

"If they want to put it to Jordan, maybe give the Democrats a share of the judiciary committee just for fun," he said with a grin.

Dent point blank said that Republicans are going to need Jeffries and the Democratic votes to essentially right this ship.

"Jeffries, he's had to help them on the debt ceiling, the budget agreement, as well as the recent continuing resolution to fund the government," he explained. "They're going to need his help again. They might as well just accept that reality because I don't see any particular member right now getting 217 votes from Republicans only."

He said that Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) "has a shot" but then made it clear that there needs to be some kind of urgency and compromise because time is ticking.

"Whoever the Republicans were to elect, is going to have to go around and cut a deal by November 17th to fund the government."

Again this means bringing in Jeffries "to help" and likely at a high political cost.

"That individual will probably suffer the same fate as did McCarthy."

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