House Republicans are running out of ideas on how to elect a new Speaker of the House, reported CNN congressional correspondent Manu Raju. They are now scared that if the next crop of candidates fails, they will be left with no option but to cut some sort of compromise deal with Democrats.
"A number of Republicans emerging from closed-door meeting worried their speaker candidates can’t get 217 on the floor," Raju posted to X. "Some fear if they can’t this time, more Rs will want to cut a deal with Dems to reopen House."
“They don't want to work with Democrats, but it might end up to be a point where that's the only way,” said Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL). “We’ve got to get the government open. People are very angry, upset.”
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It's unclear exactly how a deal with Democrats would work in practice. The speaker could still be a Republican that is agreed to by a majority of the Democratic caucus, in return for some sort of concessions to Democrats in terms of House business or split committee chairmanships.
The House has been paralyzed ever since a renegade band of eight Republicans, led by far-right firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), broke with their party to vote Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) out of the Speakership, the first time this has happened in U.S. history.
After that, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) was nominated, but withdrew just a day later after it became clear a faction supporting House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) would block him. But then Jordan, too, failed three separate floor votes after being nominated, before being stripped of his nomination on a secret ballot.
Currently, eight Republican members are running for the speaker nomination, including Freedom Caucuser Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern (R-OK). A ninth, Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA) withdrew his candidacy this evening.
