House Republicans' three-week failure to elect a new speaker has gotten so tiresome that even House Democrats now appear willing to throw the GOP a bone.
Punchbowl News reports that Democratic leaders view Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), whom the publication describes as Republicans' "Plan D" choice, as the least objectionable of all the remaining speaker candidates and they would not try to actively block him from winning the race even if there are significant defections within his own party.
Specifically, the publication writes that House Democrats would "be open to helping him by sitting the vote out if they get private assurances that Emmer will fund the government at levels negotiated in the debt-limit deal and put a Ukraine-plus-Israel aid bill on the floor" in the coming weeks.
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Of course, reaching such an agreement with Democrats would likely be enough on its own to torpedo Emmer's bid, and Punchbowl News writes that the Minnesota Republican "wants to win the speakership with Republican votes and has no interest in negotiating with Democrats."
It has now been three weeks since rebellious Republicans ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as House speaker, and the party has tried and failed to drag Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) over the finish line.
