Republicans are facing increasing turmoil and dysfunction in the House of Representatives. It has been 17 days since their leadership was ousted, and they have yet to choose a new leader. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy described the situation as “very bad.” This ongoing vacuum has caused the lower chamber of Congress to become paralyzed and unproductive for three weeks, with no resolution in sight.
Recently, Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio attempted to strong-arm his way into the speaker position but was rejected by members of his own party after three fruitless days. This leaves Republicans at square one, as they control the House but have only a narrow majority. Jordan lost a private vote, with 112 against him and 86 for him. To become the speaker, a nominee must win the majority of the full House.
With Jordan out of the running, other Republicans have stepped forward to declare their intention to run for speaker. Reps. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Austin Scott of Georgia, and Tom Emmer of Minnesota have all announced their candidacies. There are several other potential candidates, and a candidate forum is expected on Monday. The question remains whether McCarthy, who was previously pushed aside, will be called upon to return to the position.
The GOP cannot afford to delay for too long, as the government will shut down in mid-November without a funding bill. The Republican Party’s collapse in the House hands control to the Democratic-controlled Senate when it comes to shaping the funding bill. This was a result of McCarthy’s failure to pass the bill solely with Republican support, leading him to work with Democrats to avoid a shutdown.
President Biden is also planning to request $100 billion in emergency aid for Israel and Ukraine. The Senate will have significant control over what will be included in the package due to the chaos in the House.
It remains unclear whether Republicans will be able to rally and choose a consensus candidate for speaker. If not, they will find themselves back at square one. Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina currently serves as the speaker pro tempore. However, there have been discussions about naming McHenry as a temporary or acting speaker if the GOP cannot agree on a candidate. This option could resurface if Republicans find themselves in another impasse.
