Days Before a Vote, Republicans Feud Over How to Choose a New … – The New York Times
House Republicans, divided and demoralized after the ouster of their speaker this week, are now quietly feuding over how to elect a successor.
The dispute, which erupted on Friday, suggests that the same divisions that led to the downfall of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy are continuing to fester inside the G.O.P. ranks, setting the stage for a potentially bruising contest next week when lawmakers were set to meet to elect his replacement.
At issue is a request made by more than 90 House Republicans on Friday to temporarily change the partys internal rules for nominating a candidate for speaker. In a brief letter to Representative Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina, the interim speaker, and Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, the conference chair, the group requested a special organizational meeting to consider the change. The New York Times obtained a copy of the letter.
In the letter, they asked for an amendment to temporarily raise the threshold to become the nominee. Proponents of the change have been pushing to require a unanimous vote of the Republican conference, instead of the current bar of a majority.
They have presented the idea as a way to foster unity after the deeply divisive ouster of Mr. McCarthy at the hands of eight, mostly right-wing rebels who went against the rest of their Republican colleagues this week.
It would, in theory, avoid a replay of the public chaos that unfolded in January, when the nation watched as the House slogged through 15 rounds of roll call votes until Republicans finally coalesced around Mr. McCarthy, a veteran lawmaker from California.
But supporters of Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the majority leader who is running for speaker, quickly cried foul, arguing that the change would only make it more difficult for him to be elected.
The idea that the fractured G.O.P. conference could unanimously come together behind either Mr. Scalise or the other declared candidate, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, is also virtually unthinkable.
But Mr. Scalises allies believe that he would win a majority over Mr. Jordan, putting him in a strong position to beat the Ohio Republican on the House floor under the current rules.
Changing the rules is going to create chaos and only advantages candidates who cant get to 51 percent in the closed-door vote, said Representative Lance Gooden of Texas, who has said he is backing Mr. Scalise.
Representative Ann Wagner of Missouri, who is also backing Mr. Scalise, said that a last-minute, rushed rule change is really not what the conference needs right now.
We need unity and we need leadership, she said. We should all be prepared to support the nominee who the majority chooses.
She added that there was nothing binding about a conference meeting vote. The only vote that is binding is done in full transparency on the floor of the House of Representatives, she said.
House Republicans were scheduled to meet behind closed doors on Tuesday to nominate a new candidate for speaker by secret ballot, and a floor vote could take place as early as the next day.
Under the current Republican conference rules, whoever emerges from the secret ballot with a simple majority of votes wins. Changing the rules could lead to a much more drawn-out process wherein both candidates would have to battle to get the entire conference behind them.
Mr. Scalises allies regard the effort as a bid by those who are boosting Mr. Jordans candidacy to tilt the scales in his favor. One of the people leading the charge for the change was Representative Chip Roy of Texas, who has endorsed Mr. Jordan.
Mr. McCarthys allies have also been pressing members to sign on, arguing that the rule change would help keep any infighting behind closed doors. The former speaker has long had a rocky and competitive relationship with Mr. Scalise. And the sense among Mr. Scalises backers is that they have a vested interest in helping to elect Mr. Jordan as speaker.
The members who signed the letter come from all factions of the Republican conference. They included Representative Garret Graves of Louisiana, a loyal McCarthy ally, and Representative Bob Good of Virginia, one of the eight hard-right members who voted to oust him.
Follow this link:
Days Before a Vote, Republicans Feud Over How to Choose a New ... - The New York Times
- The Republicans who still haven't endorsed Donald Trump - The Economist - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- 'Incredibly positive': Disability advocates commend Kansas Republicans' effort on waitlists Kansas Reflector - Kansas Reflector - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- The AZ Senate has repealed the 1864 abortion ban, after 2 Republicans join Dems - Arizona Mirror - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Voters could support abortion rights and Republicans in November - NPR - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- E&C Republicans Open Investigation into Allegations of Political Bias at Taxpayer-Funded NPR, Request Attendance ... - Energy and Commerce Committee - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Republicans, concerned about dairy industry, urge calm about H5N1 bird flu - STAT - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- House Republicans, Seeking Political Edge Amid College Protests, Spotlight Antisemitism - The New York Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- 2024 election poll: Trump vs. Biden and what Republicans and Democrats fear - NPR - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Republicans, Democrats, and Donald Trump Agree on One Thing: Marjorie Taylor Greene's Move to Oust Mike ... - Vanity Fair - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Kristi Noems dog-killing embodies the cruel phoneyness of todays Republicans - The Guardian - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Opinion | Republicans preferred China strategy is reckless and dangerous - The Washington Post - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Letter: Are the Democrats more faithful to the Constitution than the Republicans? Let's consider health care to answer ... - Salt Lake Tribune - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Republicans Call on NPRs Chief, Katherine Maher, to Testify on Bias - The New York Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- The 8 types of Democrats and Republicans in the House - ABC News - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene launches her plan to oust Speaker Johnson - The Washington Post - The Washington Post - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Tennessee's school voucher debate turns to competitive Republican state House and Senate primaries Tennessee ... - Tennessee Lookout - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Roy eyes steamroller agenda if Republicans sweep in November - Roll Call - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- The Governor of Kansas Vetoed Four Anti-Abortion Measures. Republicans Rammed Them Through Anyway. Mother ... - Mother Jones - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- House Republicans expand investigations into campus antisemitism - Inside Higher Ed - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Bill to Combat Antisemitism on Campuses Prompts Backlash From the Right - The New York Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- House Republicans Are Standing Up Against Antisemitic Mobs That Have Overrun America's Colleges & Universities - GOP.gov - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- This High-Ranking Republican Supports an Off-the-Wall Solution to Tackle Social Security's $22.4 Trillion Cash Shortfall - The Motley Fool - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Trump says Republicans always wanted to leave abortion law to states. That's false. - NBC News - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Stapilus: It's not how many Republicans there are, but what kind - Idaho Press - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- How House Republicans Are Responding To Campus Protests : The NPR Politics Podcast - NPR - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Republicans catching up with Democrats on mail-in voting - Washington Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Campus Protests Over Gaza Open a New Line of Attack for GOP in 2024 Election - The New York Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- After losing three straight times, are Republicans as invested in Vegas House seats? - The Nevada Independent - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Congressional Republicans announce resolution to overturn Biden tailpipe rule - The Hill - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- NC Senate Republicans advance bill forcing law enforcement cooperation with ICE NC Newsline - NC Newsline - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Republicans are airing out their inability to govern on 2024 campaign trail - The Washington Post - March 26th, 2024 [March 26th, 2024]
- Rep. Mike Gallagher to resign in April, narrowing House GOP vote margin to 1 - The Washington Post - March 26th, 2024 [March 26th, 2024]
- Some Republicans who supported Nikki Haley are still refusing to back Donald Trump - Firstpost - March 26th, 2024 [March 26th, 2024]
- North Dakota Republicans will caucus on the eve of Super Tuesday. Here is what to expect - The Associated Press - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Michigan Republicans chart their path forward after months of disarray - USA TODAY - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Analysis | A fifth of Trump supporters think he committed a serious crime - The Washington Post - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Opinion | Democracy is imperiled globally. Republicans aren't helping. - The Washington Post - The Washington Post - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Murphy: For Donald Trump And The Republicans, The Border Is Just A Moneymaking Grievance Machine That They ... - Senator Chris Murphy - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- In Georgia, Republicans and Democrats line up to run for office - The Atlanta Journal Constitution - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Republicans Who Like Putin - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- GOP life-at-conception bill scrutinized after Alabama IVF ruling - The Dallas Morning News - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Senate Republicans Block Murray and Duckworth Bill to Protect IVF After Flurry of Republican Statements Expressing ... - Senator Patty Murray - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Nikki Haley Defeats Trump in 2024 Washington, D.C., GOP Primary - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Republicans Nod to Trump's Influence in Race to Succeed McConnell - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Haley Is Still Struggling to Deal With Trump's Grip on Their Party - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Washington, D.C. Republican Primary Election 2024: Live Results - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- These two Republicans endorsed in dozens of Texas House races. One put his money where his mouth is. - KUT - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- The anti-voucher House Republicans spared from Abbotts wrath - The Texas Tribune - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Ukraine's troops are rationing ammunition. Yet House Republicans plan to take weeks to mull more aid - The Associated Press - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- In Texas races, Gov. Abbott targets fellow Republicans who oppose vouchers - The Washington Post - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Alaska Republicans head to the polls Tuesday with Trump, Haley and Ramaswamy on the ballot Alaska Beacon - Alaska Beacon - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Here's What's in the Bipartisan Spending Bill to Prevent a Partial Shutdown - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Trump Ballot Eligibility Ruling Elicits Mixed Reactions Ahead of Super Tuesday - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- 'Embarrassment': Republicans hit Austin hard during tense hearing over his hospitalization - POLITICO - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Republicans want earmarks for their districts but vote against spending bills - The Washington Post - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- On Israel, Trump Is Even Worse Than Biden - The Intercept - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Alabama IVF ruling leaves Republicans stuck between their base and the broader public - The Guardian US - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Analysis | Hunter Biden gives House Republicans the rebuttal they didn't want - The Washington Post - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Reflecting Congressional divisions over U.S. involvement with Ukraine, Republicans are more reluctant than ... - AP-NORC - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Murphy says Republicans want the border to be a mess - The Hill - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- 2 Republicans vie to take on vulnerable Democrat in November - Spectrum News - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Senate Republican Blocks Bill to Protect I.V.F. Treatment - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- The Idaho Republican Presidential Caucus is Saturday. Here's what to know. Idaho Capital Sun - Idaho Capital Sun - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Ignoring Warnings, G.O.P. Trumpeted Now-Discredited Allegation Against Biden - The New York Times - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Biden Calls Republicans in Congress 'Worse' Than Strom Thurmond - The New York Times - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- N.Y. Republicans Pick a Former Police Detective to Challenge Gillibrand - The New York Times - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Opinion: MAGA Republicans pushing to impeach President Biden don't seem to notice the egg on their faces - Los Angeles Times - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Republicans vote to make it harder to amend Missouri Constitution - The Associated Press - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Alabama IVF ruling spurs a GOP reckoning on conception bills - Roll Call - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- What's in the House Republican Mississippi Medicaid expansion bill? - Mississippi Today - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Trump Strengthens Grip on Capitol Hill as He Presses Toward Nomination - The New York Times - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Electability is all Democrats discussed in 2020. In 2024, Republicans don't care - NPR - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Trump Forces Terrified Republicans to Bend the Knee Yet Again - The New Republic - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Republicans Roll the Dice on the Border - National Review - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- House Republicans now have one of the smallest majorities in history - NBC News - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Senate Republicans are coming to grips with another Donald Trump nomination - NBC News - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- In States Where Republicans Banned Abortion With No Exception for Rape, Rape Led to 58979 Pregnancies Post-Roe - Vanity Fair - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Why Hochul's budget is a headache for Suozzi - POLITICO - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- After Early Primary Victories, Republicans in Congress Fall in Line Behind Trump - The New York Times - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- New Hampshire exit polls: Republicans were just half of voters in their own primary - Reuters - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]