Majority Leader Steve Scalise reportedly faces unyielding opposition from some members of his Republican conference as he scrambles to save his bid to be the next speaker of the House. As the fight over House GOP leadership drags on, the chamber remains paralyzed — and the days keep ticking down toward a November 17 deadline to avoid a government shutdown.
House Republicans met for more than two hours Thursday, but Scalise failed to win over the holdouts he’d need to win the gavel. He can only afford to lose four GOP votes, but some 20 Republicans reportedly won’t support him, resulting in a deadlock with no clear path forward.
“Several Republicans described Thursday’s meeting as a venting session that wasn’t terribly productive,” CNN reported. “Many said it didn’t feel like anyone could actually get to the 217 votes needed.”
What’s next: As Scalise continues his seemingly doomed efforts to win over holdouts, some Republicans are also reportedly considering other options, including expanding the powers of Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry or working with Democrats. It’s not clear what would happen next if Scalise’s bid collapses — or whether any Republican could get the votes needed. “Members joke Jesus couldn't get the 217 votes to be their speaker,” CNN’s Lauren Fox posted on X. “The amount of shrug emojis I've gotten from sources when asking what happens next? Too many to count.”
