The House will open midday Thursday in anticipation of floor action to elect the speaker. But it's requiring Steve Scalise to peel off more than 100 votes from his chief rival, Rep. Jim Jordan.
Having won the nomination to be the next House speaker, Rep. Steve Scalise is heading straight into a familiar Republican problem — skeptical GOP colleagues are reluctant to give their support, denying him the majority vote needed to win the gavel.
Now entering week two without a speaker, and the House essentially unable to function, the pressure is on for Republicans to reverse course, reassert majority control and govern. The House was briefly gaveled in then closed Wednesday, an expected vote abandoned by nightfall. "What we should have heard today after the vote count was: 'I will heartily support Steve. Let's get behind him,'" Bacon said. "We did not hear that."
Without the rules change, the Republican lawmakers would be expected to agree to a majority-wins process. But several lawmakers announced they were not supporting Scalise. At the White House, presidential press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We want to see the chaos be done with so that we can deliver for the American people."
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