Republicans were set to pick their candidate for speaker of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday as war in the Middle East and a looming government shutdown underscored the urgent need to end the leadership vacuum.
The party has been in a tailspin since a handful of hardliners forced out Kevin McCarthy eight days ago, leaving the Republican-controlled lower chamber of Congress unable to respond to mounting international and domestic challenges.
"And whichever of these in these great men get a majority of the conference, I'll be really proud to vote for on the floor." If the reform is rejected, the Republican candidate will likely pick their candidate on a simple majority and go to the floor on Thursday.But adopting the change would likely draw out the process, with as many as four rounds of voting punctuated by question-and-answer sessions for each candidate.
But the Ohio Republican was hesitant in reciprocating, prompting concerns over his ability to unify the party. McCarthy had spent days flirting with the idea of a comeback, but ultimately backed down, telling reporters he had asked colleagues not to nominate him.
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