House recesses as Scalise looks to secure Speakership votes: Live coverage
Rep. Steve Scalise (La.) came out on top as House Republicans met Wednesday to pick their nominee for Speaker.
The conference was closely divided between the House majority leader from Louisiana and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Indeed the final vote was close — a win by 14 votes.
But a messy floor fight may be ahead, with a number of Republicans already noncommittal about supporting Scalise. The House gaveled in briefly Wednesday after the conference vote, then recessed, presumably to allow him time to find enough votes to win the Speakership.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) ouster last week was unprecedented, and the days since have featured curveball after curveball.
And as they struggle to come to a consensus, Republicans are staring down a looming government funding deadline and the outbreak of war in Israel.
Follow along with live updates below.
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is a hard no against Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), but he failed to endorse another candidate for the Speakership in a late night statement.
“It’s just past 9:40pm and I have yet to hear from the Speaker-Designate. So I’ve made my decision and after 10 months and having had 0 contact or outreach from him, I’ve come to the conclusion that my VOTE doesn’t matter to him,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I’m now declaring I’m an ANYONE but Scalise and come hell or high water I won’t change my mind. We need a Speaker that leads by including every single member of the team not just some, That’s not leadership!” he added.
—Lauren Sforza
Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) said that he is voting against the “status quo” when asked if he would back Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) during the House vote for the Speakership.
“Well, I’m a firm no against the status quo. The Republican Party has not shown a willingness to fight, to use every weapon at our disposal to fight against the radical Biden agenda,” he said on NewsNation’s “The Hill” Wednesday.
Good was one of the eight Republicans who sided with Democrats to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from the Speakership last week. He also said that he was still supporting Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for Speaker in an earlier post on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, after the House GOP voted to nominate Scalise.
— Lauren Sforza
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said she plans to vote for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), the GOP nominee, when the Speaker vote comes to the House floor.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Luna said Scalise agreed to the conditions she laid out in a previous statement, including a commitment to defund special counsel Jack Smith’s probe of former President Trump, a subpoena for Hunter Biden, and a floor vote on impeaching President Biden.
“Just left a personal meeting with @SteveScalise. I am confident he is going to allow me to aggressively pursue the below items, which were some of my conditions for my vote,” she wrote in a post Wednesday, while reposting her statement from last Tuesday.
“I will be casting my vote along with @RepMattGaetz and @Jim_Jordan for @SteveScalise,” she said.
— Sarah Fortinsky
The office of the majority whip has advised members that no votes are expected in the House tonight, with more details to come on vote plans for Thursday.
Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) said he intends to vote for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for Speaker when the matter comes to the House floor for a vote, despite House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) clenching the GOP nomination in a conference vote Wednesday.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Smucker criticized Republicans for voting to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and then promoting other likeminded leaders.
“The House GOP Conference is broken. So we oust Kevin McCarthy and all other leaders are rewarded with promotions? How does that make sense or change anything?”
“We need to chart a different path forward. In the meantime, I plan to vote for Jim Jordan on the floor,” he said.
— Sarah Fortinsky
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) is running for House majority leader to replace Steve Scalise (R-La.), a spokesperson confirms.
That makes three candidates for the position so far: Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) announced a run earlier today, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) said last week that he was looking at moving up to majority leader if Scalise got the Speaker nomination.
House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) made a public warning to those announcing bids for other positions Wednesday afternoon.
“Now is NOT the time to be campaigning for other leadership positions, House Republicans must work to unite to elect the Speaker – and that is my focus as Conference Chair at this important time,” Stefanik said in a tweet.
— Emily Brooks
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said Wednesday she plans to vote for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to be the next Speaker when the matter is brought to the floor for a House vote.
“I would not. I plan on voting for Jim Jordan on the floor,” Mace said on CNN when asked whether she would have voted for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), the GOP nominee, had the House vote been held later that afternoon.
“I’ve been very vocal about this over the last couple of days: I personally cannot, in good conscience, vote for someone who attended a white supremacist conference and compared himself to David Duke,” she said. “I would be doing an enormous disservice to the voters that I represent in South Carolina if I were to do that.”
— Sarah Fortinsky
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is undecided on supporting GOP Speaker nominee Steve Scalise (R-La.).
“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. We came out of our conference with 110 votes for Steve Scalise that he can take to the House Floor; he needs to 217 … There are a lot of members who are undecided – I’m one of them,” he told CNN.
Scalise got 113 votes in conference on Wednesday, but three of those are thought to be cast by Republican delegates from U.S. territories who can vote in conference but cannot vote on the House floor.
The Hill has confirmed that at least one delegate voted for Scalise.
— Emily Brooks
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), leaving Speaker suite, was asked how Speaker nominee Steve Scalise (R-La.) should deal with holdouts who don’t want to support him on the House floor.
McCarthy had to contend with 20 GOP holdouts that dragged his Speaker election out to 15 ballots.
“Steve’s going to have to talk to them all, see what the concerns are. But I’m supporting Steve,” McCarthy responded.
He said he has not been involved in the conversations in the Speaker suite.
— Emily Brooks
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) left a meeting in the Speaker’s office appearing unmoved about not supporting GOP nominee Steve Scalise (R-La.) on the floor for Speaker. She had tweeted she would support Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
“I’m ready to vote for Chip Roy as Speaker, y’all. Like, I’m ready for somebody who’s gonna throw down and not care who’s in the way. I am tired of the politics that are played in this chamber,” she said.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) celebrated the House GOP’s nomination of Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) for Speaker on Wednesday.
“I’m excited for him,” Gaetz told reporters. “I can’t wait to go vote for Steve Scalise. Long live Speaker Scalise.”
Gaetz previously said he would be pleased with either Scalise or House Judicial Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as the nominee for Speaker. However, he didn’t officially endorse either contender prior to the internal GOP election.
“I want to hear both of their specific plans on spending and on single-subject appropriations bills,” Gaetz said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Gaetz led the effort to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
— Tara Suter
Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) said he would support Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for Speaker on the House floor.
He wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he supported Jordan’s nomination in the GOP election and “I am still supporting Jordan.”
“The country cannot afford the status quo,” he said.
Good was one of eight Republicans who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
Immediately after the vote he said he didn’t know if he would support GOP Speaker nominee Steve Scalise (R-La.).
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) plans to vote for Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) on the floor and is encouraging his colleagues to do the same, per a source with direct knowledge.
— Emily Brooks
House Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) quickly called the chamber to recess after gaveling in.
“The Speaker designee has the right to put his votes together for the floor and make sure the timing is right, so we’re gonna let that happen,” he said.
Asked if the House is recessing because Scalise doesn’t have the votes to become Speaker, McHenry deflects: “We’re in an unprecedented moment. This is the fastest Speaker’s election in modern history.”
— Mychael Schnell