Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan jump into a growing race to be the next House Speaker

Scalise announces bid for House speaker

House Majority Leader Scalise announced this afternoon that he plans to run for speaker.

He was expected to jump into the race to fill the top post in the House. Scalise, 57, nearly died after being shot in the 2017 shooting at the congressional baseball practice for Republicans. Scalise has since recovered.

“I firmly believe this Conference is a family. When I was shot in 2017, it was Members of this Conference who saved my life on that field. When I made it to the hospital and my family was told my chances of surviving were low, it was the prayers from all of you that carried us through,” he wrote in a letter to House Republicans.

“When I was in the hospital for nearly 15 weeks, it was the possibility of getting back to work with all of you that kept me motivated to get better,” Scalise said.

House Republican from Florida says to win his vote, next speaker must commit to changing motion to vacate rule

Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez, R-Fla., said in an interview late Tuesday that he had heard about some possible speaker candidates being floated, but said so far, “Nobody has my vote.”

The next speaker must commit to holding a floor vote that would change how the motion to vacate happens, he said on CNN. Gimenez, the former mayor of Miami-Dade County who came to Congress in 2021, said the next speaker should also allow for changing other House rules.

Referring to the current rule allowing one person to call for a motion to vacate vote, Gimenez said, “I think it’s a little bit insane. … We cannot continue to govern this way.”

“I don’t expect the next [speaker’s] race to be easy,” said Gimenez, who noted that his conference has divisions.

He said the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy as House speaker aren’t “actually true Republicans,” calling them “a fringe group.”

Jim Clyburn says McCarthy made it ‘virtually impossible’ for Democrats to save him

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., floated the names of one Democrat and two Republicans — Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Tom Cole of Oklahoma — as potential choices to fill the vacant speakership in the House.

“I think that their leader Scalise, I know he is having some health problems,” Clyburn said in an interview with Morning Joe this morning, referring to the majority leader’s treatment for blood cancer. “But, Steve Scalise is a great guy.”

“I think that Cole would be a sort of the kind of tone that we would like to see,” he added.

Clyburn, the assistant Democratic leader and former majority whip, also added that McCarthy made it “virtually impossible” for Democrats to save him from being ousted because of his on-air criticisms of them the day after they voted to support his effort to pass a short-term government spending bill. Clyburn said nearly all Democrats went ahead and voted for the bill even though it didn’t address some of their key priorities, like Ukraine aid.

“So, the next morning, he goes on TV and blamed Democrats for everything that went wrong the day before and blamed us for wanting to shut down the government, made it impossible for Democrats to find some area of commonality,” Clyburn said.

Sen. JD Vance endorses Jim Jordan for speaker

In an interview, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, told NBC News: “Jim’s a good friend. And I think he’d be great speaker. Most importantly, he’d make a great speaker for the people of Ohio. Obviously, I have no idea what the House dynamics are, and I won’t pretend to know, but if he won I’d be very happy about it and I plan to help him. But I don’t know how much I can offer from this side.”

Asked if that’s an endorsement, he said: “Sure. Of course, it’s an endorsement.”

He added: “Look, there a lot of people, I’m sure, good people who are going to run but Jim’s the guy that I know the best. … He’s a good guy who would do a good job.” 

Jordan signals opposition to more aid to Ukraine

Jim Jordan, who said today that he plans to run for speaker, told reporters that he is against another government spending measure that provides additional assistance to Ukraine.

“I’m against [a Ukraine package],” he told reporters. “What I understand is, at some point, we’re gonna have to deal with this appropriations process in the right way, and we’re probably gonna do that in the next 41 days. The most pressing issue on Americans’ minds is not Ukraine, it’s the border situation and crime on the streets. So let’s address those.”

Graves says House is ‘frozen’ because of ‘clowns like Matt Gaetz’

Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., said the House of Representatives is “frozen” because of “clowns like Matt Gaetz.”

“If we’re going to continue to have clowns like Matt Gaetz as part of the Republican conference, as part of this Congress, then you’re going to have to have rules in place that prevent him from doing his charade every single week,” Graves said.

Graves said that he is “not backing anyone right now” as speaker, saying it would be a “mistake” to “just give everybody one rung of promotion.”

“That is premature. We’ve got to address some fundamental issues. … I think we need to do a deeper dive and look at the accountability of the leadership team,” Graves said.

Graves added that he sees a scenario in which Rep. Patrick McHenry maintains his role as interim speaker for “an extended period.”

“I think we need to be very thoughtful about the role, the responsibilities and the authority that he can exercise in that position, because I would love to find us, to be in a situation, where we can move forward on appropriations bills and other things right now,” Graves said.

Rep. Andy Harris floats Rep. Byron Donalds as speaker candidate

In a post on X, Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland wrote that “Congressman Byron Donalds should be considered as the next Speaker of the House.”

Donalds, a Florida congressman who’s seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, was one of the names put forth by the Republican House members who voted against McCarthy during the speakership battle in January. Donalds, who is Black and a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus, is considered a possible candidate for speaker in this election.

Harris was among those who voted against McCarthy in January but voted against the motion to vacate that ousted him from office.

Scalise, Jordan and Hern meet with Texas’ sizable delegation

Scalise, the House majority leader, is one of several Republicans meeting with Texas House Republicans today.

The delegation is the largest in the House Republican Conference, with 25 members who have a range of ideological views.

Other Republicans meeting with the delegation include Jordan and Hern.

Steve Scalise says he’ll formally ask for his colleagues’ support for speaker

Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters that he would be sending a letter seeking support for his speaker bid.

“We haven’t sent anything out formally, but we will,” he said outside of a closed-door huddle with the Texas delegation this morning.

Scalise acknowledged Rep. Jim Jordan’s bid for the job, telling NBC News, “Look, I’m sure a lot of people are going to look at this — as they should. This is really important that we get this right.”

Scalise added what he told the Texas delegation: “Texans, like the rest of our conference, we all have strong passions about getting our border secure, about getting our spending under control and about fighting for families who are struggling.”

Minority whip says Hakeem Jeffries will be Democratic nominee for speaker

Democratic Whip Katherine Clark said her caucus would support the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to fill the vacant speakership.

“We’re clear who our leadership is, Hakeem Jeffries,” Clark, of Massachusetts, said on CNN when asked to comment on the likely Republican contenders for the job.

It is unlikely that a Democrat could win enough votes to become House speaker. With 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats, the GOP holds the majority in the House.

Jim Jordan touts immigration, oversight and ‘fiscal discipline’ efforts in plea for speakership

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, sent a letter to the members of his conference asking for their support in his bid for speakership.

“The problems we face are challenging, but they are not insurmountable,” he wrote. “We can focus on the changes that improve the country and unite us in offering real solutions. But no matter what we do, we must do it together as a conference. I respectfully ask for your support for Speaker of the House of Representatives.”

The far-right congressman also pointed to his work on immigration legislation and his role heading the Judiciary Committee.

“With other committee chairs and the members of the Judiciary Committee, I am doing the oversight and holding the Administration accountable,” Jordan said in the letter. “And I have been among the leaders in pushing for fiscal discipline my entire career.”

Schumer warns House GOP: ‘We find ourselves in a dangerous situation’

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., laid into House Republicans in remarks on the Senate floor today, arguing that until the GOP stops its “infighting,” work cannot get done.

“We find ourselves in a dangerous situation, with about 40 days to go before the government shuts down,” he said. “The House has ground completely to a halt.”

If there were to be a national crisis that demanded “immediate action,” the House would be “unable to quickly respond,” Schumer said.

“Let me say this to the next speaker of the House, whomever that may be: Think carefully about what happened to your predecessors before trying to coddle the hard right,” he said.

McConnell says McCarthy ‘had all the qualities’ of an ‘effective’ speaker

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., lauded Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on his tenure as House speaker.

“He had all the qualities of an effective representative and speaker,” McConnell said Wednesday.

McConnell credited the former House speaker for averting a government shutdown by getting a short-term spending measure passed over the weekend, telling reporters that McCarthy “made sure that the people’s House was once again open to the American people.”

“And he can rest assured that his colleagues, myself included, will continue to draw on his talents and optimism in the days that lie ahead,” McConnell said.

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Buck declines to comment on Jordan’s speaker bid

Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy, declined Wednesday morning to comment on Jordan’s bid for House speaker.

“I have no reaction at this point until I see who all the candidates are,” Buck said.

Meanwhile, Buck said in an interview with “Meet the Press NOW” on Monday that he had no intent of stepping forward as a candidate for speaker, calling it the “worst job in America.”

“I guarantee you, Ken Buck and Matt Gaetz is not one of those people,” Buck said when asked if he would run. “I might get three votes.”

Rep. Jim Banks is ‘all in’ on Jim Jordan for speaker

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said he is “all in” on Jordan as the next speaker.

“We need a conservative fighter to stand up strong to the Biden White House and Democrat Senate, and I can’t think of anyone better than Jim Jordan,” Banks told NBC News.

Banks also posted his support on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, writing, “He never backs down and has my full support.”

McCarthy arrives on the Hill, enters speaker’s office

McCarthy arrived at the Capitol moments ago and entered the speaker’s office.

When asked by NBC News how he was feeling, he responded, “Great!”

McCarthy did not stop to answer any other questions. 

Christie says McCarthy’s ouster was ‘political assassination’

Chris Christie referred to McCarthy’s removal as “political assassination” in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“Matt Gaetz doesn’t like Kevin McCarthy and was intent upon executing this type of, this type of assassination. And that’s what he did,” Christie said. “It was a political assassination yesterday of Kevin McCarthy.”

When asked where the GOP goes next, Christie said there was “no obvious choice” for the next speaker.

“I think, you know, Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer are some of the names, Jim Jordan, but there’s no obvious choice here, the same way that even though McCarthy was the obvious choice because of his history, everyone knew the problems going in,” Christie said. “I think you’ve got to play hard to get.”

Oct. 4, 202303:38

Kevin McCarthy’s ‘original sin’: What drove the House speaker’s historic downfall

Last Wednesday, three days before a widely feared government shutdown, far-right Rep. Matt Gaetz stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and issued a categorical threat.

If House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., relied on Democrats to keep the government open, said Gaetz, R-Fla., there would “very likely” be “a motion to vacate that the speaker would face.”

Just hours before the government would run out of money to keep operating, McCarthy decided to defy Gaetz and did just that: He avoided a shutdown by putting forward a bill that Democrats would support.

Fast-forward three days. McCarthy is now the first speaker in history to have been voted out of his job — 216 to 210 — with a mere eight Republican detractors in the wafer-thin majority sealing his fate and siding with Democrats to oust him.

“A lot of them I helped get elected, so I probably should have picked somebody else,” McCarthy quipped Tuesday evening of those eight conservative members.

“My fear is the institution fell today,” he said.

Read the full story here.

Trump addresses open speaker position: ‘I’ll do whatever it is to help’

Trump told reporters that “a lot of people” called him about the speaker position. When asked whether he would take the job, he said, “All I can say is we’ll do whatever is best for the country and for the Republican Party.”

The former president, who is in New York for the state attorney general’s business fraud lawsuit against him and his company, said his focus was “totally” on his presidential run. Trump added that the GOP has “some great people” for the speakership.

“I’ll do whatever it is to help, but my focus, my total focus is being president and, honestly, making America great again, because we are living in a country in decline,” he said.

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Rep. Jim Jordan says he’s running for House speaker

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said Wednesday that he plans to run for speaker of the House.

Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee who has gained national prominence over the years as an aggressive presence in committee hearings, confirmed his candidacy when asked by reporters if he plans to run for the leadership role, saying, “Yes.”

Oct. 4, 202303:32

Marjorie Taylor Greene says she’s backing Trump for speaker

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said in a tweet Tuesday night that former President Donald Trump is the only speaker candidate she’s “currently supporting.”

“We can make him Speaker and then elect him President!” she wrote.

Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, has also said he plans to nominate Trump for speaker of the House.

The speaker of the House does not need to be a member of Congress.

Steve Scalise seeking to lock up support for speaker job after McCarthy ouster

Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who became a national figure after he survived a brutal assassination attempt during a congressional baseball practice, has been making calls seeking to shore up support for a bid to succeed ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy, according to two lawmakers who have spoken with Scalise.

The development isn’t surprising given that Scalise, the No. 2 GOP leader under McCarthy since 2019, is the front-runner in the race for speaker and has eyed the top job for years.

But the fact that Scalise, who has represented his Louisiana district since 2008, began reaching out to GOP colleagues so soon after McCarthy’s ouster suggests he is trying to box out other would-be challengers and be seen as the inevitable successor to McCarthy. The No. 3 leader, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., practically endorsed Scalise moments after McCarthy informed Republicans he would step aside after being removed.

Read the full story here.

Hoyer says he also has been told to vacate his office

Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., also has been directed to vacate his office in the Capitol, two Democratic aides told NBC News.

The news comes after former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said yesterday that she was toldto move out of her office “immediately.” McCarthy’s office had made the decision to ask Pelosi to leave, a source familiar with the situation said.

Pelosi accuses interim House speaker of ordering her to give up office in Capitol

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused new interim Speaker Patrick McHenry on Tuesday night of kicking her out of her workspace in the Capitol just hours after the chamber’s abrupt change in leadership.

Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement that she was told she had to “immediately” move out of her so-called hideaway office in the Capitol.

“With all of the important decisions that the new Republican Leadership must address, which we are all eagerly awaiting, one of the first actions taken by the new Speaker Pro Tempore was to order me to immediately vacate my office in the Capitol,” Pelosi said in a statement, referring to McHenry, R-N.C., by his new title.

Read the full story here.

What happens next now that Kevin McCarthy has been ousted as speaker

Kyle Stewart

The House voted Tuesday to oust Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s chair, with Rep. Matt Gaetz and seven other conservatives joining all Democrats present to remove him. What happens next?

Read the full story here.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been ousted. Here are some possible successors.

Republican Kevin McCarthy made history Tuesday as the first person ever to be voted out of the House speaker’s office. Now there’s rampant speculation on Capitol Hill about who can cobble together the votes to succeed him.

For now, there is no consensus on who might be able to fill the huge vacancy in the speaker’s office. But while McCarthy’s top loyalists are furious over what happened Tuesday, there is no shortage of ambition in the House of Representatives.

Read the full story here.