Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise didn’t have a lot of an opportunity to have fun Wednesday after he eked out a win to be the Republican nominee for speaker. The votes had barely been counted earlier than the opposition started making itself loudly heard—and in numbers that might deny him the job. That wasn’t what Scalise counted on, in fact. He appeared to imagine, like former Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier than him, that after he bought the nod, the convention would fall in behind him and he may bulldoze his strategy to a flooring vote. Additionally, like McCarthy, he severely underestimated absolutely the love of chaos in his get together. However not like McCarthy, who had weeks to foyer help for his bid, Scalise has had days.
Scalise’s slim victory of 113 votes to Rep. Jim Jordan’s 99 was made even smaller when it became clear that three of his votes got here from the congressional delegates from U.S. territories who received’t be allowed to vote within the flooring election. Successfully, he’s beginning with 110 votes and wishes to show 107 folks to his aspect. Punchbowl News places the “actual hard-core ‘By no means Scalise’ vote” at between 20 and 30, starting from a core group of moderates who’re nonetheless pissed that McCarthy was compelled out, to the very far-right fringes of the get together.
As a result of they’re Republicans, some opposition is petty and private. Like Rep. George Santos of New York, who was hit with the news of 23 extra felony counts within the federal indictment towards him whereas the speaker vote was taking place. Scalise hasn’t personally reached out to him, Santos tweeted, and so he mentioned that “ANYONE however Scalise and are available hell or excessive water I received’t change my thoughts.”
Then there’s Freedom Caucus stalwart Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who’s still mad that his huge concept for a brand new rule failed. He pushed a rule requiring that the nominee needed to have 217 votes within the GOP convention to maneuver to the ground. It went to a vote and was rejected 135-88, however he blames Scalise and his allies anyway. Thus he’s a “onerous no.”
So is Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who says she just discovered that Scalise “attended a white supremacist convention and in addition in contrast himself to David Duke.” Mace stays unperturbed by the allegations that the man she’s backing, Jordan, turned a blind eye to the sexual abuse of a number of younger males whereas he was a wrestling coach at Ohio State College. She even went on CNN to tell a dumbfounded Jake Tapper that Jordan was the man to construct bridges to Democrats.
However, some of the people who introduced down McCarthy are backing Scalise, together with Reps. Matt Rosendale of Montana, Eli Crane of Arizona, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, and sure, Matt Gaetz of Florida. What, if something, Scalise has promised them we don’t know but. We do know he told Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida that he was along with her on her high priorities: “1. Defunding Jack Smith 2. Impeachment vote for Biden on flooring of Home 3. Subpoena for Hunter Biden.”
After all, that Scalise is counting on these folks for help exhibits simply how shaky this enterprise is for him. He’s additionally not expected to get any help from Donald Trump, which makes Scalise’s MAGA help much more questionable. The folks he must depend on to assist him herd these rattlesnakes all seem to be preoccupied with the combat for their very own climb up the management ladder.
What occurs subsequent, and when it occurs, is unclear in the intervening time. The Home convenes within the early afternoon however will most likely instantly go into recess. The Republican convention is meeting privately again at 12:15 PM ET. A vote Thursday appears unlikely.
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