Mr Scalise will now need to muster 217 votes on the floor of the House to become speaker and second in line to the presidency. A full chamber vote previously scheduled for yesterday was delayed. It will require the backing of almost all of the GOP conference — just five members could block him from winning the gavel.
The triumph of Mr Scalise is especially notable given that he defeated Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate for the role – Mr Jordan. His nomination follows the recent dramatic ousting of speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Speaking to reporters after winning the nomination, Mr Scalise said: “First, I want to thank my House Republican colleagues for just designating me as the speaker. Obviously, we still have work to do we’re going to have to go upstairs on the House floor and resolve this and then get the House open again.
This story is from the October 12, 2023 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the October 12, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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