Race for US House speaker in chaos as Republican nominee drops out
economictimes.indiatimes.comUS House of Representatives dropped out Thursday after failing to find enough support to win a vote of the full chamber, plunging the paralyzed lower chamber of Congress deeper into crisis.
Steve Scalise narrowly won a secret internal Republican ballot Wednesday to replace ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy, but it quickly became clear that he couldn't get the 217 lawmakers needed in a vote of the full House as his opponents in his own party lined up to announce they would not support him.
«It's been quite a journey, and there's still a long way to go.
I just shared with my colleagues that I'm withdrawing my name as a candidate for the speaker designee,» Scalise said.
The announcement ended the party's hopes for a moment of unity, prolonging a leadership vacuum that has prevented Congress from carrying out even its most basic functions for nine days since McCarthy's unprecedented removal in a mutiny by right-wing lawmakers.
No speaker vote has been scheduled, but if every Democrat and Republican were present and casting ballots, any candidate would need 217 votes to prevail — a tall order in a party that has been riven by factional infighting.
A second public tussle for the speakership — nine months after McCarthy's marathon, 15-round battle to win the gavel — could hardly have come at a worse time for the Republican-controlled lower chamber of Congress.
The leaderless House has been unable to pass any bills or approve White House requests for emergency aid, with Israel — the top US ally in the Middle East — in a war footing against Hamas militants.
Meanwhile lawmakers are staring down a looming government shutdown as they have only a month to agree on 2024 federal spending levels before the money runs out and have
