Republican search for new US House leader returns to square one
By David Morgan and Katharine Jackson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Republicans, whose party infighting has paralyzed the U.S. House of Representatives for three weeks, will begin again on Monday to try to pick a new speaker to lead the chamber and address funding needs for Israel, Ukraine and the federal government.
Factional strife between right-wing hardliners and more mainstream Republicans led to the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Oct. 3 and derailed leadership bids by two would-be successors: No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise and prominent conservative Jim Jordan.
The leadership vacuum has stymied congressional action as it faces a Nov. 17 deadline to avoid a government shutdown by extending federal agency funding, and a request from President Joe Biden to approve military aid for Israel and Ukraine.
«This is probably one of the most embarrassing things I've seen,» House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, a Republican, told ABC's «This Week» on Sunday. «We're essentially shut down as a government.»
The task of choosing a new Republican nominee for the job of House speaker begins again on Monday at 6:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT), when nine declared candidates, including No. 3 House Republican Tom Emmer, will appear at a closed-door candidate forum.
McCarthy has endorsed Emmer, stressing his experience in working to marshal party votes on major legislation since January, when Republicans became the majority party in the House.
«This is not a moment in time to play around with learning on the job,» McCarthy told NBC's «Meet the Press», although he added: «It's going to be an uphill battle.»
With a narrow majority of 221-212 in the House, it is not clear whether any Republican can get the 217 votes
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