Steve Scalise privately being prepped by Republicans to steal gavel from McCarthy: Report
Cami Mondeaux
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As House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy seeks to fend off intraparty opposition to his bid to become the next House speaker, several Republicans are reportedly huddling behind another top member of their party for a possible leadership challenge.
A group of lawmakers has approached No. 2 Republican Rep. Steve Scalise (LA) about running for House speaker in the next Congress should McCarthy’s bid fail, telling him to “just be ready,” sources familiar told Politico. Scalise could offer a more agreeable alternative to McCarthy, as the House minority leader has faced opposition from a handful of Republicans that has threatened to derail his speakership bid.
However, the closed-door conversations could put Scalise in a difficult position. Publicly, the Louisiana Republican has declined to comment on the matter, instead pointing to previous statements he made endorsing McCarthy and maintaining he would not run against him.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS UNANIMOUSLY BACK STEVE SCALISE FOR MAJORITY LEADER
Instead, Scalise launched a bid for House majority leader, being elected to the No. 2 position in November after running uncontested. Meanwhile, Scalise has kept a low profile while McCarthy fights off intraparty opposition.
“Does he want to be speaker? Absolutely. But is he going to screw Kevin? Absolutely not,” one person close to Scalise told the outlet.
Scalise has not been organizing support or making calls related to a possible speakership bid, according to Politico. Some conservatives have hinted they would back the Louisiana Republican should he run but maintained there’s a list of other possible contenders they may consider.
“Some of those candidates have expressed interest to us — or that they would be interested once it’s clear Kevin McCarthy won’t be speaker,” Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) told Politico. However, he added that it’s difficult to name names without risking the ire of McCarthy and his allies.
To secure the gavel, McCarthy needs a majority of voting members — in this case, 218 lawmakers — to vote for him when his nomination goes before the entire House floor in January. The GOP will hold a 222-213 advantage in the House for the next two years, giving McCarthy little room for error.
At least five GOP lawmakers have publicly said they won’t back his speakership bid, and McCarthy can’t afford to lose more than four votes, or else he risks sinking his chances when the House meets to vote on Jan. 3. That list includes Good, Andy Biggs (AZ), Matt Gaetz (FL), Ralph Norman (SC), and Matt Rosendale (MT).
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It’s not clear who Republicans would present as an alternative nominee to McCarthy, although Biggs has already announced a challenge to the minority leader’s bid.
If no candidate wins a majority of the votes cast during the roll call vote at the beginning of the Congress, the House will repeat the roll call until a speaker is elected. Congress has not had to repeat a roll call vote to elect a House speaker since 1923. McCarthy has vowed not to back down, noting he would go through several rounds of ballots until he wins the speaker position.