US Representative Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) has withdrawn his candidacy to be Speaker of the House of Representatives due to his inability to muster the necessary support to win a full floor vote. He was nominated by the House Republican Caucus to be the Republicans’ choice for Speaker over Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) earlier this week in a secret vote of 113 to 99. Withholding their votes from Scalise is a faction of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, [per the Associated Press](<https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-ousted-speaker-jordan-scalise-1492ca6b58604c51186015c23f7efccd|https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-ousted-speaker-jordan-scalise-1492ca6b58604c51186015c23f7efccd>). Scalise has said he will stay on as House Majority Leader. It is unclear who the GOP will next nominate as their candidate for Speaker. Without a Speaker, the House is unable to conduct virtually any business.

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##Submissions that may interest you

SUBMISSION | DOMAIN
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[Steve Scalise drops out of Speaker’s race](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4253448-steve-scalise-drops-out-speakers-race/amp/) | thehill.com
[Scalise Withdraws as Speaker Candidate, Leaving G.O.P. in Chaos](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/us/politics/scalise-jordan-house-speaker.html?) | nytimes.com
[Scalise drops out of race for speaker of the House, leaving Congress in limbo](https://www.npr.org/2023/10/12/1205627746/scalise-drops-out-of-race-for-speaker-of-the-house-leaving-congress-in-limbo?origin=NOTIFY) | npr.org
[Steve Scalise drops out of US Speaker race](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67097299) | bbc.co.uk
[GOP’s Scalise ends his bid to become House speaker after failing to secure the votes to win gavel](https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-ousted-speaker-jordan-scalise-1492ca6b58604c51186015c23f7efccd?taid=65288a41d10457000168dc1d&utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Twitter) | apnews.com
[Rep. Scalise Throws in the Towel, Quits Speaker Race](https://themessenger.com/politics/rep-scalise-throws-in-the-towel-quits-speaker-race?utm_source=onsite&utm_medium=latest_news) | themessenger.com
[House speakership stalled as Steve Scalise announces he’s withdrawing from the race](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/12/house-speaker-vote/) | washingtonpost.com
[Steve Scalise drops out of House speaker race](https://www.axios.com/2023/10/12/steve-scalise-drops-out-house-speaker) | axios.com
[Steve Scalise drops out of Speaker’s race](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4253448-steve-scalise-drops-out-speakers-race/) | thehill.com
[House remains without speaker as Republican holdouts block Scalise](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/12/us-house-speakership-steve-scalise) | theguardian.com
[Republican dissension in US House threatens Scalise speaker bid](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republican-scalise-struggles-votes-after-winning-us-house-speaker-nomination-2023-10-12/) | reuters.com
[Steve Scalise drops his bid for speaker leaving Republicans without a nominee](https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/steve-scalise-drops-his-bid-for-speaker-leaving-republicans-without-a-nominee-195055173934) | msnbc.com
[Republican Steve Scalise drops out of House speaker race](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/12/republican-steve-scalise-drops-out-of-house-speaker-race) | theguardian.com

by PoliticsModeratorBot

32 comments

  1. Either they cater to MAGA and they look like complete idiots, or they have to cross the aisle and work with Dems.

    We know what they will do.

  3. What a disaster rofl.

    At this point despite how terribly, terribly bad this is for everyone in the country, you still just have to laugh.

  4. Waiting for them to go full circle and just put McCarthy back in. That’s about their level of competence.

  5. BAH GAWD THAT’S JOHN BOEHNER’S MUSIC!

    But seriously, my guess what happens next is that Jordan tries to rally the votes, but considering how MAGA-nuts he is, I don’t see him reaching 218.

    McCarthy may give it another try but it may be a nonstarter for Dems when considering how he’s burned bridges with them and resurrected Trump’s political career.

    Speaker Jeffries? Too early to say, but may not be too far-fetched if this drags on.

  6. The lettuce wins again! Lettuce should be Republican nominee.

  7. I hope “independents” are seeing this fuckery and deciding to vote Dem in the next election cycle. This ass-clownery is genuinely awful for the country.

  8. I’m honestly torn between the giggly sensation this gives me and a distant acknowledgement I should probably be disturbed by this, but some how I’m not even surprised.

  9. I would like to put forward my cat or dog for the Speaker of the House.

  11. Worst “would you rather” ever. Guess we’re going with Sex Abuse Coverup over KKK Sympathizer.

  13. Do Republicans come here?

    I want to know how they’re feeling about this show of incompetence and lack of leadership.

  14. They’ll get their shutdown. Just going take a bit longer is all

  17. So it won’t be Scalise or Jordon, who’s left? Marge? Fucking Santos?

  19. And Jim Jordan is now the front runner meaning America is fucked.

  20. The GOP has been in this state since 2006. I don’t know how Americans keep voting for these people.

  21. Pelosi kept her people in line with no nonsense. And she actually got shit done.

  22. Sounds like scalise was not willing to strike crappy deals with the MAGA group to get votes.! I certainly do not like him but hey…I wouldn’t want my career ruined by the Jordan/Large Marge clan either!

  24. The Republican Party is an embarrassment of historic proportions. They can’t govern anything in their current form. They can’t even pick a leader. Voting for them under any circumstances is madness. Literally nothing can get done with these people.

  25. Where do they go next? Centrist candidate with a few Dem votes? But who specifically you might ask? That person doesn’t seem to still exist in this congress

  27. well that was fast…

    Jordon should not be allowed to be speaker

    insurrectionist

    contempt of congress

    protected sexual predator

    asshole

  29. And I’m pretty sure a large section of the GOP still won’t vote for Jordan after this cause Jordan would likely use the speakership to throw even more bombs than he already does. Reps in close and or swing districts wouldn’t be able to afford someone like Jordan as house speaker. Some of them are already concerned how a Trump led ticket will affect their chances next election cycle and while supporting a conservative would sure up the diehards, independents would for it unless the Dems ran an incredibly bad candidate for the swing district.

    There’s not many good options for them right now. Maybe someone from the Moderate “Problem Solvers” caucus runs and they get enough moderate Repubs and Dems to create what would probably be a fragile unity government. It’s possible but a last resort simply for the fact it would be Republicans admitting that, despite having even a slim majority, they can’t pull it together and govern. Trump for the job is out simply because he wouldn’t be able to campaign and be speaker at the same time, especially with 4 separate trials coming up and all of the civil litigation he’s currently facing. Any rep suggesting otherwise is likely just pandering to his base. Republicans could try to seek assistance to lower the threshold by making a deal with Dems but that wouldn’t solve the lack of clear choice among the Republican conference.

    The whole thing is a shit show and even if McCarthy runs again he would still have to overcome that hurdle of avoiding the 8 reps who helped remove him last time plus somehow get the Dems to not interfere again.

    What a time to be alive.

  30. Good, fuck that racist POS. The GOP will ensure there is no speaker and that the next government shutdown completely cripples the U.S. for months on end

  31. i’m starting to think they may not know where they’re doing

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