Steve Scalise announced that he is withdrawing his candidacy for speaker of the House of Representatives after several rebel Republican legislators announced they would not vote for him. The majority leader explained his decision in a press conference in which he criticized this group "that has its own agendas" and called for unity within the party. Scalise justified withdrawing from the race by emphasizing the importance of appointing a new speaker and reopening the House's activity. Jim Jordan, who competed with Scalise to win the conservative nomination, has a good chance of getting the job, especially because he has the support of the rebels and the explicit support of Donald Trump.
Scalise: "Nobody is going to use me as an excuse"
Scalise stated that the priority must be to appoint a president who will allow the House of Representatives to function again, something that is above names and particular interests. The majority leader is concerned about the division within his party and stressed that "nobody is going to use me as an excuse to hold back our ability to get the House opened again."
There [are] still schisms that have to get resolved. I never came here for a title. I've had some great titles. I am the Majority leader of the House, and I love the job I have. But I never came here for a title, and it's much bigger than me, and it's much bigger than anybody else. And nobody is going to use me as an excuse to hold back our ability to get the House opened again. We still need to get a Speaker and I'm going to continue to push as hard as we can to make that happen as quickly as it has to happen. But it wasn't going to happen. It wasn’t going to happen today. [It] wasn't going to happen tomorrow. It needs to happen soon. But I withdraw my name and I appreciate the interest you all had along the way. We still have work to do. We have to get this done.
Now that Scalise has withdrawn himself from the race, Jim Jordan's campaign has become stronger than ever. Representatives close to Kevin McCarthy, moderates and even rebels are rallying around Jordan to bring unity to the House. Many believe the Ohio representative will be a good leader. In fact, McCarthy's opponents voted for Jordan during the first days of the speaker election in January.
It’s Jim Jordan Time!
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) October 13, 2023
I will be voting for Jim Jordan for Speaker on the floor.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) October 11, 2023
