McCarthy Says He’s Dropping Out of Battle for Speaker After Ouster; Jockeying for Next House Speaker in Full Swing After McCarthy Exit; Scalise, Jordan Vie for Votes, and related stories

McCarthy says he’s dropping out of battle for speaker after ouster:

The House adjourned for the week on Tuesday following a historic vote that ejected Kevin McCarthy as speaker and left GOP leadership in limbo.

Lawmakers will reconvene next week to elect a new speaker. Mr. McCarthy, in a shock announcement following the vote, announced he won’t run to regain the gavel because he does not believe he can win a majority of votes on the House floor.

“I won’t run for speaker again,” Mr. McCarthy said. “I’ll never give up on the American people. That doesn’t mean I have to be speaker to do what I have to do for the American people.”

Mr. McCarthy’s decision left lawmakers stunned and unsure of what to do next. It’s possible they’ll still nominate Mr. McCarthy for speaker, but if he can’t come up with the votes, they’ll have to pick someone else from within their ranks.

The leading choices include Majority Leader Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, of Minnesota, Elise Stefanik, the Conference chairwoman of New York, and Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee.

“I don’t know who would want it, I mean we’ve heard names but whether they want to go through the grind, I have no idea,” Rep. Ralph Norman, of South Carolina, said. “At this point it’s an open horse race.”

Rep. Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican and chair of the House Financial Services Committee, was designated to serve as the temporary speaker.

He was chosen by Mr. McCarthy earlier this year to serve in the event of an emergency and according to top House aides,

Mr. McCarthy was pushed out in a 216-210 vote. Only eight Republicans voted to remove Mr. McCarthy, but they were joined by all House Democrats in the floor vote, forcing out Mr. McCarthy.—>READ MORE HERE

Jockeying for next House speaker in full swing after McCarthy exit; Scalise, Jordan vie for votes:

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is shoring up votes behind the scenes to become the next speaker of the House, sources familiar with the situation told The Washington Times.

In a Dear Colleague letter on Wednesday, Mr. Scalise wrote: “Now, more than ever, we must mend the deep wounds that exist within our Conference and focus on our objectives so we can get back to work for the millions of people who are counting on us.”

He stated, “It is with that sense of responsibility and purpose that I am seeking the Conference’s nomination for Speaker of the House.”

The House will return from recess next week when a speaker vote is expected so the lower chamber can elect its new leader.

In the meantime, Rep. Patrick McHenry, North Carolina Republican, was named by California Rep. Kevin McCarthy as acting speaker.

Mr. Scalise, 57, has already won the endorsements of Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas and Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota. If Mr. Scalise becomes speaker, Mr. Emmer has a chance to rise to majority leader.

Mr. Scalise, Louisiana Republican, who signaled he wasn’t interested in the speakership when Mr. McCarthy battled to maintain the gavel until Tuesday, is making phone calls for speaker endorsements.

The majority leader is expected to meet with the Texas Republican delegation at its lunch Wednesday, with 25 of its votes up for grabs. Other potential speaker candidates might meet with the delegation as well.

Mr. Scalise, who has served in the House since 2008, likely will be up against stiff competition, including Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the House Judiciary Committee chairman who’s also seeking endorsements..—>READ MORE HERE

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