Republican Candidate for US House Speaker: Scalise... Voting Schedule Undecided (Summary)

The U.S. Republican Party has selected Steve Scalise, the House Minority Leader, as its candidate for Speaker of the House. However, the schedule for the full House vote to elect the Speaker remains uncertain.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

According to congressional media outlet The Hill and others, the Republican Party made this decision through a vote during a closed-door meeting on the 11th (local time). Scalise received 113 votes, defeating Jim Jordan, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who received 99 votes. To become Speaker, he must secure a majority in the upcoming full House vote.

However, the full House session convened that afternoon adjourned without setting a date for the next meeting, leaving the voting schedule unclear. Earlier that morning, there had been speculation that the vote might take place that afternoon. Local media reported that Scalise is working to gather support from Jordan’s backers.

If there are defections within the Republican Party during the voting process, confusion and turmoil similar to those during Kevin McCarthy’s election as Speaker could reoccur. The Republicans hold a narrow majority with 221 seats compared to the Democrats’ 212. Previously, McCarthy was elected Speaker after 15 rounds of voting earlier this year.

Scalise, a descendant of Italian immigrants, served as a Louisiana state representative and state senator before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives nine times since 2008. He is considered a typical conservative politician, supporting gun ownership rights and opposing gun control legislation despite having been a victim of a shooting incident. Local media have noted concerns about his health, mentioning that he has blood cancer.

Meanwhile, former Speaker McCarthy was historically the first Speaker to be removed from office after a resolution to dismiss him, led by hardliners within the party, passed on the 3rd following the passage of a temporary budget on the 30th of last month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.