House Republicans on Wednesday nixed an internal rules change that would have helped ensure whoever wins their speaker nod has the support needed to prevail on the floor.
Most Republicans voted to table a proposal from Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) to require 217 of the 221 House Republicans to agree on their next leader before any speakership vote on the floor, where Democrats are set to remain united in support of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) are vying for the GOP’s nod in a race that could be resolved Wednesday — though many expect it could drag on longer.
After Kevin McCarthy struggled through 15 ballots before winning the speakership in January, Republicans began discussing the idea of changing their internal rules for tapping candidates to claim the top gavel.
Scalise’s allies came to view the rules change as a covert effort to block him from becoming the conference’s nominee, but advocates of the new standard argued that it would have saved House Republicans from another high-profile failure to unite behind a leader. The Roy proposal was ultimately tabled on Wednesday, according to two people with knowledge.
