House Majority Leader Steve Scalise pledged to support whoever ends up being speaker – even if it’s not him – and called on his opponents to do the same.
Scalise (R-La.) touted his ability to build coalitions and unite Republicans, in an interview with Politico Friday, and vowed to support whoever the House Republican conference decides to endorse for speaker as part of his efforts to unify the fractured conference. . .
“I want to be the nominee, but I will support the nominee,” he said, calling on his friends in the race to do the same.
Scalise and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) are currently the only declared candidates running for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s vacant seat on the House floor.
“I want to be the nominee, but I will support the nominee,” Scalise said Friday. Getty Images Jordan and Scalise are both vying for the vacant House speaker seat.AP
While admitting that there was “disappointment and anger” in the conference over the unprecedented removal of McCarthy, Scalise said that he was not considering punishing any of the eight GOP members who voted in favor of the Rep.’s motion. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to vacate earlier this week.
“Look, the conversation now is: How do we get back on track? How do we get back together?” The Louisiana Republican said. “My background is someone who has built coalitions, who has brought Republicans together to come together on very difficult things.”
Scalise revealed that he was open to changing the House GOP motion to vacate the rule, which under McCarthy allowed one member to bring the motion to the floor for a vote.
“It’s going to take everyone in our conference working together if we’re going to change it,” he said, explaining that he wouldn’t seek the change if there wasn’t a consensus.
However, Scalise is less inclined to change rules that would likely ensure a smoother speaker selection process.
A group of 94 House Republicans has asked GOP leadership, in a letter Friday, to hold a special conference meeting on a proposal that would allow a House majority vote to determine the winner of the speaker election, according to the Hill.
Under current rules, a simple majority of the GOP conference is needed to elect a House speaker.
“We’re running the rules that have always been there, so let’s do it,” Scalise told Politico.
The majority leader deflected when asked about the differences between himself and Jordan, but in a change from his predecessor, Scalise said he was open to entitlement reform in an effort to cut spending and reduce the national debt.
Scalise said he is open to reforming the eligibility program under his speaker.AP
“Wherever the top line number is, you still have other issues that are a big problem, not just on spending, but on what’s driving inflation, which is part of the spending problem,” Scalise said.
“And, you know, getting debt commissions to deal with long-term debt and immediate issues that lead to insolvency — you know Medicare, Social Security. There are various things, things that we want to discuss as well, that are not discussed that need to be put on the table,” he added.
The House is expected to begin the process of electing a new speaker next week.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
