Washington DC, United States: The Republicans have elected Majority Leader Steve Scalise as their nominee for the speaker of the House. Scalise has been elected to compete on the job position after the historic ouster of Representative Kevin McCarthy last week.
According to the members, Scalise have defeated Jim Jordan – Judiciary Committee Chair, in the race. Scalise gathered a total of 113 votes, whereas Jordan just got 99. The Republicans met behind closed doors to choose their nominee.
It is to be noted that to become a House Speaker, Scalise need to secure 217 votes from the full House and the Republicans who votes for Jordan are showing no interest to vote and elect Scalise.
Some reports have claimed that some GOP members have shown interest that vote should be casted on Wednesday however some have stated that there must be no rushing to vote.
It is to be noted that Republicans have selected Scalise as their nominee through a secret ballot, which happened behind closed doors.
Removal of McCarthy:
The US House of Representatives voted and removed Kevin McCarthy last week. This historical removal started a head-to-head battle between Scalise and Jordan. It is to be noted that the surprised conflict between Israel and Hamas has lent urgency to filling the role.
After the closed-door election, Scalise had interaction with the media reports. During which he said, “We have a lot of work to do, not just in the House for the people of this country, but we see how dangerous of a world it is and how things can change so quickly,” as per the reports by CBS News.
Emphasizing on the fact that the House should move swiftly to elect a speaker as the war has erupted in Israel, he added, “We need to make sure we’re sending a message to people all throughout the world that the House is open and doing the people’s business.”
Scalise’s support for Israel:
While having interaction with the reports, Scalise outlined that if he will take the helm as speaker, the first resolution to be taken by house will be declaring US support for Israel.
However, along with this, it is to be mentioned that the next speaker will have to importantly deal with a fast-approaching deadline to fund the government as last month Congress passed a legislation to keep agencies operating through November 17, reported CBS News.
Who is Steve Scalise?
Steve Scalise currently serve as the majority leader, his seat will be vacant if he will be elected as the House Speaker. He was elected to Congress in 2008, represented Louisiana’s first Congressional District.
Scalise has been battling with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. He is undergoing treatment for the same. He shared this news with the general public in August and underscored that it is “very treatable.” Expectedly, Scalise will undergo treatment for the same for several upcoming months.
The leader had a near-death experience in the year 2017. At that time, he was shot by a gun man while having morning baseball practice in northern Virginia. He was accompanied by other Republican members of Congress. According to several reports, he was admitted in the hospital for around four months.
Scalise’ bid to become speaker:
Scalise shared his bid to become speaker last week through a letter to colleagues. The letter read, “God already gave me another chance at life.”
He further noted, “I believe we were all put here for a purpose. This next chapter won’t be easy, but I know what it takes to fight and I am prepared for the battles that lie ahead. I humbly ask you for your support on this mission to be your Speaker of the House.”