WASHINGTON: Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives met on Wednesday to choose between two candidates - Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan - to lead their narrow majority a week after a small group of dissidents ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
As lawmakers gathered for the closed-door vote, neither candidate appeared to hold a clear advantage. Scalise, who is No. 2 on the leadership ladder, has drawn the support of many veteran and establishment Republican lawmakers, while Jordan, an outspoken leader of the party's right wing, had the backing of many conservatives.
McCarthy could be in the mix as well, as he has not discouraged talk of a comeback, as could Patrick McHenry, the acting speaker.
The secret-ballot vote is the start of what could be a long and messy process to install a new speaker after a small faction of far-right Republicans deposed McCarthy last week and threw the chamber into chaos.
Before lawmakers start voting on a speaker, they are expected to decide on what threshold is needed to win: a simple majority of Republicans, or an absolute total of 217 votes, enough to ensure victory in the full House.
Representative Tom Cole said the higher threshold could allow a handful of holdouts to create gridlock, as they have repeatedly done this year. "It's just overly complicated and we ought to just pick a winner," he said.
Scalise and Jordan told Republicans at a closed-door forum on Tuesday night that they would each back the candidate chosen as nominee, an agreement that could help expedite matters.
But some predict they will not be able to resolve their differences and unite behind a candidate quickly.
"My unfortunate estimation is that it will take several rounds and maybe even days of voting," Republican Representative Ben Cline said in an interview.
It took only eight Republicans to oust McCarthy last week, a fact that could make leading the caucus a challenge for any new speaker.
Representative Ken Buck, one of the eight, said a "significant number" of Republicans could decline to vote for a candidate in Wednesday's first ballot.
Buck said Jordan and Scalise provided unsatisfactory answers on the question of reining in spending on Tuesday night. He predicted that more candidates could join the race. — Reuters
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