House Republicans have landed on Majority Leader Steve Scalise as their pick for next speaker, with the Hill reporting he bested Jim Jordan in a 113-99 closed-door vote. Things will next head to the House floor, where he'll face off against Democrats' pick: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The one who ends up with the gavel will be the one who emerges with the majority, which could take a while. Republicans hold a very slim majority, and ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy didn't emerge victorious for 15 rounds.
The AP writes of Scalise, "The Louisiana lawmaker is seen as a hero to some after surviving a mass shooting on lawmakers at a congressional baseball game practice a few years ago." The Hill adds, "Scalise's nomination marks the pinnacle of his congressional career, which began in 2008 and has spanned more than nine years in leadership, including stints as Republican whip and, most recently, majority leader." Sources tell CNN that a full House vote won't happen today, with interim speaker Rep. Patrick McHenry expected to call a recess when the House meets at 3pm.
Several GOP lawmakers have already said they won't vote for Scalise, and it's unclear whether he has a path to winning a majority. "Surprises are for little kids at birthday parties, not Congress," Rep. Thomas Massie said in a post on X. "So, I let Scalise know in person that he doesn't have my vote on the floor." Rep. Max Miller said he would vote for Jordan even if Jordan asks his supporters to vote for Scalise, the Washington Post reports. (More Steve Scalise stories.)
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