WASHINGTON – The House speaker’s job may soon be looking for a candidate again.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has vowed to vote this week to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Ga.) from office.
House Democrats have already vowed to bail out Johnson and prevent the speaker’s vacancy from becoming even more protracted, and while his move is expected to fail, there are once again concerns among lawmakers about the turmoil that would ensue from his removal. It still remains.
And Johnson’s successor remains uncertain.
Green hasn’t named his favorite yet, but said last Wednesday that he thinks “we have some talented people.” Candidates could include the same lawmaker who sought the job after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted in October.
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Steve Scalise
House Minority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) became the party’s first candidate to replace Mr. McCarthy last fall. But the Louisiana Republican became skeptical that he could muster enough support to win the gavel and withdrew from the race the next day.
Scalise, the No. 2 Republican in the House, was diagnosed with a treatable blood cancer in August.
jim jordan
After Mr. Scalise’s short-lived bid for chairman in October, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) was next in line for the job. But Republicans ultimately decided to drop Jordan after he failed to garner enough votes in each of three rounds.
Jordan, along with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), has helped lead the Republican impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Tom Emmer
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) announced his bid for speaker shortly after Jordan resigned.
The third-ranking Republican in the House had the support of Mr. McCarthy, who has since left Congress. But just hours after becoming the third Republican nominee, Emmer withdrew in the face of criticism from House conservatives and former President Donald Trump.
Emmer’s departure cleared the way for Johnson to win the nomination and win the election.
Wildcard
If the Speaker’s position becomes vacant again, the floodgates could open again and other Republicans could step into the ring alongside the three previous leading candidates for Speaker.
In addition to Scalise, Jordan and Emmer, several other Republicans also sought the speakership last year. Rep. Kevin Hahn (R-Okla.), chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest House Republican group, ran for speaker three times last year.
Rep. Byron Donald (R-Fla.), a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus and a rising Republican star, also could run for speaker again after running last year.
Other members who ran for speaker last year include Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who started protests against Jordan, and Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. included.
Some previously floated members who ultimately did not run last year may jump in this time. Some Republicans named House Budget Chairwoman Jody Arrington (R-Texas) as a consensus candidate last year, but the Texas Republican declined to run.
The powerful House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.), considered an institutionalist on Capitol Hill and respected by both sides of the aisle, was also mentioned as a possible candidate. The longtime lawmaker has dropped out of the race.
But one of these candidates could turn things around and unite the deeply divided House Republican Conference, which controls the House by just one vote, given that all of them failed to win or didn’t run last year. It is unclear whether this will be possible.
Contributor: Ken Tran, USA TODAY
