Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the ranking member of the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee, said his congressional colleagues need to find a quick and workable solution to the House speaker election standoff, which has consumed two full days of activity that could have been better spent on implementing the GOP's agenda for 2023.
"We need to get a speaker, and we need to do it now," Comer told Newsmax on Wednesday evening, while appearing on "Rob Schmitt Tonight."
"At the end of the day, we have to get to 218 [votes to elect a speaker]; and if we can't get to 218 for other pieces of legislation, the Republicans in the House will be like the Republicans in the Senate, where they're working for the Democrats," said Comer.
The Kentucky Republican continued: "If there's always 20 people objecting to [legislation in the House] because it's not a perfect bill ... then you'll have in the House what you have in the Senate — moderate Republicans and Democrats working together to spend more money that we don't have."
Comer's No. 1 choice for the speakership hasn't wavered over the past two days: It's Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
"Kevin McCarthy is the one guy who can work to get to 218" with House legislation votes, said Comer. "Hopefully, [the voting impasse] will be a good lesson for everyone: If you can get 80% of what you want, then that's a victory in the legislative body."
With each passing round of no speaker securing the necessary 218 votes, Comer conjures up more worst-case scenarios in his head, involving a so-called "compromise" choice for speaker, other than McCarthy or Democrat Party leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
"For two days, Democrats have sat back and watched Republicans in this stalemate," said Comer, who acknowledged his newfound concerns of 10-12 "moderate" Republicans working with Democrats to create a new speaker candidate from seemingly out of the blue.
"I'm worried they'll [nominate] a Republican speaker whose objective is to work with Democrats on legislation," said Comer. "If that happens, everything those 20 [GOP holdouts with McCarthy] are fighting for is just flushed down the commode."
Under that hypothetical, Comer estimates the Democrat-influenced bills in the House would "only get worse. We'll have even more spending."
Factoring in all the drama from the past two days, Comer said there's only one recourse for House Republicans, moving forward: "Everyone has made their points. ... Now, both sides can come away from this declaring victory," said Comer.
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.