Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., told Newsmax on Friday that tensions are so high in the House Republican conference, he doesn't believe anyone at this time could garner 217 votes to become the next speaker.
Since Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., dropped out of the race late Thursday, Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., are the latest candidates to replace Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was ousted last week after a historic motion to vacate vote.
"Frankly, we're having a difficult time agreeing today's Friday," Huizenga told "Newsline." "This has been a rough week and a half and tensions are very, very high. ... You've got pinched fingers and hurt feelings, not from this race, but from other extenuating circumstances."
The GOP conference was expected to have another closed-door vote Friday on whether Jordan or Scott should be speaker, with the winner needing to garner the 217 votes necessary to win the job. House Republicans are determined not to have a floor vote on the speakership until a candidate can muster 217 votes, but given the GOP's slim 221-212 majority, five holdouts can sink any candidacy.
"Honestly, I'm not sure anyone could get 217 votes today," Huizenga said. "We're still going through a lot of emotions based on what happened with Kevin McCarthy last week and it seems anyone that is connected to any kind of leadership may find themselves disqualified simply because of that, so we're going to have to work through that.
"I think Jim's vote here today will be a big test vote. He will have his opportunity and should have his opportunity to go put 217 [votes] together. If he's not able to do that, we're really starting off at square one again and then I think you will see someone completely outside of the current normal conversations."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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