Washington, Oct 24 (The Street Press) – On Tuesday, the U.S. Republicans chose Mike Johnson as their nominee to lead the House of Representatives. However, it’s uncertain if he might face the same challenges as other hopefuls due to the ongoing party disagreements that have caused a gridlock in Congress for over three weeks.
Representative Johnson, from Louisiana, is the fourth Republican this month to secure the party’s nomination for the Speaker’s position. This role has been empty since a small group of party rebels removed Kevin McCarthy from it on October 3rd.
The Republican disarray has had serious consequences, as lawmakers have been unable to address important issues like the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Additionally, they have not taken the necessary steps to prevent a partial government shutdown scheduled for November 18 if Congress doesn’t act.
It remains uncertain whether Johnson can successfully navigate the divisions that have hindered three previous candidates who won the party’s nomination. As a clear indication of these divisions, the second-place finisher in the nomination vote was Kevin McCarthy, who received 43 votes despite not officially running as a candidate.
Tom Emmer, who held the No. 3 position among House Republicans, initially secured the nomination earlier in the day. However, he withdrew just hours later because he faced opposition from the more conservative faction of the party.
Similar to Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan before him, Emmer’s chances were dashed by a relatively small group of dissenters who prevented him from reaching the 217 votes required to become the Speaker. This challenging requirement, combined with the party’s narrow majority of 221-212, means that any candidate can only afford to lose four votes if Democrats stay united in their opposition.
“We have no capacity at the moment to come to a verdict, and that is a very distressing place to be,” said Representative Marc Molinaro to Reuters.
Mike Johnson, known for his background as a conservative constitutional law attorney, has positioned himself as a unifying figure among the different Republican groups. He represents a northwest Louisiana district, which happens to be one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the nation.
Republican Representative Kevin Hern, who withdrew his own candidacy, praised Mike Johnson, saying, “He knows everybody very well, does a great job with bringing people to the floor, talking about our policies, and that’s what we need right now.”
In the latest contest for the Republican Speaker nomination, Mike Johnson emerged victorious over Byron Donalds, Mark Green, Roger Williams, and Chuck Fleischmann. Remarkably, this month has seen a total of 14 Republicans vying for the Speaker’s position.
DONALD TRUMP OPPOSITION
Tom Emmer withdrew his candidacy after former President Donald Trump encouraged Republicans to oppose him. Unlike many within his party, Emmer voted to certify President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, a decision that came after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Trump’s supporters.
Earlier this month, Trump supported Jim Jordan’s bid for the speakership, but Republicans abandoned this attempt last week when Jordan lost three floor votes.
Prior to these developments, the No. 2 House Republican, Steve Scalise, abandoned his bid for the position because he couldn’t secure enough votes to win the job.
Democrats have expressed a willingness to consider a compromise candidate who could help the House function more effectively. However, many Republicans have maintained a stance against supporting a candidate with backing from the opposing party on principle.
“We must pursue a bipartisan path forward and reopen the House,” emphasized top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries on social media.
The ongoing uncertainty has also contributed to the increase in the U.S. government’s borrowing costs. The government reported a record $1.7 trillion deficit for the most recent fiscal year, partially driven by higher interest payments.
