Vacancy

[Photo by Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images - January 4, 2023]

AUTHOR’S NOTE

The following is an extensive composition of congressional history embarking upon the events related to a three-plus week period of October 2023, during which, for the first time, the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives was declared vacant after a procedural motion to vacate the chair was successful; only requiring a simple majority vote.

Upon the time Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted from his high post, I understood that the occasion was of historical significance, and sought after the chance to write about it. In its genesis, I thought the House would at least wait a week to sort things out, and eventually have a new Speaker officially voted upon and sworn-in by then. But my predictions were wrong. As days turned into weeks, I became rattled with continuous questions trying to figure out what was happening and why. 

My process of accumulating information to keep track on what was happening within the halls of Congress, I was collecting 2 to 3 newspapers a day at my local grocery store [usually the New York Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal], reading the various articles of the about anything related to the vacant speakership, only to open them up again at home on my desk after work. As each day presented itself with new information to stay on top of, for organizational purposes, I scanned and wrote down the release date of every article, newspaper, and congressional record transcript that came my way, and went through the process of highlighting and taking notes from what stood out during that day's events. 

With newspapers making up a good chunk of my citations that are to follow, I've listed the author's name, the original title as it was, the outlet of publication, the date of which I accessed the paper [usually on its date of release], and provided the link to that article. I chose to give the article's link because publications may run their online and print versions under a different title. A few newspapers I came across did not have links to their online publication, so no link was provided.

While not every day meant collecting a newspaper, every newspaper collected during the three-plus weeks of October was put into a storage box for historical conservation purposes to prevent further erosion or damage. The newspapers are still kept in that very box at the time of this writing. 

In addition, I took the time to bookmark many posts from the social media site Twitter-X, trying to stay up to date with congressional journalists who obtained primary source materials, such as Dear Colleague letters, official membership stationary, soundbites from lawmakers, or just sharing the general feeling of what happened after a party meeting.

While I believe journalists tend to react upon events happening within the current day, journalists do hold value for historians, to some extent, by becoming an aid in drafting historiography. Nonetheless, historians see a set of events upon a variety of days, connecting the dots that draw up a larger picture, and react to its make up. Much of the material I found on my own accord are cited under the necessary footnotes from the journalists of their respective publications, and I provide further commentary within those footnotes too. 

I've also taken into account six transcripts from the Congressional Record during its House sessions, as well as closed-captioned transcripts provided by C-SPAN. Reviewing these  closed-captioned materials were challenging, whether they were a House session or press conference. Either because words were not presented under the proper captioning, not picked up by the microphone, or simply becoming inaudible. Even under C-SPAN's own accord, marked was a label indicating the text was compiled from uncorrected closed captioning. 

I was able to touch base with C-SPAN's communications director, Howard Mortman, who was kind enough to share the following that I believe could be useful for anybody:

"Hi there Craig -- thanks for the note -- and for your undertaking! The short answer: the 'transcript' is actually the closed captioning, computer-generated closed captioning.  It's done by an outside service.  We don't correct the closed captioning because of the enormous time and resources involved.  I always warn reporters and members of the public to us[e] that 'transcript' as a guide, but never copy-and-paste, because there will be errors.  And to always check against the video. That said, there are instances where we do have a better transcript. When there's official Congressional Record is best example… But typically what you see in there is the unofficial, uncorrected, errored closed captioning."

Trying to combat this issue, I would watch the video first in full length, whether it was a House session or a press conference by a given lawmaker. I would watch the video again for a second time with the unofficial closed captioned transcript, writing in what I believed were the words accurately portrayed at that moment. When I found areas that I was not sure about, I would slow down the video to make out for the best possible phrase. Please understand that while the links to C-SPAN videos are provided, various parts of a transcript within this piece have been edited for clarity.

After Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was sworn in as McCarthy's successor to become the next Speaker, I took a two-week break from reviewing anything related to the motion to vacate. While I confirm that it did feel a bit overwhelming at times, the time gap was necessary so that I could come back to review my collected materials anew with a formidable, concise, and genuine understanding. 

As for the structure of this piece, there is an introduction, followed by a total of four weekly chapters, and a conclusion. I also want to clarify while the political predicaments of Speaker Johnson's tenure are up for discussion, such a topic is only worthy of further consideration.

With all that being said, this personal project took six months to complete, and it wouldn't have been possible without the support and encouragement from friends, family, and my readers. And to that I say, thank you. 

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INTRODUCTION

“All of a sudden, my phone keeps sending text messages, saying: ‘Hey, give me money.’ Look at that. Oh, look: ‘Give me money. I filed a motion to vacate.’ Using official actions, officials actions to raise money; it is disgusting. It is what is disgusting about Washington.” - Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA)¹

Congress functions as an institution of American representative democracy, an engine keeping the country going forward: a place, both of honor and for the betterment of the public good. But it’s not without faults; individual characters who dwindle upon such a place of historic vibrance. Found above its immense foundation, many seek opportunities to create head waves, head turns, or just roll along to get along. But eventually, cracks develop, loosening the foundation, making way for the governing body to collapse, spiraling into chaos. 

The events that engulfed the House of Representatives into political despair caused by the actions taken by a minority within the governing majority party, ended the speakership of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). It took three weeks to get a new Speaker, but the damage done may just come at a price.

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Barely a full day after the October 3rd ousting, Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Nancy Mace (R-SC), one vocal firebrand and the other a lukewarm moderate, both sat down inside the “War Room” production room hosted by the controversial political media figure, Steve Bannon.

There were two aspects to approach this podcast: reaching out towards the political base, and fundraising. As detailed by Annie Karni for the New York Times, “In past decades, right-wing rebels on Capitol Hill have encountered trouble getting real traction — shunned by lobbyists and big-money political action committees, excluded from leadership suites in the Capitol and disregarded by Fox News. But with the help of Mr. Bannon, who streams live for four hours every weekday, Mr. Gaetz and others don’t need to rely on any of that.” Willingly, the art of politics is not just majoring in theatrics, it’s acquiring money from donors, down to the last cent; fundraising.²

Money talks in politics, and while Bannon may cast the present two with the Gang of Eight, or the “Crazy Eight,” who voted against their party, joining every House Democrat to oust McCarthy as Speaker, wealthy donors close to party establishment circles may not flock to open their checkbooks. But an audience of small dollar donors will, even if it meant to be a contribution between $5-$20 can still go far. Cash is not strapped per se, rather it’s figuring out a new target audience, which is primarily the base’s core. Bannon allowed Gaetz and Mace to come on the show to an unfiltered platform, free to speak their mind towards the base of the Republican party. For this particular crowd, politics was never about compromise; it’s confrontation. Because confrontation may just mean more money flowed into one’s political campaign. 

Introducing both Gaetz and Mace as “architects and heroes of yesterday,” allowed them the time they needed to make their fundraising call. Mace addressed listeners by telling her campaign website, stressing the need for help given that the party establishment was going after her. “They’ve threatened to dry up all my money. I’ve had multiple members, previous to the vote last night, threaten to withhold fund-raising if I took this vote. It’s a huge amount of pressure. They call your staff, they scare them.”³

What the events from the night before were historic, as Gaetz cautioned by saying, “Do not allow the posse to get punch drunk,” indicating that there still was more work to be done.⁴

One of the media-heavy characters of the modern day era of congressional politics is Matt Gaetz. As the opening for another article summarizing the Florida man, “He is polarizing in Washington and polarizing at home. And in both places these days, he is getting more attention than anyone might expect, given his lack of seniority and thin legislative record.”⁵

A master of his own craft in the ability to seek attention, many have a mixed picture about the lawmaker from the Floridian panhandle:

Okaloosa County Republican Party Chairwoman Sandra Atkinson, in Florida, said how proud the party was to follow Gaetz due to being a man of his word. “If we got rid of the speaker of the House, hopefully we get someone in there who doesn’t make backdoor deals with Democrats.”⁶

Meanwhile on the other side of the aisle, Phil Ehr, a Democrat who ran against Gaetz in 2018, said, “He is following through on using chaos as both a performative art — that phrase is overused but it’s true — and because he’s frustrated he’s not getting his own way.” Adding, “In some ways, he’s acting like a petulant child.”⁷

Yet there are those who may have a favorable tuning towards Gaetz, and do question his motives. Escambia County Republican Party chairman John Roberts, proclaimed that while they may not be mad at the congressman, suggesting it may have been the wrong move [about the ouster], he’s still good at his position.⁸

A resident of Pensacola, Tim Hudson, was said that ousting McCarthy made his support for Gaetz more staunch, mentioning that the events which unfolded, “speaks to how the world really is right now. We’re tired. We’re fed up. We want to see people start getting things done.”⁹

Describing nation-wide supporters similar to Mr Hudson, Gaetz loudly attested on the House floor, “When it comes to how those raise money, I take no lecture on asking patriotic Americans to weigh in and contribute to this fight.”¹⁰

On CBS “Face the Nation” a Sunday morning political talk show, Kevin McCarthy declared “Bring it on,” for he was ready for a congressional showdown on the House floor, brought by none other than Matt Gaetz, calling it a personal vendetta. “If he’s upset because he tried to push us in a shutdown and I made sure government didn’t shut down, then let’s have that fight,” McCarthy insisted.¹¹

According to insight from Politico, at the time, “Some Republicans say the Gaetz’s effort could be hurt by the idea he’s simply seeking retribution against McCarthy over the ethics probe. And some McCarthy allies are vowing to try to oust him from office if the House Ethics report finds him at fault.”¹²

The outlet also noted that McCarthy’s supporters believed that Gaetz’s attempt to unseat the California lawmaker, was because he blamed the Speaker for a House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz, triggered by a probe in the Justice Department related to possible alleged sex trafficking. The federal probe was concluded earlier in the year, and Gaetz was not charged. Gaetz also claimed that his threat to oust McCarthy wasn’t personal.¹³

“Bring it on,” a tweet published by McCarthy read on Monday, October 2nd. Gaetz responded in a quote-tweet, “Just did.”¹⁴

So, just who is Matt Gaetz? For one, Florida’s GOP delegation viewed Gaetz as someone who was carrying out a personal vendetta, using this opportunity as, “an overzealous bid for attention and of trying to position himself to become the state’s future governor,” wrote both Kimberly Leonard and Mia McCarthy of Politico.¹⁵

Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-FL) expressed that Gaetz was solely about clicks. “He’s about how many cameras he can get shoved in his face and he’s a historical figure because he caused for the first time in history and all that. I think he gets off on that.”¹⁶

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), speaking to Fox News co-anchor Bill Hemmer, was said that while he may disagree with Gaetz, he does respect his voice. “I actually disagreed with it and I told Matt that I don’t agree with this, we should not be doing this, we should be focused on funding the government, working through our appropriations bill and securing the nation’s border.”¹⁷

Furthermore as he explained to the anchor:

“Bill, I don’t have to agree with a member even though I do respect every member’s voice. They represent people in their district just like I represent people in mine. I think the – one thing that has come out of this: the days of just top down leadership in Washington I believe those days are over. But this is not going to be the prettiest picture for everybody to see what democracy, the republic as it stands is what will flourish going forward. I may not agree with the tactical decision but I respect every member’s ability to do it.”¹⁸

Rich Lowry of National Review even went on to say that Gaetz has become a “micro-celebrity via constant outrage. There’s a reason that Gaetz conducts himself with the thoughtfulness of an anonymous Twitter-X account — because attention, especially on social media, is his ultimate metric of success.”¹⁹

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) displayed through Twitter-X a sense of disappointment in Gaetz’s motives, “If you’re voting with every single Democrat in the House to oust a Republican speaker, it’s not about winning for your constituents. It’s not about winning for conservatives. Based on all the fundraising emails we are seeing, it’s only about personal attention. There are people who fight for you, and people who fight for your attention. Big difference.”²⁰

Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) who did support McCarthy, came towards Gaetz’s defense when it came to fundraising, saying that the panhandle congressman would need to defend himself by attaining “monetary capital” given the fact he was to take on the D.C. swamp.²¹

But not everyone is one the firebrand when it comes to roasting Gaetz over the coals. Auguste Meyrat, through the American Conservative, provided a thorough explanation as to why Gaetz’s motives are more helpful towards the legislative branch than it is harmful. 

Noting a dispute between Gaetz and Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo, she suggested three of the following points: 1) McCarthy had made enough concessions to those in the conservative-end of the party, 2) By demanding more with a handful-sized majority, it may give way for Democrats to spend, 3) Government shutdowns will make Republicans look as down-right bad to voters.²²

Meyrat portrayed that Gaetz was able to go through each of these points, so far as to say that in the first matter, McCarthy was very scant in even coming close to holding his end of the bargain. Even underlining an opinion article by none other than domestic correspondent for the New York Times, Michelle Cottle, with the headline, “Maybe Matt Gaetz Is Right,” and how McCarthy’s concessions were too few, or a little too late; Second, if Republicans weren’t willing to use a looming shutdown as a way to get more demands from Democrats to come down to a compromise, “then Democrats are effectively spending as much as they please… For the GOP, there’s little to lose and potentially much to gain from having a little more backbone.”; Third, voters don’t care about a government shutdown, arguing, “the actual consequences of a shutdown are laughably light. The government will still fund its essential functions, and the country will carry on as before.” The point being, with Democrats always pointing the blame on former President Trump and the GOP for their own policy failures, they would be fools to believe that push, given the current administration's economic failure, his senility, corruption, and incompetence.²³

“Everything is funded with periodic omnibus spending bills, no questions asked… Yet when nearly all spending, good and bad, is packaged into a 4,000-plus page monstrosity of a bill, it’s impossible to reform anything or hold anyone accountable.” Further mentioning that to Gaetz’s point, the legislature exists to serve not the American people, but rather the special interest groups that make up Washington D.C, therefore renouncing its own power and responsibility. Had Congress read the bills it voted on, or brought about single-subject bills, it would be a better alternative versus the all-in-one option that seems to be present.²⁴

Legislators in both parties will fight to change the status quo because the proposed method of change will make them more accountable to their voters. “They would prefer to continue placating the latter, lying to the former, and sustaining the shadow oligarchy that currently rules America.” Concluding his piece by saying that Americans should support Gaetz, whether or not he holds his heart in the right place, his argument to make the legislative branch a democratic institution was valid: Gaetz was a hero, not a villain.²⁵

While it may be robust to fix a broken legislative system, teaming up with Democrats is not the best way to go about changing the process, for they are likely prone to continue the status quo of thousand-paged omnibus bills, for better or for worse. 

“You’re damn right I’m fundraising off this right now because the establishment is coming after me for taking a principle stand,” said Rep. Mace, for she told Fox Business Network anchor Neil Cavuto. “If your viewers want to help out, they can go to NancyMace.org. I am not going to be shamed for doing this…”²⁶

For all the gist of calling the ouster of McCarthy, “a far-right challenge to Mr McCarhty’s leadership, where eight GOP hard-liners joined Democrats to strip the California Republican of the speaker’s gavel,” Mace doesn’t quite fit that imaginative narrative that some on the Left-flank seem to imply.²⁷

“Today I voted for the Motion to Vacate and remove the Speaker. This isn’t about left vs right. This isn’t about ideology. This is about trust and keeping your word. This is about making Congress do its job…” read Mace’s fundraising email. In a facade-like fashion, Mace made her reputation so bewildered, as if it were a joker in a deck of cards, because playing to both camps, seeming moderate, all while trying to stay lukewarm to her colleagues towards the right. It’s all a play to draw attention to her own brand.²⁸

She has been vocal in her party, publicly identifying her willingness to break with them, “when needed.” Being a fiscal conservative, while moderate on social stances, is what she believed could  help win back independents who aren’t all pizzazz of former President Trump. The moderate lawmaker’s decision to vote against McCarthy came at a surprise to many, since she was favored by those in leadership circles, and was recruited by McCarthy was off to run in the South Carolinian swing district.²⁹

McCarthy, speaking about Rep. Mace after the historic vote said, “I bite my lip. I let people say things that are not true. But it’s not right.” Eliza Collins for the Wall Street Journal, described in further detail: “He said he had spoken with Mace’s chief of staff ahead of the removal vote, and that the aide assured McCarthy he had kept his word as it related to Mace’s requests. Asked to respond to that account, Mace said: ‘It was sad to see him fall apart the way he did last night.’ She said she and the aide in question were drinking together at a nearby bar [Bullfeathers] while McCarthy gave his press conference.”³⁰

Mace justified her vote against McCarthy saying in an interview the day after, “Promises that I was made were not kept. I have been working very hard on very specific issues for a very long time. When you shake a hand and make a promise, you ought to keep it.” Additionally she noted that McCarthy hadn’t brought legislation he promised he would, nor include measures that dealt with birth control access, or pledges in regards to spending bills.³¹

When a rumor was spreading around at the time, that she and the seven others could possibly be kicked off their committee seats or from the GOP Conference, she hashed out on social media stating, “The GOP is supposed to be the party of free speech and diversity of opinion. If kicking one of your strongest female voices off committees or out of the conference is how you want to show that, bring it.”³²

To paraphrase Jared Kushner’s interview with Youtube podcast host Lex Fridman, working in business meant things were outcome and results oriented. New York will have someone stab you in the eye, but in Washington D.C. they’ll stab you in the back. Both ultimately show the dynamics between the two areas, and how to work through them.³³

In a soundbite while being interviewed by CBS, Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) spoke about the fundraising endeavors embarked by Gaetz, Mace, and Co, “It’s about raising campaign contributions. I think [it] should be illegal — I think it’s disgusting and some of the swampiest behavior you can have.” To add, Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) suggested, “If the purpose is because it’s going to help me build my brand and gonna bring a little bit more money to my campaign, then I think you need to question why you’re here.”³⁴

David Harsanyi’s article in the The Federalist goes about saying how the Republican base, represented by only eight lawmakers, have always wanted to go against the interest of their own party’s prospects, even if that meant teaming up with Democrats on the other aisle to oust McCarthy from his role as House Speaker. McCarthy wasn’t ejected by the means of his party, rather, because eight Republicans had nothing better to do, if at all, “can’t do anything by themselves,” staging a political coup with Democrats as personal vendettas.³⁵

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) claimed to show support in Gaetz’s efforts because, “Republicans have shown an ‘unwillingness to break from MAGA extremism in an authentic and comprehensive manner, House Democratic leadership will vote yes on the pending Republican Motion to Vacate the Chair.’” Harsanyi continued, “The notion that Democrats are backing a leading MAGA loyalist because they want to temper the ‘extremism’ of Republicans makes about as much sense as Jamaal Bowman’s fire alarm story. Democrats keep pretending they yearn for a more responsible GOP and stable political environment, then keep supporting every fringe effort and candidate to undermine both.”³⁶

Mick Mulvaney, former President Trump’s chief of staff, and a former congressman himself expressed the situation in an article written in The Hill. 

Because of a temporary funding bill that garnered bipartisan support to avert a government shutdown, which had more Democrats voting for the measure than Republicans, “that bipartisan bill triggered a motion to remove the Speaker.” While McCarthy likely understood the situation to bring up the bill for a vote would garner such an action against him, what seemed to be unexpected was how Democrats dropped the effort all of a sudden in desiring to work together. “Every single one of them — even the ones allegedly claiming to be leading voices on the importance of bipartisanship and cooperation — voted to remove the Speaker,” Mulvaney expressed. “They cooperated in a plot to remove McCarthy for doing exactly what they claimed they wanted him to do.³⁷

In the days leading up towards the vote, McCarthy understood that Democrats weren’t willing to help him out, since he didn’t want to rely on Democratic votes to save his position. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), chairwoman of the Progressive Caucus had announced, “We’re not saving the speaker.” Additionally, “We’re not voting in any way that would help Speaker McCarthy. Nobody trusts Kevin McCarthy, and why should they?”³⁸

Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) issued a statement portraying how McCarthy, “has repeatedly chosen to weaken the institution by bending to extremists rather than collaborating across the aisle. He has inherited the chaos he has sown.”Even former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that Democrats should, “follow the leader.”³⁹

Yet if Democrats came to a respectable approach, they could have at least made a split just before the big vote. “Democrats could have easily split their votes just enough to save McCarthy. They could have telegraphed that, if indeed there was a vote for Speaker, that they would support their own leader, Hakeem Jeffries, but that prior to that, they would have voted to table (kill) the motion to vacate, or simply abstained from the vote. A vote for Speaker is a personal matter. A vote to table, however, is an institutional one.”⁴⁰

In essence, bipartisanship was only a mere talking point for Democrats, for they never had any desire for such a thing. “It is just a distraction from what they really want, which is to be in control again.  And you can bet that when that happens — and it will happen — they will be just as uninterested in bipartisanship as they were on Tuesday,” he concluded.⁴¹

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, a historical firebrand who was known to go against the establishment of his party in the 80’s, told conservative media host Sean Hannity that the four percent siding with Democrats was political suicide, let alone labeling them as traitors. “I mean, are they going, you know, make Hakeem the speaker? And they don't have any strategy. These were eight people on a suicide mission with no idea of the next step.”⁴²

The New York Post editorial board ran their own summary of events, as the historic events that unfolded for all eyes to see all came down to simply hot hair. The “sound and fury, signifying nothing except cynical nihilism and likely weeks of chaotic paralysis.” They drew Gaetz and the other seven rebels talked much about high principles, and a Republic in crisis, “but all they were really doing was burning down the House, or at least the House Republican majority.” In doing so, Gaetz got the chaos he wanted thanks to Democratic support, in all irony.⁴³

“No one knows what comes next: The rebels have no candidate for speaker, let alone a plan for keeping the party’s most moderate members from turning to the Democrats in desperation for a return to regular order,” the editorial board stated. “Gaetz and his allies didn’t take a bold stand for anything but self-indulgent nihilism — they were mad at how things have been going, so they blew everything up. The reality remains that the Dems control the White House and the Senate, so the Republicans in Congress are unable to get much done, let alone realize the demands knocking about in Gaetz’s wildest dreams.”⁴⁴

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WEEK 1 

On an early Monday afternoon of October 2nd, Gaetz presided in the well of the House floor to make his remarks during 5-minute speeches. The subject of his speech, according to the Congressional Record, was titled, “Secret Side Deal on Ukrainian Funding.”⁴⁵

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to raise a question: What was the secret side deal on Ukraine?” Gaetz noted that the Speaker, who previously had Republicans vote on a continuing resolution [CR] to avoid the Senate portion, was cutting a side deal with Democrats, all to bring Ukraine legislation to the floor. “So let me get this straight: To extend Joe Biden’s spending and Joe Biden’s policy priorities, the Speaker of the House gave away to Joe Biden the money for Ukraine that Joe Biden wanted…”⁴⁶

“The Speaker of the House has responded to these reports of a secret side deal on money for Ukraine, opaquely stating that he still wants to fund Ukraine and our border. I have a few replies to this statement. First, the Speaker’s statement confirms the existence of a secret deal. I have talked to Members of our own leadership who have said they didn’t even know that Speaker McCarthy was negotiating a secret side deal outside of our Conference, outside of his own leadership team for the sake of Ukraine. Second, Ukraine has lost the support of a majority of the majority. The last time there was a freestanding Ukraine vote on this floor, it was last week—101 Republicans voted for it, 117 Republicans voted against it. According to the Hastert rule, which Speaker McCarthy agreed to in January, you cannot use Democrats to roll a majority of the majority on something as consequential as Ukraine. So for all the crocodile tears about what may happen later this week about a motion to vacate, working with the Democrats is a yellow brick road that has been paved by Speaker McCarthy, whether it was the debt limit deal, the CR, or now the secret deal on Ukraine. Third, this is swampy logrolling…”⁴⁷ 

Gaetz insisted that the Speaker was not working for the betterment of the Republican Conference. Had such members within the Conference heard about the Speaker’s secret deal with Democrats on Ukraine, perhaps members might vote differently when a motion to vacate would arise. “I will be listening. Stay tuned.”⁴⁸

After the speech, the Speaker pro tempore quickly mentioned to lawmakers on the floor that  members ought to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President and should direct their remarks to the chair.⁴⁹

Later into the evening, Gaetz filed the motion upon the entire House floor to vacate the chair, the floor proceeding was detailed into the record as shown:

Mr. Gaetz: Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I rise to give notice of my intention to raise a question of the privileges of the House. 

The Speaker pro tempore: The gentleman will state the form of his resolution. The form of the resolution is as follows: 

Gaetz: Declaring the Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant. Resolved, that the Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives is hereby declared to be vacant. 

Speaker pro tempore: Under rule IX, a resolution offered from the floor by a Member other than the majority leader or the minority leader as a question of the privileges of the House has immediate precedence only at a time designated by the Chair within 2 legislative days after the resolution is properly noticed. Pending that designation, the form of the resolution noticed by the gentleman from Florida will appear in the RECORD at this point. The Chair will not at this point determine whether the resolution constitutes a question of privilege. That determination will be made at the time designated for consideration of the resolution…⁵⁰

The following day on October 3rd, McCarthy spoke to his Republican House colleagues in a closed-door meeting, in which he claimed to have no regrets about his speakership, “If you throw a speaker out that has 99 percent of their conference, that kept government open and paid the troops, I think we’re in a really bad place for how we’re going to run Congress.” His remarks were met with standing ovations amongst the Conference, even interrupting him at times.⁵¹

But such a stance wasn’t enough for Gaetz to back-track his resolution, soon introducing it by mid-afternoon:

Mr Gaetz: Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of the House and offer the resolution I previously noticed. 

Speaker pro tempore: The Clerk will report the resolution. 

The Clerk read as follows: H. Res. 757 Resolved, That the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives is hereby declared to be vacant. 

Speaker pro tempore. The resolution qualifies as a question of the privileges of the House. 

Mr. Cole. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to table at the desk. 

Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion. 

The Clerk read as follows: Mr. Cole of Oklahoma moves to lay the resolution on the table. 

Speaker pro tempore. The question is on the motion to table. 

The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it. 

Ms. Scanlon. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. 

The yeas and nays were ordered. The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 208, nays 218, not voting 7.⁵²

With the motion to table [kill] being rejected, debate began on the continuation of the motion to vacate the Speaker. It is this portion that many found themselves in the heat of the moment on the House floor.

The chair recognized both lawmakers, Mr. Gaetz of Florida, and Mr. Cole of Oklahoma, where each would have control for 30 minutes during the one-hour debate on the House floor. It is worth mentioning here that the GOP conference blocked microphones on its side of the chamber’s floor, which led Gaetz to speak from the microphone located on the Democratic side instead.⁵³

In the genesis of the debate, Gaetz gave time to his colleague Rep. Bob Good of Virginia. But before he was allowed to speak, the chair set a reminder to all colleagues that everyone ought to be heard. So it was necessary that the well and aisles of the House floor be clear, and that all extraneous conversations were to be taken from the floor.⁵⁴

Good started out his cause by proclaiming, “Mr. Speaker, like so many others, I deeply regret that we are here in what was a totally avoidable situation... Back in January, I expressed my concern that the previous 2 years during my first term here in this House, we had not used every tool at our disposal to fight against the harmful, radical Democrat agenda that is destroying the country, bankrupting the country, and under which the American people are suffering.” Good expressed a meeting he had with McCarthy, telling him he had his support, and wanted for him to be successful because the country needed him to be successful. Relying on instances such as passing the Parents Bill of Rights and the Limit, Save, Grow bill, which Good attested was cutting spending to pre-COVID levels on non-defense discretionary spending, and other conservative fiscal reforms the Speaker had committed to do in January.⁵⁵

As Good saw it, the Speaker who fought for spending reform and a commitment for cuts, was all but discarded as a failed responsibility act (FRA), seeking the help of Democratic votes to avert a government shutdown; validating the concern conservatives had in January. As Good contested, “Many of us had begged the Speaker, pleaded with the Speaker repeatedly, to utilize the debt ceiling to leverage spending cuts and reforms. Instead, he negotiated an unlimited increase to the debt ceiling through January of ‘25, as much as we can come together and gleefully spend through January of ‘25, with no significant wins for the American people in that FRA or failed responsibility act.”⁵⁶

Amongst the calls for a balanced budget vote to come to the floor, bringing all 12 appropriations bills well before the September 30 fiscal deadline, the Speaker, in Good’s view, had yet to, “cast the vision, request the support of the entire Conference…” Furthermore, Good emphasized that, “the Speaker made it abundantly clear that he was willing to do anything to avoid the temporary discomfort and the pressure of a pause in the 15 percent of the nonessential Federal Government operations, which would guarantee that we would lose to the Senate Democrats and the White House. If you are not willing to say no, then you are guaranteed to lose.” The passage of the so-called, “unconditional 45-day CR,” explained by Good, a Republican bill, passed with House Democratic votes, 209–1; 51–0 on the Senate side.⁵⁷

“The Speaker fought through 15 votes in January to become Speaker but was only willing to fight through one failed CR before surrendering to the Democrats on Saturday. We need a Speaker who will fight for something, anything, besides just staying or becoming Speaker. If there was ever a time to fight with $33 trillion in national debt, a $2 trillion deficit this year, 40-year high inflation, 20-year high interest rates, a downgraded credit rating, and for the first time in modern history and despite all the help of the media blaming Republicans in the House, the polls showing that the public was blaming Biden and the Democrats for an imminent shutdown. If not fight now, when would we fight? Now is and was the time. With the Democrats driving the fiscal bus off the cliff at 100 miles an hour, we cannot simply be content to be the party that slows it down to 95 just so we can sit in the front seat and wear the captain’s hat. Our current debt and our spending trajectory is unsustainable. ”⁵⁸

In the closing of his remarks, the House was in need of a new Speaker. Someone who frankly hasn’t pursued that at all costs for his entire adult life for the position, but yet will, “meet the moment and do everything possible to fight for the country.” Undoubtedly a red line was crossed for Mr Good, on Saturday, “and so it is with regret that I must vote against the motion to table, as I did, and vote to vacate the Chair.”⁵⁹

Rules committee chairman, Mr Cole of Oklahoma, agreed with his colleague that this was indeed a very sad day, to which he never expected to go through. He then explained the dynamics of each House member, as it were putting them in three groups:

“I think, broadly speaking, as I look across this floor, you can divide Members into three groups. I am very happy to be in the first group, the overwhelming majority of my party who supports the Speaker that we elected. We are proud of the leadership he has shown. We are proud of the manner in which he has been willing to work with everybody in our Conference, and I believe in this Chamber. There is a second group, a small group. Honestly, they are willing to plunge this body into chaos and this country into uncertainty for reasons that only they really understand. I certainly don’t. Then there are friends on the other side—I mean friends, honestly, with great sincerity—I have a lot of friends over there, and I recognize that my friends on the other side have a very complex set of partisan, personal, and political calculations to make. I certainly wouldn’t presume to give them any advice about that, but I would say think long and hard before you plunge us into chaos because that is where we are headed if we vacate the speakership.”⁶⁰

Laying out the reasons why we’ve come to this point, Cole expressed upon the lectern about three things. First was the speakership vote in January where McCarthy received, “85 percent of the vote in our Conference; 90 percent of the vote from Republicans on this floor.” Yet, there was a small group who decided they would not not support McCarthy, rather they’d dictate what that wanted. McCarthy, in Cole’s terms, didn’t let that happen, he fought, and not only was he in the midst of fighting for himself, but he fought for the 90% group who so wanted him to become Speaker. And for the debt ceiling deal, Cole indicated, “Nobody here thought he could pass a bill. Nobody in America thought he could pass a bill. He did what Speakers are supposed to do. He passed the bill. Then he sat down and negotiated with a Democratic Senate and a Democratic President and came back with a good deal, a deal that will limit spending. He did the right thing.”⁶¹ 

The Saturday before, on the verge of a government shutdown in which a vast majority of lawmakers in the House did not want, a substantial majority of Republicans and with an overwhelming majority on the Democrats, Cole said that McCarthy, “put his political neck on the line, knowing this day was coming, to do the right thing—the right thing for the country without a doubt. My friends and I agree on that, whether or not we agree on the Speaker. He did the right thing. He did the right thing for this institution. He showed it could function in a time of crisis.”⁶²

McCarthy did what was the right thing for our party, Cole declared. Making sure to continue to achieve and negotiate on the objectives Good had laid out, even in a divided government. “Tomorrow morning, whether I win or lose, I am going to be pretty proud of the people I fought with and I am going to be extraordinarily proud of the person I fought for, the Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy.”⁶³

In rebuttal, Gaetz called out that just because his group doesn’t support McCarthy, it would be a McCarthy speakership that would plunge the House and the country into chaos instead. “Chaos is somebody who we cannot trust with their word. The one thing that the White House, House Democrats, and many of us on the conservative side of the Republican caucus would argue is that the thing we have in common, Kevin McCarthy said something to all of us at one point or another that he didn’t really mean and never intended to live up to.” In what seemed to be a list of issues unrelated to McCarthy’s 9-month tenure, Gaetz continued to air his dismay stating how a national debt of $33 trillion in debt, facing a $2.2 trillion annual deficit, not passing single-subject spending bills, not to mention legislative governance since the mid-1990s by continuing resolutions and omnibuses, were all considered chaos.⁶⁴

The way to liberate the legislative body was to implement reforms that would outlast for years to come. Many of which were suggested from the most conservative lawmakers, while even some in the Democratic Caucus, Gaetz argued, would be worthy and helpful to the House, such as understanding budgets, and allowing for open amendments.⁶⁵

The gist implying such reform was to show to Americans at home that the body of legislating would be doing just that. Whereas, by taking on single-subject bills, an understanding on the top line, open amendments, and having trust, honesty and understanding, “There would be times when we would form partnerships that might otherwise not be really predictable in the American body politic, but the American people would see us legislating.” Gaetz said that the legislative body over the last few days had recently suspended its momentum that was established, thereby, Speaker McCarthy has not delivered on that. “That is why I moved to vacate the Chair.”⁶⁶

Republican Majority Whip, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, next to speak, proclaimed that Republicans under Speaker McCarthy’s leadership defied all odds, and even overperformed on expectations. Implying how from the very start back in January, McCarthy, “showed the American people how he would never give up.” Having created a Rules package, allowed for a transparent Member-driven legislative process, where such a majority was also successful in passing legislation in the House which ranged from affirming the rights of parents to be involved in their child’s education, fund veterans’ care and its benefits, and pass appropriation bills that were fiscally responsible, to name a few.⁶⁷

In support of McCarthy, Emmer said the achievement of historic wins for conservatives, such as passing border security, Republican-only NDAA and the first Republican-only State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill. Americans under McCarthy’s leadership, he said, are better off. “Make no mistake, we need Kevin McCarthy to remain Speaker if we are going to stay focused on our mission of delivering commonsense wins for the American people. We have shown Americans what success looks like when we come together as a team. Now it is time for us to stand together stronger than ever so we can get back to the work our majority was elected to do…” McCarthy for Speaker meant the continuation of conservative priorities will put our country on a better path.⁶⁸

Gaetz, in response, mentioned that while his colleagues talk about expectation overperformance, “after tweeting ‘bring it’ and after engaging in profane-laced tirades at House Conference, he just lost a motion to table. I wouldn’t necessarily consider that overperforming expectations.”  McCarthy prevailed the last time around in January, because he made agreements that would fulfill certain commitments to make the legislative process open and honest. “That is why we are here,” because of his failure to meet those commitments.⁶⁹

House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was to follow, who spoke on behalf of three things: passing legislation, work on oversight, and stopping a Senate omnibus before holiday recess at the end of the year. McCarthy was rock-solid, Jordan claimed, on all three. Passing legislation that touched on energy, border security, IRS agents, and parental rights. “We have done what we told them we were going to do. We can’t help that the Senate won’t take up those good commonsense bills. They will have to answer to the American people come election day.”⁷⁰

Shifting onto the need for oversight, Jordan expressed that it ought to be done because not only of parents were targeted by the Department of Justice, but because of our oversight, the public understood about the former 51 intel officials who misled the country weeks before the 2020 election. Even to imply that the work on oversight led to the dismantled Disinformation Governance Board created by the Department of Homeland Security, and more. “Because of our oversight, the memo attacking pro-life Catholics has been rescinded. Because of over oversight, unannounced visits to Americans’ homes by the Internal Revenue Service has stopped. That happened under Speaker McCarthy.”⁷¹

Needless to say, the week before, the Senate tried to send over their portion of a spending bill, “and shove it down our throats,” but the House didn’t take that bill. In a tough position for Speaker McCarthy, there were a multitude of options on the table that week:

“Option one was to send a long-term CR over there that would have leveraged the 1 percent cut— something a bunch of us voted for, both parties. We couldn’t get the votes for that one. The second option was to focus on the one issue the country is now completely focused on, the border issue. We couldn’t get the votes for that one either. When the Senate tried to send us that bill, he said ‘no’ to it. Mr. Speaker, I think the Speaker has kept his word. I know my colleagues and friends are saying different, but I think he has kept his word on those three things that we talked about on January 3 and, frankly, that entire week. Mr. Speaker, he has kept his word, and I think we should keep him as Speaker.”⁷²

Gaetz, in response, said a key moment, whereas many of the bills referenced by Jordan were not signed into law, despite being passed by the House. And while the legislature was seeming to be, “on the fast track to an omnibus bill,” it became difficult to advocate such oversight when House Republicans [at the time] lacked the capacity to send Hunter Biden [the President’s son] a subpoena. “It is hard to make the argument that oversight is the reason to continue when it sort of looks like failure theater.”⁷³

Gaetz then moved such time to his colleague from Arizona, Rep. Andy Biggs. 

Biggs, in due essence, noted how this was a serious time, starting off by talking about border security. It was a tale of a a young deputy from Cochise County who suffered major injuries 

trying to apprehend a vehicle suspected of human-trafficking, where he then was transported to a Tucson hospital. A wide-open border, especially in the Tucson sector, which has been leveled with got-aways, people conducting criminal conduct, gang members, and more. It’s become such an issue, that Biggs stated the influx had increased to the tune of hundreds of thousands every month across the border.⁷⁴

Biggs argued that Congress was only able to pass border security legislation because it did not bother to pass the required 12 appropriations bills under the 1974 Budget and Impoundment Control Act. “We didn’t do it. Do you know how many times that has not been done? That has not been done 25 years in a row.” And when it came to passing continuing resolutions, Congress had passed 130 of them in the same time period, according to Biggs. ⁷⁵

Running the numbers, Biggs sought out that the country was facing a $2 trillion-plus structural deficit, a $33 trillion national debt, all because “this body is entrenched in a suboptimal path and refuses to leave it. It refuses to leave that path.” Congress was given a promise of change by getting those 12 bills done, because if accomplished, spending would’ve been reduced, and there would be an opportunity to get rid of wasteful duplicative programs. “It allows you to set an agenda to restore fiscal sanity. We chose to not do it again. We were promised we would do it.”⁷⁶

In Biggs’ view, the time for change had come. From increased spending, and the $1.5 trillion plan that was negotiated to fund the war in Ukraine: “When we are campaigning, we are talking about an extension of the debt ceiling to January 2025. We are talking about additional Ukraine funding. Maybe that is good in your districts. Maybe it is not. That money is not offset. We are not paying for it. We haven’t designated how we are going to pay for that—the same with the disaster package.”⁷⁷

When having to rely on continuing resolutions, and not passing 12 budget bills, Biggs went on to suggest that the House is just not able to leverage the Biden administration to enforce such border laws. “We can pass them until we are blue in the face, but until you leverage the budget and the spending, you will not see enforcement by this administration.” Reminding colleagues in attendance, many were betting on the come again. “At some point, I would urge you to stop betting on the come and bet on the reality. That is why I can’t support the Speaker any longer, and I will be voting for the motion to vacate.”⁷⁸

Next to speak was Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, who started off by spelling out the word selah. “This unique word, scattered throughout the Psalms, signals to the reader to pause, reflect, consider, and maybe take a deep breath before moving on.” Given the whirlwind of high stakes, where the House was to ultimately vote to vacate the Speaker’s chair, no living member of Congress in this age ever had to cast their vote, not since 1910, where Joseph G. Cannon survived such a vote. Given the circumstances, Westerman called that, “we pause and reflect, that we consider deeply the ramification of our actions.”⁷⁹

By voting ‘yes’ to remove a Republican Speaker, Westerman asked his colleagues, does it make America stronger, or strengthen conservative policies? He then asked his colleagues who supported the measure to, “please stand before this body and the American people and articulate your plan—not your grievances or your wishes, your plan.” Hence that the majority of members within the House Republican Conference strongly disagreed to follow such a frenzy. By voting in favor of vacating the Speaker, it was to be a disruptive reaction that was seemingly selfish; bad for both America, and conservatives policies. “That is why I strongly support Speaker Kevin McCarthy and why, without hesitation or reservation, I will vote ‘no’ on this disastrous resolution.”⁸⁰

Gaetz, rebutted by stating that there was nothing selfish for wanting a Speaker who told the truth.⁸¹

Up next was Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. What makes Massie an interesting figure here was his reasoning for supporting McCarthy, despite being the only standing lawmaker who pushed for a motion to vacate the speakership of John Boehner, not to mention during the Paul Ryan era too:

“Mr. Speaker, as the only still-serving coauthor and cosponsor of the motion to vacate Speaker Boehner, I can tell you this motion to vacate is a terrible idea. As the only Member who is serving here who took every chance to vote against Speaker Boehner and to vote against Speaker Ryan, I can tell you that this Chamber has been run better, more conservatively, and more transparently under Mr. McCarthy than any other Speaker that I have served under.”⁸²

As one of three conservatives placed on the House Rules committee, Mace argued that the Speaker gave them a blocking position, in order to make sure there was a fair process going along, in which Massie did say it had been fair and even. Further suggesting, “Regular order is at odds with predetermined outcomes. Yet, the Speaker is being accused of not holding to regular order and predetermined outcomes at the same time. It is not possible. You cannot be for both at the same time.”⁸³

As a party to the January agreement, Massie went on to say that while promises were there, “there was never a promise for an outcome.” Trying was that promise, whether it was in Rules, on the floor, or other matters, there was, “enough blame to go around for why we don’t have 12 bills, but part of it was a relitigation of the debt limit deal.” Massie also acknowledged being in the room on such matters, where there was no promise of the debt limit deal — no conditions. “The 12 bills were delayed over what? $100 billion. That is a lot of money, but it is nothing compared to the $2 trillion that I came here to object to when Speaker Pelosi and President Trump pushed that bill through.”⁸⁴ 

The vote that was scheduled to take place after the hourly debate was by all means, “a referendum on this institution,” as Massie pleaded for regular order was tried under McCarthy. “If regular order fails today, if you vote to vacate the Speaker, no one is going to try again. This institution will fail. Please do not vacate the Speaker.”⁸⁵ 

Gaetz having nothing to respond to against Massie’s remarks, Rep. Tom McClintock of California was to follow. 

Worried that the motion to vacate the Speaker carried, the House was to be in a state of paralysis, McClintock expressed. Emphasizing, “if there was ever a time for sobriety, wisdom, and caution in this House, it is right now.” With no legislative business to be conducted other than casting fruitless ballots for whoever would become the next Speaker, Democrats would find revel in Republican dysfunction, causing the public to become repulsed.⁸⁶ 

If Democrats were able to team up with the handful of Republicans, McClintock issued that alone would result in the end of an impasse — creating a dramatic shift leftward, ending a House Republican majority that democratically decided by voters who turned out to the polls in 2022 midterms. “This, in turn, will neutralize the only counterweight in our elected government to the woke left’s control of the Senate and the White House at a time when their policies are destroying our economy and have opened our borders to invasion.”⁸⁷

“There are turning points in history whose significance is only realized by the events that they unleash. This is one of those times,” he maintained vigorously in his ending marks. “We are at the precipice. There are only minutes left to come to our senses and realize the grave danger our country is in at this moment. Dear God, grant us the wisdom to see it and to save our country from it.”⁸⁸

Gaetz, in return, issued that that the path we are on is nothing to be sober, wise, or cautious about. “We are on a path to financial ruin if this House does not take a different posture, a different procedure, and yield toward different outcomes and a better future. I reserve the balance of my time.”⁸⁹

Rep. Carlos Giménez of Florida was next to speak.

Not only to be proud to represent the Miami-Dade county and its community, but to stand with a leader committed to the country and its principles, which define us as Americans, Kevin McCarthy. Despite a divided government, what made this country exceptional as it is, as if it reflects the principles that are uniquely American in its exceptionality, is the need to negotiate in order to find solutions to the issues facing this country. Giminenz, having fled communist Cuba in exile to America, passionately spoke upon with virtue that America’s principles were what strove for. “The best part about it is that my story, the story of the community I am so proud to represent, and the story of many in this body is that we are not the exception in America. We are the rule.” Kevin McCarthy has fought to become a champion for the American Dream, and was able to prove it as our Speaker. Quoting Thomas Jefferson, Gimenez said, “‘I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the guise of taking care of them.’ Let’s keep Kevin McCarthyas our Speaker. He is a great man, a great leader, and a great Speaker.”⁹⁰ 

The gentlewoman from Iowa, Rep. Ashley Hinson was to follow with her remarks. 

In support of Kevin McCarthy, a House Republican majority would not be possible without the help of him, and under his leadership, there has been check and balance provided. With an administration creating a border crisis, McCarthy passed legislation to secure the border. While Biden has tried to squash American energy, McCarthy passed domestic energy dependent legislation.. And while Biden has spent taxpayer dollars, McCarthy, returned to passing single-subject appropriations bills, thereby ending the omnibus spending status quo.⁹¹

“One of the most valuable pieces of advice that I received was from Kevin McCarthy when I got here to D.C. He told me to separate the signal from the noise. The noise is those who are causing chaos for their own personal benefit while ignoring the needs of their constituents and this country, grinding our work here to a halt. The signal is the many accomplishments that we have delivered for the American people with Speaker McCarthy at the helm. The signal is the failures coming out of the White House time and time again. The signal is the work that we must do today and going forward to save our country for my kids and yours.”⁹²

Today lied a choice, she exclaimed, an agent of chaos, or to get back to work. “I call on my colleagues: Let’s separate the signal from the noise. Let’s support our Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, so we can get back to work for the American people.”⁹³

Gaetz, followed up by stating he thought he might’ve caught the signal, too: 

“The signal is for $33 trillion in debt, facing $2.2 trillion annual deficits. Our fellow Americans may be watching and wondering, how does that happen? How does the greatest country in the world have a process so broken that it would be laughed out of the rooms in the halls of the State legislatures where many of us come from? Here is how it works. The law says we are supposed to have the very single-subject spending bills that my colleague referenced in the summer; that we are supposed to have that and move it. But there is a dirty little secret in this town, and that is, if you delay, if you hold the bills, if you make multiple contradictory promises—as Speaker McCarthy has done—and you back everybody up against shutdown politics, well, nobody wants to shut the government down. No one cheers for a shutdown and, of course, when people are backed up against shutdown politics, the decision calculus changes. So year after year, decade after decade, we break the law, and we do the same thing. We pass a continuing resolution, then we pass another continuing resolution, and then it is either another continuing resolution or an omnibus bill or a series of minibuses that lump these disparate things together. The American people want all of us to take votes on single-subject matters. They don’t want to see these things all mushed together and logrolled. It was concerning to me to hear of a secret deal on Ukraine funding that would have logrolled more money with Ukraine with our southern border. Now, how offensive is that to our Customs and Border Patrol, to our ICE, to the people that are suffering as a consequence of our border that some of my colleagues are only willing to stand up and fight for our border if they can send billions to Ukraine to fund their border, too? Well, I have had enough of that, and that is why I brought this motion to vacate.”⁹⁴

Next to speak was the House Majority Leader from Louisiana, Steve Scalise.

As many have noted about the start of the 118th Congress in January, House Republicans understood that they would be heading in with a narrow majority. Scalise stressed that such a matter was never going to be easy, thereby asking, “How many of us came here because we thought this job was going to be easy? How many of us thought the task ahead of us to address the problems of this country was going to be easy?” If Republicans were to start confronting problems that were too often ignored for years, change had to be done, and under McCarthy, he embraced the changes needed to the legislative institution from day one: opening up the [legislative] process, allowing more Member engagement, having amendments come to the floor, single subject bills, and appropriations bills, to name a few.⁹⁵

“Yes, making that happen overnight is not something that happens automatically, but it started to happen, and we are now seeing the fruits of it,” he said. Laying out the subject of appropriations, there were four different bills, which took weeks to get through to the floor for consideration. Having gone through an open committee, reviewing the hundreds of submitted amendments, where either Republicans and Democrats could bring their ideas. Debate ensued on the floor, and at times members were up after midnight to participate in the process. For a long time it has been a broken process indeed, but, “it is a process where we, if we are going to confront the problems that families are facing, we need to resolve our differences inside this House Chamber before we can then go and fight for those families who are struggling.”⁹⁶ 

Americans have been facing real problems that require getting back to solving, whether it be the economy, high energy costs, and the southern border, emphasizing that with H.R. 2, the House was the only body to take action about the border. In addition, a 70-percent government funding was passed, whereas in the Senate, they passed zero. To argue with one-another and talk about an internal process, not only does the House have to get itself to work better, but so does both the Senate and the White House.⁹⁷

“Everybody in this town needs to be engaged in addressing these problems, but if we don’t start here and if we don’t focus these next 45 days—because that is what we have got in front of us, we have got two bills this week, we have got two more appropriations bills next week, and if we are going to be confronting those, we have got to stay focused on our mission. What the other side does, let’s continue to put pressure on them, but we also need to put pressure on ourselves to do our job. Speaker McCarthy has been leading at the top of the level to make sure that we have the tools to do our jobs in a different way than the House has done it before. This House is going to have to continue to make those changes, but the American people sent us here to confront those problems. We are finally starting to.”⁹⁸

Now was not the time to slow down such a process, for work needed to continue, it was what “we were sent here to do,” Scalise concluded. ⁹⁹

Gaetz, seemingly agreed with the majority leader, with one exception, giving McCarthy credit for the single-subject appropriations bills. As the remarks made earlier by Biggs suggested, “that was never the plan from Speaker McCarthy.” Laying it out, Gaetz said that the week before moving on the single-subject bills, “the plan was another CR. He pitched a CR. They tried to get us to vote for a CR, and a brave few said we are done governing by continuing resolution. We are here to eulogize the era of the continuing resolution. We will not do it. We will not pass it.”¹⁰⁰

Chaotic though it seemed, was to put together spending legislation that would lump together executive agencies and departments, with the military and border patrol. “We cannot do that. It was only because we forced that to happen,” Gaetz said. If McCarthy were to continue his top role as Speaker, the appropriations process would go back to its his way: “just a sideshow, just a puppet show, just something to keep the hamsters on the hamster wheel as they continue to back people up against a calendar, centralize power with the lobbyists and special interests that move all kinds of money through the leadership. That is how they get their way, and that is why the American people have been getting screwed decade after decade.”¹⁰¹

Not anymore would there be toleration without a fight, Gaetz concluded before reserving back his time.¹⁰²

Rep. Mike Garcia of California was next in recognition to speak. 

To help recalibrate his colleagues, the proceedings of the day both look important and feel consequential, “but let’s look at what else is happening across America.” On a daily basis, 300 Americans a day would die from fentanyl poisoning, thousands of people illegally penetrate the border, an approaching national debt of $34 trillion, mortgage rates at a 25-year high at 8 percent, energy prices such as gas approaching $8 a gallon in his home district, a stronger China and CPP, a military is experiencing a record-low retentions and recruitment. “This is the reality of today for 335 million Americans under President Joe Biden. It is a dark and scary reality. This Republican majority here today in the House is the only firewall against the damaging far-left policies of the Biden administration.” That to “fight to reverse the darkness of these realities,” not limited to inflation, spending, border, and national security, the single-subject appropriations bills, which were planned to be voted upon later that week, were supposed to tackle just that.¹⁰³

Garcia went on to say quite notably:

“Today, this body filled with people in fancy suits led by a few Republicans who are running with scissors and supported by Democrats who have personal issues with the Speaker, have uncertain intentions and even more uncertain goals, and they have decided to make today about drama. Today is not about solving problems and helping our constituents but about drama. We need to be the no-drama option for America—this party, this majority.”¹⁰⁴

Drama, Garcia viewed, not only jeopardized the Republican House majority, as he considered it to be, “the last layer of defense protecting America from this Biden administration.” It’s time to move past a drama-fill ethos, and do our jobs by defending this beautiful country.¹⁰⁵

Gaetz countered by stating that he too was here to solve this nation’s problems, but problems aren’t solved by a long history, decade after decade, of passing continuing resolutions and omnibus bills. “That creates more problems, more debt, more inflation, more pain for American families. So the way to solve problems is to break the fever dream of governing by continuing resolution and omnibus bills and instead return to the very single-subject spending bills that we will only get if my resolution passes to vacate Speaker McCarthy…”¹⁰⁶ 

Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee was recognized to speak, beginning by saying how McCarthy’s speakership was doubted, even mocked. 

With House Republicans leading with a thin majority, the party under McCarthy was able to bring the President to the table when it came to matters related towards the debt ceiling, “he [President Biden] stubbornly said for 100 days he would not negotiate on the debt ceiling.” The result, McHenry claimed, was a conservative spending package, with conservative outcomes, via year over year spending cuts.¹⁰⁷

With the drama over the possibility of booting out casting Speaker McCarthy, McHenry asked his colleagues to explain the need for such a maneuver:

“I understand your position on the left. I understand that. But my friends on the right, why? Then this past weekend, I understand the frustration on the left at what happened on the continuing resolution, but why would we have conservatives object to that? Why would we have House Members object to that? We rolled the Senate. We never roll the Senate as a House. Moreover, we never roll the Senate to get less spending, and we got it this weekend, so I understand why the left is mad. What I don’t understand is why some Republicans think that that is a bad thing.”¹⁰⁸

Vividly frustrated, McHenry knew amongst the liberal folk, for they, “support the constitutional order except in a moment like this when you are questioned on that.” With a moment such as this, it’s not the area to be reliant upon, let alone being counted on. As for Republicans, why would they hand-over power back towards the Democrats, and give up their conservative majority that’s been working for better outcomes? Such an action would result in throwing all that work away, and bring about liberal results, not conservative ones. “I understand why the left is where you are today. You don’t like an effective conservative majority.”¹⁰⁹

Gaetz, acknowledged that it was, “lovely to hear from the principal architect of Mr. McCarthy’s debt limit deal.” But put into the perspective of reality, “The only Republicans in America who believe that the debt limit deal was conservative are in this Chamber right now because all over America, Republicans think that when you negotiated that debt limit deal, they took your lunch money…”¹¹⁰ 

Rep. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma followed up to show her support for McCarthy.

Under McCarthy’s leadership with an acknowledgement to such a small majority, House Republicans achieved measures similar to that of past callings by pro-McCarthy supporters, such as the Parents Bill of Rights; the Lower Energy Costs Act, the Fiscal Responsibility Act; and H.R. 2. “Let me be abundantly clear: Attempting to remove Speaker McCarthy will put this House in a stalemate and paralyze our ability to fight for our constituents and instead create a fight amongst one another.” And with 43 days, “to restore fiscal responsibility and advance conservative appropriations priorities,” the House found itself into an unnecessary distraction, threatening House proceedings. “Working together under the leadership of Speaker McCarthy is of the utmost importance,” before ending her remarks by encouraging her Republican colleagues to support McCarthy.¹¹¹

House Republican Conference Chair, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York was next to speak on behalf of many in the party supporting McCarthy. 

Those who knew Kevin McCarthy, understood that he was “a happy warrior,” who has become both tireless and a spirit of American grit. Despite having lasted 15 rounds in January, he never gave up, and was able to help push the Republican majority into exceeding expectations.¹¹²

“We reopened the people’s House. We passed the strongest border security bill in our Nation’s history. We passed an energy plan to unleash American energy dominance. We passed Defense bills to support our troops. Under Kevin’s leadership, he has brought hundreds and hundreds of bipartisan Members of Congress to Israel, our greatest ally. He elected the most diverse class of Republicans ever, with the largest number of Republican women ever in American history. This boy from Bakersfield, he cares deeply about his constituents, his country, and the American people, and that includes each and every one of his colleagues. He has been to our districts, toasted at our weddings, celebrated the birth of our children, mourned the loss of our loved ones, and has cheered us when we haven’t believed in ourselves, which is why the Republicans strongly support Speaker McCarthy and are proud he is our Speaker.”¹¹³ 

With such high stakes at hand, Stefanik called on her Republican colleagues to unify now more than ever. “We need to save our country, which is why this Conference is proud to strongly support Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House of Representatives.”¹¹⁴ 

Gaetz, in reply, stated to the contrary, where if the House did exceed such expectations, there ought to be a need for higher ones. The topic being debated on was not a critique of the individual, while heartwarming that the Speaker calls people on their birthday, or wishes congratulatory remarks. “It is a critique of the job. The job hasn’t been done…” The last three people to speak opposing the debated resolution [to vacate the chair] all voted for the debt deal. And one of the reasons Gaetz had shown eagerness to vacate the chair, was because the debt limit deal was in his view, a terrible deal, further implying, “it really was the original sin of the McCarthy speakership…”¹¹⁵

If there was ever one anecdote where emotions ran high, the occurrence of such an oratory event that just had to be watched, look no further than the remarks made by Rep. Graves of Louisiana on that very day. 

Republicans have held a tight majority for 8 months, and he acknowledged the accomplishments of  this conservative majority. Again, similar points ranging from combating border security, energy policies, the streamlining of environmental regulations, and strengthened welfare work requirements. Even with some opposition from those within the same party, Graves mentioned that he kept wondering, just what was going on?¹¹⁶ 

“Are we redefining what conservative is? What is going on in this country today? What is going on in this body? We have FreedomWorks, Heritage, Chip Roy and Jim Jordan say something is conservative and these folks say it is not, and they are right. All of a sudden, my phone keeps sending text messages [Graves pulled his phone out, on the well of the House floor] saying: ‘Hey, give me money.’ [Points and scrolls on his phone for all to see] Look at that. Oh, look: ‘Give me money. I filed a motion to vacate.’ Using official actions, official actions to raise money; it is disgusting. It is what is disgusting about Washington.”¹¹⁷

The folks who brought up the motion to vacate, Graves continued to embark, “refused to pay our military service members, refused to pay them.” Quickly mentioning Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), if service members are not going to protect us from not being paid, “the next time someone invades America, ‘call a crackhead.’ Let me know how that works out.”¹¹⁸ 

Despite a few references made by colleagues about the January agreement, not a single one of them, Graves declared, either the lawmaker from Arizona, Virginia, or Florida, were not in the room. Continuing, “the Speaker didn’t meet the targets of that January agreement, he exceeded them. The greatest savings in American history. Mr. Speaker, this isn’t about fundraising. This is about our country. It is about our children and our grandchildren… We need to stand behind the greatest Speaker in modern history that has delivered the best conservative wins for this country.”¹¹⁹ 

Gaetz yielded such time remaining to consume in response to the remarks made by Graves. 

Implying, “we have passed the strongest border bills in history,” the border has continued to be a topic that still arises as an issue. “Well, guess what? Look at the border right now,” Gaetz insisted, defining it more specifically as a disaster.¹²⁰

The following two points, about streamlined environmental regulations, Gaetz brought that such reform is eligible to be waived by executive action by the stroke of a pen. “Do you really think you have anything for that? It is a total joke.” Touching upon the Welfare-to-Work, “While they did work requirements, they blew out those programs of expanded eligibility. I am really glad my colleagues didn’t put work requirements on Medicaid. It probably would have resulted in Medicaid expansion.”¹²¹

At the heart of Gaetz’s emotional moment, came from the subject of fundraising: 

“When it comes to how those raise money, I take no lecture on asking patriotic Americans to weigh in and contribute to this fight from those who would grovel and bend knee for the lobbyists and special interests who own our leadership, who have [lawmakers at this moment chanted boos on the floor] —oh, boo all you want— who have hollowed out this town and have borrowed against the future of our future generations. I will be happy to fund my political operation through the work of hard working Americans, $10, $20, and $30 at a time. My colleagues can keep showing up at the lobbyists’ fundraisers and see how that goes for you….”¹²² 

The Speaker pro tempore at this time reminded those on the floor to direct their comments to the Chair. 

Rep. Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota was next to be recognized. 

Starting off, the reason why many are here was because of the broken incentive structure. Instead of following through the values of loyalty, integrity, confidence, or collaboration, this body has descended to become a place of TV hits, clicks, and a quest, described to be never-ending one, “for the most mediocre taste of celebrity drives decisions and encourages juvenile behavior that is so far beneath this esteemed body.”¹²³

Under Speaker McCarthy, regular order, a process of open amendments, and membership opportunity to be heard on the floor was accomplished.¹²⁴

“It has been messy. It has been raucous, and at times, it has been chaotic. God bless every minute of it, because democracy is supposed to be hard. The alternative is a closed-door process where 2,000-page bills come out of the Speaker’s office at midnight and are forced to the floor the next morning. Kevin McCarthy has broken that cycle. That alone is enough for him to remain our Speaker, but that doesn’t deliver his opponents what they crave the most: attention.”¹²⁵

Such a mantra was something not worth standing for. Instead it was of best interest to stand with the party’s leader, Speaker McCarthy, which the majority of our Conference supported overwhelmingly. Furthermore, Armstrong pointed out that, “You need to look no further than where the opponents are sitting today in this Chamber. They are not over here. They are over there.”¹²⁶ 

While the House was to continue to face its challenges, whatever was to come next, Speaker McCarthy had the backing of the majority of his party. “We believe in his vision, and, most importantly, we are proud to call Kevin McCarthy our friend and our Speaker of the House.”¹²⁷ 

Rep. Cole yielded back the balance of his remaining time, therefore giving Gaetz one last attempt to use as much time to consume before his time expired. 

“I tried to get one of the three podiums on the Republican side,” Gaetz boasted, but because the microphones were closed off for him, he was only to find accessible microphones located on the Democratic side of the House floor.¹²⁸

No matter the location of the podium, Washington must change. A fever and a cycle worth breaking. Hopefully by passing reforms, it would lead towards an embracement of the democratized power within this institution, “beyond the privileged few who back us up against shutdown politics and Christmases and deadlines in order to achieve their objectives.” American families are on the verge of defaulting into bankruptcy due to high inflation, a breaking economy where an American family can’t afford to buy a home. Soaring inflation, leading towards $700 a month from working Americans; nearly $9,000 a year. “Kevin McCarthy is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and he has failed to take a stand where it matters; so if he won’t, I will,” Gaetz declared.¹²⁹ 

“I make no apologies for defending the right of every hard working American to afford a decent life for themselves and their families, and we have a greater opportunity to do that and to build coalitions under new leadership. We have to rip off the Band-Aid. We have to get back on a better course. Mr. Speaker, I don’t know how this vote is going to go. Usually when a vote comes to this floor, it is pretty pre-determined. This one, I am not so sure. I am sure that we have made the right argument: that this place deserves single-subject spending bills; that we should have 72 hours to read a bill; that something that spends more than $100 million shouldn’t be put on the suspension agenda such that we can’t amend it; and there shouldn’t be secret side deals made on a continuing resolution to lump Ukraine in with border security.”¹³⁰

This House, as Gaetz spoke to his colleagues on the floor, can be returned to dignity. A so-called, “better path,” that would allow for single-subject appropriation bills, setting a budget and its top line. “Let’s get our act together. Let’s get on with it. Let’s vacate the Chair, and let’s get a better Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time,” he finally concluded.¹³¹

With all time expired on both sides, the previous question was ordered on the resolution to vacate the chair, without objection. On the question on the adoption of the resolution. The Speaker pro tempore announced that the noe’s appeared to had it, but Gaetz requested a recorded vote of the yeas and nays, which was then ordered pursuant to clause 3 of rule XX. The Chair then directed the House Clerk to conduct the roll call vote by surname.¹³²

After the final tally, calling the roll alphabetically by surname, the following was the result of the vote: 216 yeas, 210 nays, and 7 not voting. “The Office of Speaker of the House of the United States House of Representatives is hereby declared vacant,” firmly read aloud Rep. Steve Womack, from the Speaker’s chair.¹³³

Shortly after the official declaration that McCarthy’s was removed, under House rules, McHenry would serve as temporary Speaker pro tempore until a new Speaker was elected. 

As a communication read by the House Clerk, Susan Cole, “This is to notify you that the first name on the letter received by the Clerk, pursuant to clause 8(b)(3)(B) of rule I, is the Honorable Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina. Signed sincerely, Kevin F. McCumber, Acting Clerk.”¹³⁴

The House in 2003 changed its rules requiring the speaker to submit a private list of names to the House Clerk in a case of vacancy.¹³⁵ 

As McHenry took his new role, he announced: 

“Pursuant to clause 8(b)(3) of rule I, I will now act as Speaker pro tempore. The Chair will inform the Members of the House of the following: The Office of Speaker was rendered vacant pursuant to the adoption of H. Res. 757. Upon a vacancy in the Office of Speaker, clause 8(b)(3) of rule I provides that the next Member on a list submitted by the Speaker pursuant to the rule acts as Speaker pro tempore until the election of a new Speaker, and bestows the authorities of the Office of Speaker upon the Speaker pro tempore to the extent necessary and appropriate to that end…”¹³⁶ 

Prior to proceeding to the election of a Speaker, McHenry stated that both parties should recess to discuss the path forward, and whereby, “Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair declares the House in recess subject to the call of the Chair,” before gaveling down into recess with an aggressive closing action.¹³⁷

---

For the first time in American history, the Speaker of the House of Representatives was voted out by a majority of members within the chamber, leaving a race for the very few who wish to rise and throw their hat in the ring for the third most highest elected position in the nation. 

After the vote, the toppled McCarthy headed to conduct an approximately 45-minute long press conference.¹³⁸

McCarthy opened up with a quote by President Lincoln, “I’m an optimist because I don’t see any other way.” As an elected official whose office held portraits of both Lincoln and Reagan, “I firmly believe if Reagan gave us advice, he would say, ‘If you believe your principles bring people greater freedom, you should be happy about it.’”¹³⁹

Excited to be a happy conservative, and fortunate to furtherly be an American, such a journey to public office, let alone a path towards the speakership, was something not many people would ever be able to understand. Residing in the town of Bakersfield, California, as the youngest son of a firefighter, and the grandson of immigrants, there was never great wealth, but there was hard work. Out of high school, McCarthy wasn’t stellar in receiving great grades, and wasn’t able to score a scholarship. He flipped cars as he was trying to pay his way through community college. As luck would have it at the time, he recalled visiting some college buddies over the weekend, and stopped by to cash a check at a grocery store, only to discover he won a lottery ticket worth $5k. Although such a number may not go far in the current era of Biden economics, otherwise known as “Bidenomics,” that 5,000 “went much further back then,” McCarthy said.¹⁴⁰

At 20 years of age, he “put the majority of the rest of the money into the stock market, and did pretty well.” Needing to take a semester break from school, he went out to buy a franchise, but wasn’t able to find a seller due to his young age. Eager not to give up, McCarthy opened up his own small business, selling sandwiches. In essence, he learned three things: “First to work, last to leave, last to be paid.” Having no one else in his family attaining a college degree, he sought out to finish his education. Soon able to sell his business, he acquired enough money to pay his way through school attending Cal State. Later one day he opened up a local newspaper which said, “Be a summer intern in Washington, DC,” with the congressman of his local district. Not knowing the man, McCarthy applied anyway, hoping that the lawmaker might be lucky to have him.¹⁴¹

Discovered he was turned down, as McCarthy told those gathered, he would later get elected to the seat he wasn’t able to get an internship for, and “ended up being the 55th Speaker of the House. One of the greatest honors. I loved every minute.”¹⁴²

Tackling both his role as Speaker, and the overwhelming drama that unfolded on the House floor just moments ago, McCarthy issued: 

“Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it is necessary. I don’t regret standing up for choosing governance over grievance. It is my responsibility. It is my job. I do not regret negotiating. Our government is designed to find compromise. I don’t regret my efforts to build coalitions and find solutions. I was raised to solve problems, not create them. So I may have lost a vote today, but as I walk out of this chamber, I feel fortunate to have served the American people. I leave the Speakership with a sense of pride, accomplishment, and yes, optimism.”¹⁴³

From day one of entering politics, McCarthy made it his mission to make the next day better than it was today. “I fought for what I believe in and I believe in this country of America.” While he said that his goals have not changed, his ability to fight was in a different form.¹⁴⁴

Numbers-wise in the House, the threshold one needs is 218. “Unfortunately, 4% of our Conference can join all the Democrats and dictate who could be the Republican Speaker in this House.” For the good of the institution, such a rule wasn’t necessary, “but apparently I’m the only one,” expressing his disinterest in such a circumstance. Believing that his duty to fight must continue, it ought to be in a different manner. McCarthy declared aloud, “I will not run for Speaker again. I will have the Conference pick somebody else. I hope you realize that every day I did the job regardless whether you underestimated me or not, I wanted to do it with a smile.”¹⁴⁵

In a phrase geared towards the press: “I grew to enjoy you even on your toughest days in your questions. I could always tell what day it was based upon your question. Monday you would ask if I could pass the bill. Tuesday was whether the rule would pass. Wednesday was the greatest challenge ever to my Speakership. And Thursday when we passed the bill, you didn’t think it was a very big deal. And it all started again on Friday.”¹⁴⁶ 

Shortly detailing a new office portrait of Teddy Roosevelt, McCarthy referred to the Man in the Arena [speech], where one of his favorite parts was, “Who errs, who comes up short again and again, but there is no effort without error and shortcoming. Who spends himself in a worthy cause, who knows the triumph of high achievement, and if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly.”¹⁴⁷

“I always like to take a risk,” McCarthy said. And on Saturday, no one knew for sure whether his House bill on government funding would pass [especially on the Senate side], but he believed that he took a risk for the American public, regardless of what anybody had to say:¹⁴⁸ 

“The Democrats didn’t want that bill. Yes, they pulled a fire alarm, yes, they do their conga line, yes, they wanted to delay, but it was all for the American people. I could not look the troops in the eye and say I would not pay them. For those who spoke on the floor, I thank them for their positive talks. I don’t know what those who voted against and said there was some deal. They were never a part of any deal. For those who said about what we accomplished, I’m proud of what we accomplished from the parents’ bill of rights to our energy bill. But if they want to hold me liable because the Senate didn’t take it up or the President didn’t take it up, that’s politics for what I know.”¹⁴⁹

America is a country that is too great for small visions of those eight, McCarthy expressed, before shifting into opening back up the Capitol. Such a place should be an area that you would want to visit. Opening up the Capitol again, taking away the metal detectors, having committees being able to work, and seeing visitors. With a comment made towards members of the press again, “I hope you like being able to be back in.”  It was important that members showed up for work.¹⁵⁰  

Paraphrasing Lou Gehrig’s famous line, McCarthy said, “I might’ve been given a bad break, but I truly still consider myself to be the luckiest man on the face of the Earth. There’s no other country that you could rise to be the 55th Speaker, not get an internship, and be able to fight for the American public. So it was my greatest honor to be able to do it.”¹⁵¹

McCarthy issued love for his House Republican Conference, having been part of leadership for many years: 

“We won two majorities. As leader, I’m proud of the fact we only gained races, only gained seats. I’m proud of the fact as the Republican leader, we elected more women, we elected more minorities, we expanded the base. I’m proud of the fact that for the five years I leadered, two election cycles, we gained five more seats in California, five more in New York. We won in places no one thought we could win. The same thing, you would underestimate me, you always said we’d lose each time around. We kept gaining. I intend to make sure that we gain and keep the majority in the next cycle as well…”¹⁵² 

After the conclusion of his speech, he said with a slight sarcastic demeanor, “With that, I look forward to your positive questions,” entering the Q&A portion. When asked if he would remain in Congress, he replied that he would, “look at that.” Upon questioning of not going forward with the decision to grind out the vote again, similar to his 15 rounds back in January, McCarthy stated that one would need 218 to move forward.¹⁵³

Despite his positional loss, “I’ll never give up on the American people. That doesn’t mean I have to be Speaker to do what I have to do for the American people. There’s a lot of things I could do for the American people.” In today’s congressional world, there layed a real institutional problem: “to make sure government was still open and eight people can throw you out as Speaker, and the Democrats who said they wanted to keep government open, I think you got a real divide.”¹⁵⁴

“It was in this room after we had won the majority and I became Speaker. Nancy Pelosi came to me, she was speaker at the time, on the way out, and I told her I was having issues with getting enough votes. And she said, ‘What’s the problem?’ I said, ‘They want this one person can rule you out.’ She was the only Speaker to have changed that rule. I had the power to call the vote on her, but I never would. I lost some votes because of it. And she said, ‘Just give it to them. I’ll always back you up. I made the same offer to Boehner and same thing to Paul, because I believe in the institution.’ I think today was a political decision by the Democrats. And I think the things they have done in the past hurt the institution. When they just started removing people from committee and they just started doing the other things. And my fear is the institution fell today. Because you can’t do the job if eight people, you have 94% or 96% of your entire Conference, but eight people can partner with the whole other side. How do you govern? And for them to make a motion on me because I made a decision for the country, that they agreed with, but they choose to do the other. That becomes a problem.”¹⁵⁵

In various small, yet miscellaneous follow-ups questions, McCarthy said that he might endorse a successor, but had to talk to his colleagues in the Conference about it, putting it bluntly, “I’ll talk to people.” When asked about looking back on doing things differently in the past helping past members get elected into office, he responded that he, “should have picked somebody else.” The overwhelming majority of the Conference who backed him, in which he loved, “they’ve gone through so much, they’re down in the Conference,” reminiscing that members would continue to vote for him.¹⁵⁶

McCarthy indicated that his job was never about himself, rather it was to put the country first. “I hope you felt that, that I always felt what can we do best to move forward.” To bring back the legislative body into a different era, McCarthy explained the creation of the bipartisan select committee on China, and the finding problem solving solutions through the intel committee about artificial intelligence (AI). “We’re far from solving that problem, but I’m proud of what we were able to do there. So we’ll continue.”¹⁵⁷

To get a better understanding about the motion to vacate, whether or not the motion was to succeed, and how McCarthy came to the decision to proceed, he stumbled upon an answer in relation to his country first mantra. 

“Why do I do something for myself that can hurt the country? Why create … I’m not quite sure those individuals [the eight lawmakers in the GOP] are looking to be productive. It concerns me as a Republican based upon watching what they do. I want to be a Republican and a conservative that governs. And we’re going to have to find our way to do that. The challenge is we had so many opportunities, these are the same people that sat on the floor and criticized me that we didn’t get all 12 spending bills done. But we first had to do a debt ceiling that they didn’t support. They held up every appropriation bill in the summer because they wouldn’t let it come through. After the debt ceiling, they stopped us from doing anything on the floor. When we had a continuing resolution that would do something on the border, I listened to one talk about how it made him think about the border when he voted against it. And then they wanted to challenge me because I worked with the other side so America could go forward and government could stay open. If you have to lose for something, I will always lose for the country. It is a much better battle to have.”¹⁵⁸

Asked what advice he would have for this next House Speaker, McCarthy said half-jokingly with a smile on his face, “Change the rules,” in which the gathered press crowd proceeded to laugh along.¹⁵⁹

Upon a follow-up if he had ever regretted allowing the rule to take place, he responded straightforwardly, “Do you think I let it?” Adding Gaetz into the mix, McCarthy said how the Floridian lawmaker spoke to the whole Conference saying, “‘We will never use this. We’ll never use this.’ I mean, this is a man that sat there on the 14th vote and said, ‘Okay, I’m going to vote for you next time it falls back,’ and not... It’s just the trustworthiness of a lot of individuals, it makes it difficult. But I do not think, regardless of who the Speaker is, that you should have that rule.”¹⁶⁰

Speakers in the past had such a motion, however the motion to vacate didn’t come to light until Boehner rose to his position as Speaker. “And if you can always count on the other party to vote in a block against it, then you’re allowing four to five people to control whatever. So it doesn’t matter, even if you have 96%. So that is not a government that works, that is chaotic.” When asked next about Republican challenges, McCarthy expressed how he thought it may have to do with, “some people who are not a conservative.”¹⁶¹ 

Furthermore, he stated: 

“I mean, if you were a conservative and you only had one entity making the battle and you vote against securing the border, you vote against cutting the wasteful spending and then you partner with all the Democrats. Now you’ll phrase it all the other different ways. That’s not a conservative. Look, you all know Matt Gaetz. You know it was personal. It had nothing to do about spending. It had nothing to do about … Everything he accused somebody of he was doing. It all was about getting attention from you. I mean, we’re getting email fundraisers from him as he’s doing it. ‘Join in quickly.’ That’s not governing, that’s not becoming of [sic] a member of Congress. And regardless of what you think, I’ve seen the texts, it was all about his ethics. But that’s all right.”¹⁶²

For McCarthy, he insisted that he wasn’t going to blame anybody due to the proceeding about the motion to vacate, and understanding the challenge that was to come heading in. “You would take a poll all the time, is he going to get thrown out this week? But you know what, if I lose my job over doing what I truly believe what’s right, I’m very at peace with it.” He claimed that the matter wasn’t going to make a difference, because he knew that the ones who would make the motion, would’ve done so eventually. “It didn’t make one bit of difference, I felt very comfortable in that decision. And I think the American public believe that decision was right.”¹⁶³

Due to such a narrow majority, a journalist asked if the writing might’ve been on the wall with such a proceeding vote? McCarthy said that there was always a possibility, even if it took that long for one person to do such an account. He wasn’t bothered, stating it was fine, and didn’t change his decision. Quickly remarking to Rep. Matt Rosendale, “I read a tweet the other day of Matt Rosendale. He goes to mass every day, but you know what he said his prayer was all last year? That Republicans didn’t have a big victory, that they had a narrow victory. When you have members like that, that are part of your team, you got a tough team…” Taking on his past duty of being a small business owner, and to some extent a publicly elected official, “My job was to inspire them. I think we did some good work and I think we’ll continue to do great work.”¹⁶⁴ 

In a short question of historic resemblance, McCarthy was asked to reflect back 13 years ago upon 2010, where he, Paul Ryan, and Eric Cantor were labeled the Young Guns [a book which was published at the time] now that all three pushed out of office by members of the “more conservative” right-flank of the party. McCarthy seemingly said in response, “Well, we’re not that young anymore.”¹⁶⁵ 

Whether or not the gang of eight are more conservative, McCarthy dwindled that very term, labeling, “They are not conservatives,” indicating they voted against a two trillion dollar cut, NEPA reform, work requirements, and border security amongst the list of legislative examples. Further emphasizing, “They don’t get to say they’re conservative because they’re angry and they’re chaotic. That’s not the party I belong to.” Pulling back to the party of Reagan, you could govern conservatory if you were to believe in your principles. “They are not conservatives and they do not have the right to have the title.”¹⁶⁶ 

On the topic of former President Donald Trump’s influence over the party making it challenging to govern, McCarthy talked back on how Republicans made success when Donald Trump was president, such as tax reform. “You may dislike the policy, but we’ve been very successful. You watched the Abraham Accords. You can go victory after victory. The price of gas. We were energy independent at the time. We had more businesses growing at the time. We didn’t have to evacuate our embassies. It’s easy on its merit to see the difference of what Biden has destroyed America, to what the policies we were able to create.”¹⁶⁷

When asked about conversations, if any, with Hakeem Jeffries, McCarthy displayed respect for the House Democratic Minority Leader, and understood what their party had said during its Conference, hoping that their side would win the majority. “Why would they vote for me if I’ve won every time as leader? I raised 70% of all the money. It’s an opportunity for them. The real question to the eight, why would you enable and allow the Democrats to do it? That’s the question.”¹⁶⁸

In a small back-and-forth about concessions, touting if he regretted making concessions in early January, McCarthy asked the reporter, “What concessions did I make?” whereby the reporter tried to clarify that McCarthy would’ve needed Democratic support to secure his speakership role he responded, “I’m a Republican. I win by Republicans and I lose by Republicans. It’s not that way. I believe you should work across the aisle. I worked across the aisle at times. Do I want to make the bill the most conservative possible? Yes. That’s the goal. It’s difficult when you can’t get 218 for the conservative bill and then they want to challenge you when you went and solved and kept the government open.”¹⁶⁹

Moving into the topic of the debt ceiling crisis and government shutdown, McCarthy was asked about the risk of a possible shutdown in November without him as Speaker.

He noted that there were people who would be able to do the job, shortly referencing how he never received many texts from senators about the legislative move from the House’ perspective, receiving even congratulatory remarks that no journalist would think he would get a meeting with the sitting president, as if asking if it was going to fall off a cliff. McCarthy further stated that, “At the end of the day, we worked an agreement out. Some of those people got mad about it, but two thirds, the highest number of Republicans ever voted for a debt ceiling when you had it. And you only negotiate it based upon the deal we win. That was the moment they wanted to go after, and that’s what they continued to follow through.”¹⁷⁰

At another back-and-forth with a journalist, was upon the question about negotiating, “You should. Look, government’s designed that you have to have compromise. No, you can’t get everything that you want. You’ve got a House, you’ve got a Senate…”  The journalist in question was trying to clarify whether or not McCarthy may have been too transactional, despite the criticism, to which he asked, “In which way?” whereby the journalist further clarified, “Partly about keeping your word.” He shouted back, “And which word did I not keep? Name one thing I did not keep.” The journalist in the crowd replied, “Gaetz says that there’s several things you didn’t keep from January,” before McCarthy interjected, “Oh, no, no, no. Tell me, what did Gaetz say? What did I not keep in Gaetz’s mind? Because Gaetz had never been a part of a discussion. Just because Gaetz said something, don’t believe it’s true. I haven’t heard him say one true thing yet.”¹⁷¹

“Democrats say you reneged,” the journalist issued, before McCarthy asked again, “On what?” to which the journalist tried to clarify about the debt ceiling bill. “That is not true,” McCarthy stated. “So no, no, no. If you’re going to ask the question, you’re going to say it, tell me how I did something different on the debt ceiling bill. Any of you, tell me what I did different on the debt ceiling that I didn’t keep my word.” The journalist followed up, “You said it was a floor. You said it was a ceiling.” McCarthy insisted, “Is it not a ceiling? Okay. This is the…” before dwindling, “Okay. No, no, no, no, no, no,” further determining at length:

“When you agree to spending levels, that’s the maximum amount you can spend. This is what is wrong with Washington. Because it’s the height that you can spend, you can also spend less. We’re a different body. So does any of you believe then the Senate broke their word on the debt ceiling? Because they spent more than the limit, but somehow I’m wrong because I want to save the taxpayers more money? We’re our own body. I have two children. If I give them each $100 for dinner and one spends 100 and spends 80, am I going to yell at the one who spent 80 and said, ‘Oh my God, you got to spend it all?’ It’s not our money. And why am I getting criticized  because I’m fighting for the American people that we can eliminate waste? And you know what? We’re our own body. So if we can pass the bills and the Senate can pass the bills, but they pass them higher, but they haven’t passed anything, somehow I’m wrong? I kept my word. I did not spend over the limit. They broke their word.”¹⁷²

Asked if he [McCarthy] was being too transactional, McCarthy shot back, “Okay. You used the word. How was I transactional? If you ask a question, I want you to show an example. Give me an example.” As the journalist tried to label the definition of a transaction, referred to as a “this for that,” McCarthy doubled-down asking, “So what did I do this for that?” The journalist remarked about the CR that McCarthy left it in, and left it out again:

“No, no. You’re making no sense. What transactional did it? No, no. I did no transactional. I tried to pass a conservative stop-gap measure that secured the border and actually cut spending. When that didn’t go, the only bill that was going was sitting over in the Senate that had a stopgap measure, disaster, and Ukraine. I made a decision as Speaker to keep the government open and I put something on the floor. And let me get this straight to all of you, because someone said I did… 72-hour rule. I’m the only one who’s lived by it. We’re the ones who created it. We never broke the 72-hour rule. The bill I put on the floor was a suspension, which takes a two-thirds vote. And you know what? You can put a suspension on a rule and you can waive it based upon the leadership. That’s exactly what I followed. So my question to you is, when somebody says something, don’t take it that it’s gospel. Why don’t you ask them to point. When Gaetz said I didn’t follow — show me one place. You saw Massie, Thomas Massie, who is the hardest line person, say, “We followed all the rules all the time.” That he was in the room when the agreement was made, and then we surpassed what we said we would do. So if you ask me a question, I’m going to answer back because when it’s not true, it’s not fair.”¹⁷³

Another question was asked if McCarthy had any regrets not reaching out to Rep. Mace, and condescending Rep. Tim Burchett. He responded by saying he has liked Burchett, considering him as a friend. Appalled by the question made by the journalist, McCarthy stated he felt “shocked by this,” before laying out how Burchett indicated on CNN he was leaning towards a no position, and would seek prayer about it. McCarthy said, “So I pick up the phone and call him. Because I didn’t think he was already there. I said, ‘Tim, I read your quote. You said you’re going to pray about it. I wanted to talk to you about it.’ And somehow he construes that — I’m a Christian, I’m not going to offend somebody from it — I simply read his quote back. I thought there was still an opening and I wanted to talk to him about it. He never mentioned anything when we were communicating like that, and he said, ‘Nancy Mace is a whole other story, okay?’ [The press pool laughed along with McCarthy.] Let’s just be honest here.’”¹⁷⁴

McCarthy shortly referenced that Mace’s primary opponent reached out to him via text, questioning why he spent three million dollars, before moving onto getting in contact with Mace’s chief of staff the other day. Another journalist interrupted saying how Mace “didn’t like that,” because she wanted McCarthy to call her personally. In his response, “Well, she was on the View saying I didn’t keep my word, so I didn’t know what to — Listen, I can’t say this in the press, but…” [Again, the press pool laughed along with McCarthy.] ”No! You’ll keep it among yourselves, right? — Wait till my book.”¹⁷⁵

McCarthy clarified trying to touch base with Mace’s chief of staff: 

“I call her chief of staff because, I don't know, maybe I don't connect her with something else, but I just said to him, I said, ‘Can you please tell me, I don’t understand, where have I not kept my word?’ You know what her chief of staff said? ‘You have kept your word, a hundred percent.’ Members come to me, and one thing, I don’t like the idea that a member comes and tries to leverage me. I don’t go for that. I’ll vote for the bill you do, that’s not well. But if you have a problem with the bill, I want to help you. But I can’t sit there and write your entire bill and work it all the way through committee. We just got her one bill out, then came back, the other bill doing on guns that just wasn’t working. Do you want to do something else? We did something else. I just don’t appreciate… Look, I bite my lip. I let people say things that are not true, but it’s not right. It is not right. Her chief of staff told all of us, we have kept every single one of our words. And he said he’s told her that too. Now if somehow he gets fired, I’ll still get him a job.” [Press pool laughs again.]¹⁷⁶

Moving along to another question, a journalist asked McCarthy if he had regretted any comments related to January 6th riot-siege. “No, but do I regret the Democrats playing games with January 6th? Yes. They played so many politics.” McCarthy expressed that what Democrats did so wrong to the legislative institution, such as: no longer allowing Republicans to be co-sponsors on bills; putting up magnetometers fining members $5k if the device went on but were waived whenever Pelosi or Clyburn went around it; legislation not having to go through committee; not allowing the minority party to appoint its members to be part of the J6 committee only to be picked solely by Pelosi herself. “Look, I’m trying to change all that, and bring the body back so they can work together, but I think they did a lot of damage to us.”¹⁷⁷

In another question about expectations for the House to pass legislation one by one, considering that McCarthy was removed from his leadership post. 

Having talked with McConnell, Shumer, and Jeffries, there was concern with the current timeline, and despite taking up 4-out-of-5 bills, eventually there was a way to find work that had to be done. Pressing into the border issue, McCarthy expressed that the MSNBC network ran a story about the border, as becoming the number one issue, with Illinois governor Pritzker sending a letter about immigration. The governor of Massachusetts also declared a state of emergency, and even Connecticut. The border crisis is an issue that can not be ignored.¹⁷⁸

“And I had told my members all before, I heard Gaetz say something on the floor that, ‘Oh my God, Kevin asked for a stop-gap measure when he came back.’ The whole plan was, because those eight, and a few more, had held up passing any of these probes bills all summer,” McCarthy stressed. “I was going to do just what we did Saturday, a stop-gap measure with disaster. I’d gone out to Hawaii, we looked what happened in Florida. Those people shouldn’t be held back. And we could finish doing it all individually, but somehow they think that’s a dirty word.”¹⁷⁹

Telling a tale about his mother, who’s called her son a few times worried about the cost of gasoline, especially out in California. Although she would only go once a week to Costco, she had asked what her son was going to do about it. Politics, and even just becoming a public elected official is hard on the loved ones then oneself.¹⁸⁰

When asked of McCarthy signed a deal with Ukraine, he went on a tangent, beginning with, “Unequivocally no.” There was in the beginning a stop-gap measure that became a concern. Whether or not it had transferability on money, McCarthy believed that it did via his staff, further indicating to the White House that if it did not, he would fix it. As a firm believe in supporting to arm Ukraine, “that doesn’t mean sending them cash, but arming them, even before they sent the supplemental, I said they were doing it wrong by just sending the supplemental. I think the president is failing here because he’s not telling the American public what is the mission.”¹⁸¹

There were many lawmakers who were former Navy Seals, F-18 pilots, all who’ve become frustrated over wanting to show support, but do not support a never-ending war. Concerned about what’s happening long-term, McCarthy viewed what was happening in the world via Putin’s actions as similar to the events by Hitler.¹⁸²

After Hitler served in WW1, he hated how his country collapsed, later signing the Treaty of Versailles. Years later he created a new political party and ran through democratic means over and over again until he won. Upon winning, according to McCarthy’s continued lesson, Hitler took away freedom and rebuilt his military. While it went against the Versailles agreement, the nations on the world stage did nothing, only to find out Czechoslovakia and Austria would be invaded. Neville Chamberlain was viewed as weak for Hitler, and despite signing a piece of paper, Hitler would come to invade Poland the following year. Although Putin didn’t serve in the Soviet army, he did serve in the KGB intelligence agency. “He hated that his country collapsed to the West. He hated it so much, when Gorbachev died, he still didn’t attend the funeral.” As Putin rebuilt his military there was something to be learned, “The military makes you strong, but the pendency makes you weak.”¹⁸³

Even by rebuilding his country, Putin sold natural gas to Europe, invaded Georgia, the Donbas, annexed Crimea, yet the world didn’t say much about it. Establishing 100k troops at the border of Ukraine, after watching the collapse of Afghanistan, he “got his meeting with the world power.” Biden lifted the sanctions off Nord Stream 2, but asked for nothing in return. “Putin misreads that and invades Ukraine thinking it would collapse in two weeks but upon Afghanistan. But now we have something even worse that’s happened…” Noting how Germany allies itself with Italy and Japan, all countries wanted to find ways to expand their influence. Before Putin invaded Afghanistan, what did he do? He created [an] axis of power with China, North Korea, and Iran. All countries who want to expand their sphere of influence.”¹⁸⁴

“What we do is very important,” McCarthy indicated. The US, let alone the world, ought not to sit there and watch it collapse:

“But why it's so much personal to me in 2014 and 2015, when Putin invaded the first time, I went to ukraine. Then I came back and I took a bipartisan group and we went to the White House. We sat in the situation room with that then-vice president who was in charge of Ukraine, Joe Biden. and we advocated let's sell them javelins so they can stop tanks, so they wouldn't invade. He said ‘no,’ they said, ‘Europeans were on the run,’ and we said, ‘Why don't we sell them to them now and keep them in Poland?’ Didn't think that was right. I fear of making the same mistake twice and sending the wrong messages. But the thing I would tell everybody is, more Americans are dying on the southern border than are dying in Ukraine. Each and every day a plane of Americans crash from fentanyl, and I don't understand how the White House continues to ignore it. My whole plan I've been up front from the very beginning… If you want anything on Ukraine, we've gotta do something with the border.”¹⁸⁵

Quickly remarking about being “pretty good at election people,” since one of the concessions McCarthy had to follow upon was not getting involved in primary races, for he was recently glad to be a free agent.¹⁸⁶

In another inaudible question asked by a journalist, it seemed to rely upon going through negotiations. Having worked through different presidencies, McCarthy believed there was respect for one-another, especially the frustrations of the debt ceiling crisis. With respect to staff, noting their honesty and smarts, “I thought we had made a good agreement.” McCarthy issued that had he been President, he would act more engaged and hands-on. “Bringing people together is a better way, talking through stuff. In those rooms you talk about all sorts of things.”¹⁸⁷

Embarking on impeachment inquiry, and to some degree the shady business dealings of Hunter Biden, allowing an inquiry gives the House the ability power to request additional information. Before nudging that it was the media’s investigative journalists amongst the crowd who were “supposed to cover this stuff,” McCarthy did not know any of the recently uncovered materials, such as the creation of 20 shell companies, Romanian payments, and information given by IRS whistleblowers.¹⁸⁸ 

Having no idea that the IRS agents would testify to the House, they felt that aside from working for 16 years with no political basis, there was concern about what happened with the Hunter Biden’s case. Noting that the Department of Justice, “allowed the statute of limitations to run out.” Not allowed to interview Hunter because when they went and told the FBI, that the DOJ would inform Hunter’s lawyers, telling them they didn’t know about such papers before they could go there. McCarthy prolonged his remarks:

“The president told us he never had a meeting, he never talked to us about it… I don't think it's wrong you talk to your son… doesn't mean you're influencing them. But he literally, I had no idea that the partner to Hunter Biden that also served on Ukrainian energy board said they would literally call into meetings. And then he said they were getting a lot of press from Burisma meant to do something about the Ukraine prosecutor. I didn't know the president told the entire country he withheld $1 billion of American taxpayer money to get rid of the prosecutor. And then we found out the president called in the meeting but he went to cafe milano. He went to Cafe Milano more times and met with the foreign business partners of Hunter Biden then he has gone to the border. But with each meaning that he went to cafe milano, and I never had this happen, I’ve been to Cafe Milano, but I have never gotten a new porsche the next day, and I never got $3 million wired to me from a Russian oligarch. So, if you knew all of that, would you at least say, ‘Hm, I think there's more.” We have never asked for the bank statements of the president, of Hunter, or anybody else. And these 20 shell companies had credit cards that were being paid. This laptop that was supposed to be Russian that we found out was Hunter, in there, he did say his father would take the money from him, he did make and we did find out that the president. I didn't know this when I became Speaker, used another name while he was vice president for emails. And in one of the emails it says that it only went to him and his son, Hunter, and it was about a phone call he was going to have with the president of Ukraine. Now, if you knew all of that, would you say, ‘Oh I don't have anymore questions,’ or would you at least, as a lawmaker, I do have a role here, wouldn't you at least say, ‘Ok, we will have to go get some more documents,’ and you will get more documents, I just want to make sure if you will find it and string everything out so we can get it. That's all an impeachment inquiry. Now if that made the president upset, maybe he shouldn't have lied to us from the beginning.”¹⁸⁹

After such remarks, the following were a set of inaudible questions from the reporters in the room. Only to rely on the basis of McCarthy’s answers, he responded to one stating how Democrats came to their decision [supposedly to vote against McCarthy] that “Why would we help the person that becomes our executioner?” In a follow-up about Gaetz, McCarthy acknowledged that Gaetz was able to raise a lot of money over the drama.¹⁹⁰

As for relations between Shumer and the White House, McCarthy said how Shumer wouldn't talk to them, including Biden, and even on the Sunday political shows saying how “Kevin was going to break.”¹⁹¹

Upon concluding his press conference, McCarthy implied that he would continue to help, and has been both blessed and very fortunate throughout his career in Congress. Ranging the political ladder of becoming chief deputy whip, majority whip, majority leader, minority leader, and eventually Speaker. Running through a lot of different experiences, was the ability to bring up new blood and help members through the legislative branch all the way. “Look, I enjoy you,” talking amongst the crowd of press goers. “I don’t know if you will cover me as much, but I’m sure I won’t miss you, but see you soon.”¹⁹²

---

In a statement made late Tuesday evening by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, President Biden sought that House members would quickly elect a new Speaker given “the urgent challenges facing our nation,” which could not wait. “The American people deserve leadership that puts issues affecting their lives front and center,” Jean-Pierre said. “Once the House has met their responsibilities to elect a Speaker, he looks forward to working together with them and with the Senate to address the American people’s priorities.”¹⁹³ 

To figure out the road ahead, House Republicans gave themselves a week, with the possibility of having a new Speaker vote by October 11th. However, Republican lawmakers would have to meet together in Conference on the 10th, the day before, for a closed door candidate forum. For a nominee to win the position, according to Conference rules, there only needed to be a simple majority.¹⁹⁴ 

Ahead of the pack in the list of who would be next was Scalise, emerging as one of the contenders to replace McCarthy. Representing Louisiana’s 1st congressional district, Scalise, was shot by a left-wing fanatic in June 2017 during the annual congressional baseball game. Previously serving in the capacity as the House Republcan’s whip for eight years (2014-2022), he later was elected by his colleagues to become the second highest leadership position in the party — majority leader.¹⁹⁵

Elected unanimously, he said at the time, “We will get to work preparing an agenda that is focused on the struggles hardworking families are facing, including passing bills through the House to reduce inflation, lower energy costs, secure the border, and help law enforcement officers get the tools they need to keep our communities safe from rampant crime. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work fighting for those families who are struggling as the new House Majority Leader.” Until recently over the summer, Scalise announced in August a blood cancer diagnosis, multiple myeloma. Whether it would impact his job, he stated, “I expect to work through this period and intend to return to Washington, continuing my work as Majority Leader and serving the people of Louisiana’s First Congressional District.”¹⁹⁶

Aside from the fact that Scalise would hypothetically be the next in line to the speakership, it’s not just lawmakers who have caught themselves in a messy situation, it’s corporate lobbyists too that are feeling the heat. According to Kate Ackley of Bloomberg Government, Scalise became the favorite pick amongst lobbyists. They even viewed McHenry as a favorite too, considering the Speaker Pro-tempore chaired the House’s Financial Services Committee. But he has shown no interest in taking over as McCarthy’s successor to the high seat. Firms and other business interests hope for a quick election so that they can go on with business as usual, pressing legislative operations.¹⁹⁷ 

Former Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) who serves as a lobbyist with Crossroad Strategies said,  “They need to make some decisions about leadership, whoever it’s going to be, and get on with the business.” Suggesting that lawmakers should put aside their personal and partisan interests and think about the country. Stephanie Silverman of Venn Strategies, who serves as CEO also went on to say, “The truth is no one really knows how this will affect the functioning of government, and the downtown sentiment across the political spectrum is a mix of outright shock and anxiety. Regular order hasn’t been regular for a while, but this level of irregularity is well beyond what we are trained to process.”¹⁹⁸

With a looming deadline to find the government beyond the November 17th date, many were worried about what a vacant House Speaker meant for the legislative calendar, since a Speaker had to be elected before the House could take up business again. Becoming House Speaker also meant that whoever were to occupy that position would have to be an extraordinary fundraiser, something McCarthy had a reputation for. 

As Dan McLaughlin expressed after in his piece for the New York Post, McCarthy, the prodigious fundraiser, “helped even some of the dissidents win their seats. As Speaker, he held his caucus together in the debt-ceiling fight, catching Joe Biden unawares, and he managed to avert a government shutdown. He’s made the best of a weak hand. Whatever the merits of replacing McCarthy, ousting a party leader in the middle of his term is self-defeating…”¹⁹⁹

It’s sufficient to say that Scalise would fit that role, and had a network that ran deep in DC, such as former aides Matt Bravo of S-3 Group, and Eric Zulkosky of Fierce Government Relations. But there are others who seek the post — take for example, Ohio’s Jim Jordan. Compared to Scalise, Jordan’s profile amongst the corporate lobbying sector is small because Jordan raises money, much of it from individual small donor donations.²⁰⁰

As for McCarthy and his staff, it’s likely that any of them would find jobs on K Street. Ivan Adler, who runs a recruiting firm said, "Both he and his staff will be sought after by K Street. Especially in Washington, being fired from a political position is not fatal by any means… Even though he wasn’t Speaker for a long time, the fact that he was is what matters." Former staff member to then-Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) who once was the Republican House Majority Leader, Steve Stombres, also added, “The Speaker assembled a highly talented group of staffers. They have a very attractive skill set and experience that the private sector will really value.”²⁰¹

Being the firebrand and original founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Jim Jordan announced he would run for Speaker, releasing a Dear Colleague letter on Wednesday, the day after McCarthy’s ouster. “We should be proud of what we have achieved together in these divided times,” it read. Noting how “our work is not done,” examples given were how, “Far-left progressive policies are destroying our communities, our security, and our future.” From the crisis at the border, to federal agencies cracking down on parents at school board meetings and Catholic worshippers, and the economic hardships Americans have been suffering under the Biden administration, Jordan called that the Republican majority “must continue to address the issues that matter to the American people.” In continuation of the topics addressed were, crime, fiscal responsibility in spending reductions, constitutional oversight of federal bureaucracy, and securing the border.²⁰²

Remarking legislative matters, the letter pressed how in the beginning of Congress the House had three objectives it must do: pass legislation, provide oversight, and control spending: “Working with Chairman Green and our leadership, I helped to deliver the most significant legislative accomplishment this Congress: the strongest immigration and border enforcement bill ever. With other committee chairs and the members of the Judiciary Committee, I am doing the oversight and holding the Administration accountable. And I have been among the leaders in pushing for fiscal discipline my entire career.”²⁰³

Concluding was the following: “We are at a critical crossroad in our nation’s history. Now is the time for our Republican conference to come together to keep our promises to Americans. The problems we face are challenging, but they are not insurmountable. We can focus on the changes that improve the country and unite us in offering real solutions. But no matter what we do, we must do it together as a conference. I respectfully ask for your support for Speaker of the House of Representatives.”²⁰⁴

That same day, Scalise too made his official run for Speaker, embarking a two-paged Dear Colleague letter.

At the start of his letter, he began, “We all came here to save this country from being taken down a dangerous path of destruction. We don’t sacrifice time with our families to come to Washington to fight over the small things – we are here because we care about our children’s futures and the kind of country they will grow up in. Under the failed leadership of President Biden, our country is being pushed to the brink.” Affordability, and the American dream have become out of reach. As included were issues such as debt, energy supply, crime, and a border crisis. “The rule of law is in doubt; the Justice Department is weaponized to target political enemies and shield allies. Our standing around the world is in question, and there is no accountability for the decisions that allowed 13 of our soldiers to be killed in the failed surrender of Afghanistan.”²⁰⁵

Scalise indicated further in his letter how he held belief in his Conference, viewing it as family, ever since the congressional baseball attack. “When I made it to the hospital and my family was told my chances of surviving were low, it was the prayers from all of you that carried us through.” While trying to get through recovery after being in the hospital for 15 weeks, he found motivation, and despite being questioned why head back to the job where he nearly lost his life, Scalise penned down love for country, and a belief in being sent to solve immense challenges. “I know the coming weeks ahead will be some of the most arduous times we will face together, but this Conference is worth fighting for – we cannot lose sight of our shared mission. Now, more than ever, we must mend the deep wounds that exist within our Conference and focus on our objectives so we can get back to work for the millions of people who are counting on us.”²⁰⁶

In seeking the party’s nomination for Speaker of the House, he outlined his past posts within the Conference, ranging from majority leader to whip. “I have a proven track record of bringing together the diverse array of viewpoints within our Conference to build consensus where others thought it impossible.” When Scalise ran his campaign to be the majority leader, he stated how he made a commitment to bring a conservative agenda and make it into legislative action, where a legislative process would be created built upon regular order and inputs from its members. In a way to allow so, “all Members and their constituents have a voice in the House of Representatives, and to hold the Biden Administration accountable.”²⁰⁷

Topping the House’s agenda were through three key legislative items: H.R. 1 the Lower Energy Costs Act, that would lower costs, including inflation, and increase energy independence; H.R. 2, the Secure Border Act, by offering a conservative measure amongst the immigration policy realm to tackle the southern border crisis; and H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights, allowing parents to have a voice in their children education. “While we have made tremendous progress so far this Congress and have demonstrated that we can unite against failing liberal policies, more work needs to be done. We have an extremely talented Conference, and we all need to come together and pull in the same direction to get the country back on the right track,” the letter read.²⁰⁸ 

Slowing down was not a valuable choice at this moment in time, for there is oversight to be conducted into the current administration; meanwhile working to allow an open and transparent appropriations process laying out the consideration of all 12 bills to head into negotiations within the Senate with a strong hand, “We cannot afford to lose any more time achieving that goal.”²⁰⁹

Unity is a strength amongst the House Republican Conference, and when members unite, “we can deliver wins for the American people.” In doing so, “we need to take those unified positions and work to extract conservative wins from the Democrat Senate and White House by leveraging upcoming deadlines. While we need to be realistic about what can be achieved, if we stay united, we can preserve leverage for the House to secure tangible wins in our impending policy fights.” Challenges are to be met along the way with such a task, but the Conference will find a way through unity, coming together, to achieve great things. “God already gave me another chance at life. I believe we were all put here for a purpose. This next chapter won’t be easy, but I know what it takes to fight and I am prepared for the battles that lie ahead. I humbly ask you for your support on this mission to be your Speaker of the House,” the letter concluded.²¹⁰

With both men formally announcing their run for the speakership, such events also lead to a game theory on who would become Conference chair and it’s deputy whip. Speculation at the time portrayed that Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) may have been interested in a leadership position for either post, including Secretary of the House Republican Conference Rep. Lis McClain (R-MI) who also may have eyed for deputy whip.²¹¹

To find supportive ground, candidates not only had to use their personal connections and craft their party’s priorities to its members, but it’s also figuring out just what faction is willing to hold their feet to the fire in what would play out to be a grueling and bitter roll call. 

Scalise, second in the leadership line under McCarthy, was also the second top-dog in drawing fundraising, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) remarked that the Louisiannan was not only a principled conservative, “he has overcome adversity far beyond the infighting in our conference right now.”²¹² 

Gaetz, open to Scalise if his health allowed, said, “It is awkward to talk about names until we understand how Mr. Scalise comes out of his treatment for blood cancer. I am not the type of person that just says you blow by somebody because they’re getting a medical treatment.”²¹³

On its face, what stood out between Scalise and Jordan was the issue of continued aid to Ukraine. In a Fox News segment, Jordan made his charge, “Why should we be sending American tax dollars to Ukraine when we don’t even know what the goal is? No one can tell me what the objective is.” Jordan was one of the 117 Republican lawmakers who voted against continued training aid towards Ukraine, while Scalise alongside 101 other Republicans, supported the package.²¹⁴

Jordan doesn't typically walk around the Capitol without a blazer just by accident, for it’s his own brand — and perfectly so — because he approached politics under a different lane. While he may have picked up early support from members such as Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Jim Banks (R-IN), and Darrell Issa (R-CA), not to mention being a close ally to former President Donald Trump, Jordan’s support was strong amongst conservatives, but most challenging for moderate members to back him up. In it’s early stages of figuring out support, Jordan even met with members of the Texas delegation, 25 Republicans in all, who may be a crucial bloc. “I think I can unite the conservative base and the party and the conference; that’s why I’m running,” Jordan said while heading into the Texas luncheon.²¹⁵

If he were to be elected to serve as Speaker, Jordan would have to step down from his House Judiciary committee chairmanship, a powerful position ever since Republicans gained House majority earlier in the year, in which he led investigative efforts to look into business dealings that involved President Biden’s son, Hunter.²¹⁶

With a paralyzed House, members hoped to not repeat the January events that gave McCarthy the gavel after 15 rounds of roll call voting. Whoever would take the post would have to take on border security, Ukraine aid, a spending showdown, and other legislative fights. And with such immense pressure, especially amongst conservatives calling for lowering the spending levels, would find itself in due course with the Senate, who have been adhering to the agreement made between McCarthy and Biden.²¹⁷

While some Republicans have issued their opinions that they would not support a Speaker without assurances, it would be difficult to come by due to the fact the Democrats control both the Senate and the presidency, and possibly cause negotiations to stall or even find itself in a dysfunctional state when negotiating federal spending plans.²¹⁸

Both men were publicized in the press for having faced scrutiny in the past: According to the Times, Jordan, “denied accusations that he turned a blind eye to complaints of sexual abuse committed by a doctor at Ohio State University decades ago when we was an assistant wrestling coach there.” Meanwhile in remarks made towards Scalise, “Mr. Scalise apologized in 2014 for having spoken in 2002 at a gathering of white nationalists, and a political journalist said that he had once described himself to her as ‘David Duke without the baggage,’ an apparent reference to the former Ku Klux Klan leader.”²¹⁹

Democrats, such as Rep. Jamall Bowman (D-NY), were quick to publicly criticize Republicans picking Scalise. The following tweet read, "Republicans have chosen a candidate for speaker who has pushed white supremacist and antisemitic conspiracy theories, calling himself, ‘David Duke without the baggage.’ We must be focused on dismantling white supremacy and violence, not allowing them into our leadership."²²⁰

For further clarification, Brady Knox of the Washington Examiner described in a follow-up piece referencing political scientist D. Stephen Voss, who not only covered David Duke in the past, but also fact-checked the alleged remark that would soon find itself picked-up in various media outlets during the time Scalise was running to claim the speakership. Voss even went to extend his commentary by stating, “And here’s my fact check on that narrative: It’s partly false, broadly misleading, and insofar as it’s supposed to make Scalise sound distinct from his Republican competition, entirely unfair.”²²¹ 

Knox described that the origin of the ‘David Duke without the baggage’ remark, as told by Voss, stretched back to when Scalise interacted in conversation with reporter and Louisiana State University alumni, Stephanie Grace. The recollection of the account, due to the fact that there was no recording or even a report of the conversation between the two individuals, was only to be ascertained years later by Grace’s memory, that Scalise told her the baggage phrase.²²² 

Knox further summarized Voss’s account:

“The state representative never broke into the national scene, likely due to his views on race weighing him down with a broader electorate. ‘David Duke was astonishingly good at parroting Reagan/Bush conservatives,’ Voss wrote. ‘The one thing Duke’s critics could throw at him was the baggage, his awful past.’ Though Scalise issued an apology in 2014 over allegedly speaking at a rally of the Duke-founded white nationalist European-American Unity and Rights Organization, evidence suggests that the apology may have been made in error and that the Louisiana Republican likely never even attended the rally. Scalise ‘spoke early in the day to a contingent of people, prior to the conference kicking off,’ Kenny Knight, an associate of Duke and a key source for the original claim, said in 2014, according to Slate. ‘He was not there as a guest speaker at the conference.’ In other words, he spoke in a room where the conference was going to begin later in the day, but it wasn’t being used by the group at the time of Scalise’s address. Knight said Scalise spoke to a group consisting overwhelmingly of local residents unaffiliated with the group, and that only a small contingent of members had joined the crowd to watch. There were no signs or banners in the room indicating that it was going to be the location for a conference of the controversial group. ‘I think not,’ Knight said when asked if there were signs or banners of the group hanging around. ‘I really truly believe if there were any signs or banners up, Mr. Scalise would [have asked], ‘What is that?’ And he probably would have left. Because I don’t recall having any banners or signs up at all.’ Knight’s account was corroborated by Barbara Noble, his then-girlfriend. The only other source claiming that Scalise spoke at the EURO conference was an anonymous user of Stormfront, a white supremacist message board. An ‘association’ with David Duke Scalise was ‘friendly’ with Knight, Duke’s campaign manager, who was from the same neighborhood as the future congressman. Duke told the Washington Post in 2014 about the relationship between the two men, and Duke wound up speaking at the event preceding the EURO conference as a result of their relationship. ‘Scalise would communicate a lot with my campaign manager, Kenny Knight,’ Duke said. ‘That is why he was invited and why he would come. Kenny knew Scalise, Scalise knew Kenny. They were friendly.’ Duke didn’t speak about Scalise as though they were associates and told the outlet the two ‘never had a relationship. ‘No lunches, no dinners with Scalise. I never supported him in any campaign,’ Duke said. ‘I didn’t get the impression that he was one of us. I didn’t cultivate a relationship. Kenny was the one who did.’”²²³

While Jordan and Scalise were the top two figures in the race, it’s worth mentioning former McDonald’s business man, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK). Having been elected to Congress in 2018, Hern served as chairman of the Republican Study Committee. While his candidacy was considered to be a long shot, he pushed for real results, “I believe I could deliver those if the people up here want to put me in that place,” he said on the Newsmax program.²²⁴

Among matters of concern amongst the executive branch, President Biden addressed the House chaos, issuing that lawmakers change Washington’s poisonous atmosphere. “We cannot and should not again be faced with an 11th-hour decision or brinkmanship that threatens to shut down the government. And we know what we have to do, and we gotta - we have to get it done in a timely fashion.”²²⁵

If per se that the House hypothetically made up its mind to approve a Speaker right then and there, it would take time for that newly elected individual to get caught up with the political winds of the day, so nothing was fine tuned right from the get-go. 

With eyes gazed upon the charming yet non-egotistical Speaker Pro-Tempore, just who is the subtle bow-tie wearing McHenry? At the young age of 29, the North Carolinian was elected to Congress in 2004 after serving one term in a state legislature. But prior to his stint in the state legislature, McHenry worked for George W. Bush’s campaign in 2000 alongside political icon Karl Rove, and became a special assistant to the secretary of labor in the Bush administration in 2001.²²⁶ 

While it may seem that those who arrive into office full of ambition, and willingness to make a public name for themselves, McHenry in his early years was a “conservative bomb thrower,” attacking Democrats on offense if you will. In one particular example, there was commotion during a 2011 subcommittee hearing on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, when he accused then-professor Elizabeth Warren of lying about scheduled time obligations.²²⁷

Rep. Steney Hoyer (D-MD) who served a House Minority Whip at the time, expressed his history with McHenry, calling out that, "He used to frustrate the living daylights out of me. He and I now have a very good relationship, but we started out pretty rocky. I used to be thinking, ‘This young kid is a pain in the neck.’”²²⁸ 

Soon referring to keeping things on the down-low, suiting himself as a low profile congressman, McHenry worked to establish a reputation behind the scenes. So much so that he spoke about his respect to the legislative branch that came to fruition over time. “What changed for me was once I slowed down enough to respect the process and respect the people that I served with in the institution. I was able to get more done when I slowed down and had respect for others. That took me three years of really making mistakes in order to figure out the better way to get things done. The key mark of proper leadership is actually learning and adapting from the mistakes you make.”²²⁹

He rose in the rank becoming chief deputy whip during both the John Boehner and Paul Ryan speakerships, and after Scalise was shot became acting majority whip. McHenry had been a help towards Scalise in the past, such as helping win support to score the title of Republican Study Committee chairman, to later the position of whip. The Louisiana congressman, in return, rewarded McHenry by selecting him to a non-elected position to be his top deputy in 2014. When Scalise was absent to recover after the baseball shooting, he said, “I’m lucky to count Patrick as both a good friend and a critical member of my team as Chief Deputy Whip. Without all he did to step up in my absence after the shooting, the Whip office would not have been able to function at a high level. I’m thankful for all he’s done and to be able to count on him every day.” As for recent committee positions, he served as vice chair of the Financial Services Committee [from 2019-2023], which led to special interest stakeholders amongst the markets related towards the bank, real estate, investment, insurance, and securities. Once House Republicans gained back the majority in 2023, McHenry was serving as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.²³⁰

Unprecedented was a vacancy of a House Speaker, so too was the powers from within for the interim Speaker. For starters, the presidential line of succession, second in line to the presidency was Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray (D-WA). McHenry would not assume authority in the event Biden and Harris vacated their positions, as political experts believed that the acting-Speaker would not serve in that capacity. In a phone interview with the Seattle Times, Murray said that she had felt a weight of responsibility. “I don’t think our country wants to see chaos right now.” She continued, “I think they really want us to work together and make sure we’re funding the priorities and passing the policies that really help everyday average people.”²³¹

Staff working alongside the House believed that the acting-Speaker was only to serve over the election of a new Speaker, while others say that McHenry can wield powers beyond supervising a speaker’s race, so long as it's tolerable by the majority. “House rules do not explicitly prohibit the interim speaker from adopting the powers of an elected speaker,” according to Stan M. Brand, former general counsel to the House. “But the rule that led to Mr McHenry’s ascent was developed with only temporary absences in mind, not a vacant chair…” In essence it allowed McHenry legal room to use broad powers if he chose to do so, such as legislative business.²³²

While one of the first official actions after becoming Speaker pro tempore was to evict the private rooms, also known as hideaways, from former Speaker Pelosi and Steny Hoyer [who both previously served as top leadership officials in House Democratic circles], the decision was originally made by McCarthy once he was taken down from his top post, took over the hideaway Pelosi previously occupied. In the past, Speakers would offer hideaways to their predecessors, such as Pelosi did for Dennis Hastert in 2006. McCarthy too offered a hideaway to Pelosi, as well as one for Hoyer, since he had been in past meetings with McCarthy when it came to negotiations.²³³

These hideaways, a perk for being a House leader [and Senator too], are small suites inside the Capitol complex located near the House floor, used as places to take breaks between floor votes or to have drinks with other legislative colleagues.²³⁴ 

As previously mentioned, after being ousted, McCarthy during his press conference relented that there should be a rules change, which would raise the number of lawmakers eligible to proceed with the motion to vacate the Speaker. There was also another rule being discussed. In a letter to both McHenry and Stefanik, penned by 94 Republican lawmakers took it to further matters. “Dear Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry and Chair Stefanik,” it began. “Pursuant to House Republican Conference Rule 6(d)(2)(A), we request a special organizational meeting for the purpose of consideration of an amendment to House Republican Conference Rules to temporarily raise the threshold needed to elect a Speaker.”²³⁵

So not only were House Republicans dealing with the rule to raise the threshold to vacate the Speaker, but how the nomination process would work within their party, since one only needed to win by a simple majority vote.

Jordan suggested he was willing to support the rule change, only if the Conference wanted that. “If the conference wants that rule changed, I’m not gonna go to Democrats to get that done. No way. We will have to decide as 222 Republicans, are we going to change that? That’s the only way it gets done — if that’s what the conference wants.”  Lawmakers who aligned themselves as moderate, particularly the Republican Main Street Caucus, believed that the rules on the motion to vacate should be changed. Meanwhile those on the House Freedom Caucus favored that the rule should stay in place. ²³⁶

In a statement made by the Main Street group, “Personal politics should never again be used to trump the will of 96% of House conservatives. Any candidate for Speaker must explain to us how what happened on Tuesday will never happen again.”²³⁷

Rep. Graves referenced that some of the greatest people in the Conference wouldn’t consider the Speaker’s position because the job was, “going to be a complete failure.” As well as Rep. Carlos Kimenez (R-FL) suggested that the motion to vacate be reformed, and that whoever wants his vote must be committed to such change, “The threshold must be raised to 50% of the Republican Conference. A Speaker cannot govern under constant threat by fringe hostage takers,” he further stated in a social media post. Rep. Good, who supported the motion to vacate on the other hand, sought to keep the rule as a one-lawmaker threshold, said, “We’re not going to let somebody like Kevin McCarthy, who’s going to be insecure about that.”²³⁸

In an NBC Sunday political talk show interview “Meet the Press” Gaetz expressed it was worth it to dethrone McCarthy from his high post, even if it meant losing his position in Congress. “Absolutely,” he said in response to show host Kristen Welker’s question. “Look, I’m here to fight for my constituents. And I’m here to ensure that America is not on a path to financial ruin.”²³⁹

The topic of vacating is controversial because McCarthy was the first House Speaker ever to be successfully ousted by the lone motion to vacate. During past speakerships, John Boehner and Paul Ryan were threatened with its use, only to later resign. When Pelosi ran her Democratic-controlled House, the motion to vacate was changed so it would only require the support of the majority, making it unlikely for one sole person to test her leadership.²⁴⁰

It’s also worth mentioning here that on October 7th, Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel and massacred over 1,000 civilians. A key US ally, some were concerned about the powers [at be] within Congress, given the fact there was a vacancy of the Speaker’s office. McCarthy at the time, indicated that it sent the wrong message to not have a Speaker in a time of world crisis, only to further comment that Hamas should be destroyed.²⁴¹

Republicans who called on for aid to Israel, also acknowledged that the crisis happening in the Middle East displayed the need for urgent action to select a Speaker. Rep. Don Davis (R-NC) expressed the matter, in which the conference should come together, “and we need to elect a speaker and get down to doing the people’s business.”²⁴²

With limited powers, it was theorized that McHenry may have been given a window to test the boundaries of his temporary role. However, Democrats were eager to claim that McHenry had “no authority other than taking steps necessary and appropriate to further the election of a new Speaker,” but that remark was casted before the attack on Israel.²⁴³

In a bipartisan effort, there was a resolution introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee members Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), backed by the support of 390 lawmakers. The material stated that the US, “stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists," "condemns Iran’s support for terrorist groups and proxies," and "stands ready to assist Israel with emergency resupply and other security, diplomatic, and intelligence support." McCaul himself would later express that if the House doesn’t have a Speaker, “we can’t put anything on the floor and we’re paralyzed. If that doesn’t wake up the members of my conference, then I don’t know what will.”²⁴⁴

Political scholar Matt Glassman provided a thorough rundown about the limits McHenry has in his role as Speaker pro tempore. The rule set developed in 2003 known as Rule I, Clause 8(b)(3), reads as follows:

“(A) In the case of a vacancy in the Office of Speaker, the next Member on the list described in subdivision (B) shall act as Speaker pro tempore until the election of a Speaker or a Speaker pro tempore. Pending such election the Member acting as Speaker pro tempore may exercise such authorities of the Office of Speaker as may be necessary and appropriate to that end. (B) As soon as practicable after the election of the Speaker and whenever appropriate thereafter, the Speaker shall deliver to the Clerk a list of Members in the order in which each shall act as Speaker pro tempore under subdivision (A).”²⁴⁵

Such a rule was intended for the Speaker pro tempore to act as if they were a clerk-like Speaker, where their purpose was to preside over electing a new Speaker. And just like the private hideaways, they also have the authority to remove anyone, under Rule I, Clause 3.²⁴⁶

Given the circumstances of the conflict happening in Israel, Glassman pointed out that what he does accept the narrow view of the Speaker pro tempore, “It simply does not make sense to me to have a Speaker pro tempore that exists for the purpose of continuity of government in an emergency situation, but make them no more powerful than the Clerk.” Glassman himself even recommended that members of the House reconsider the authority of the Speaker pro tempore once the dust settled after a new Speaker was elected.²⁴⁷

Suffice to say that McHenry’s narrow leverage had become more of an individual setting precedent in the capacity as Speaker pro tempore by pursuing the following, as noted by Glasman: “recognized a Member on the floor, examined and approved the journal, made a unanimous consent request from the chair, refused to refer bills to committees, recessed the House under Rule I, Clause 12(a) authority, and rearranged office space under Rule I, Clause 3 authority. He has also been granted a significant security detail.”²⁴⁸

With political commentary going around wondering if the House isn’t able to pass a resolution, or even to say the paralysis of the House is due to a vacant Speaker, Glassman observes that there seemed to be confusion amongst the public about the McHenry’s authority via the House rules, and that of the rules under the Constitution:

“In my view, the House has full-authority to act, even in the absence of a Speaker or Speaker pro tempore, under its plenary power as a legislature. The Speaker has no constitutional authority; the House could make them a virtually powerless figurehead under its rules (as the Senate has largely done with its president). And the House can already, under its contemporary rules, take up and pass legislation without the Speaker needing to use any authority beyond the presiding authority of a clerk. But as a bottom line, there is simply no reasonable debate about whether the House could elect McHenry SPT for a handful of hours and then do whatever it wants. This indicates that the House is not paralyzed; it is simply choosing not to act right now (which is totally fine!).”²⁴⁹

Following the possibility of a rules change within the Conference, it’s one thing to walk away with being the winner by majority vote by your colleagues, but once the House floor comes to vote, that requires the party’s backing of a candidate as a whole to get through the finish line, and up on the Speaker’s chair. But that doesn’t mean raising the criteria to 217 wouldn’t be a bad idea, in fact there are possible advantages to such a strategy. As Glassman indicates, it would move the public fight from the floor into the party Conference instead, and members would go back to the floor once the fight from within was over.²⁵⁰

More into the micro side of party politics, Glassman classified the structural process at length:

“How things go in the GOP conference is going to directly impact the structure of events on the floor. If the conference can rally around a single candidate who is likely to win on the first ballot, the floor will be a pro forma ceremonial event, probably done by resolution and without much drama. Ditto if the conference vote is something like 195-27 and the party can compel the loyalty norm to hold with appeals to going along to get along and agreements on rules and protocol changes. But if deep divisions persists—a 120-102 nomination victory under the old majority rule or a 200-22 victory with no settlement and the dissenters ready to fight on the floor—we could see a repeat of January, conducted under similar, but different, rules and structure.”²⁵¹

As the events unfolded in the two weeks that followed, Glassman's structural description would come to life in just those ways.

---

WEEK 2

Heading into a new week, House Republicans took Monday to vent their frustrations and tried to come to a consensus about a path forward. “There’s definitely frustration towards those eight people,” commented Georgia congresswoman Margorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). “There were quite a few people who said they’re not ready to move forward,” when lawmakers met for a two-hour meeting. Given what happened over the weekend in Israel, not to mention other issues such as inflation and the southern border, many felt pressure to choose a Speaker.²⁵² 

“Some people were mad and they got a right to be mad,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) who described their Monday night intra-party session. “But I got a right to represent my constituents, too.” Some continued to advocate changes to the rules, such as the motion to vacate the chair, and raising the number threshold needed for the GOP to back a Speaker-designee. Yet with heads still fuming, one member suggested that additional time was to be needed to lower the temperature within the Republican Conference. Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) remarked how the party was, “dealing with whiplash.” While there were lawmakers who went out to do everything to support McCarthy, reading the room did have a warm temperature in the air. “Yes, people are going to be upset, but we will come together collectively and we will find a way forward as we always do, and will continue to lead.”²⁵³

While both Jordan and Scalise were more conservative-leaning than McCarthy, either would need support not just from the eight that ousted McCarthy, but from moderate members too, for it was not clear as to how the bloc would turn out. Moderates like Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) was one of a bunch who would’ve liked to see a comeback story, supporting McCarthy, even if those odds were in the gutter and was a long shot. Weary in the early stages on who would support who, Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH) threw his support behind Jordan early on, suggesting, “The members that were not helpful on the first 15 rounds, I think they would have a tendency to support Jim.” Scoring an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, Jordan viewed that his conservative profile was enough to help him win over the eight holdouts in the party. The issue being, moderates showed Jordan may be too much of a hard-liner, since he was the co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus in 2015.²⁵⁴

Regarding Scalise, part of the pitch was being known as a powerhouse for fundraising. According to the Times, not only did he become an ally to those in the oil and gas industry, but over his congressional career he raised a whopping $170 million, and just on the races in 2022 alone, Scalise had spent 112 days campaigning for candidates across the nation. In the past five years, it was also reported that the Louisianian gave $7.2 million to Republican candidates and its members with $50 million to the National Republican Congressional Committee.²⁵⁵

A week after the ouster, McCarthy held a temporary press conference in the ceremonious Rayburn Room, calling upon needed action for Israel. He also threw elbows to the Gang of Eight, “Let’s be honest about our Conference. Is our Conference just going to elect somebody to throw them out in another 35 days?” Further emphasizing how the actions of those few, “love a camera more than they love the American public.” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), even mentioned how many would like to see McCarthy back because they viewed him as the best person to lead the party. And commenting on the eight, Lawler viewed that there should be accountability to those who joined with every House Democrat to oust McCarthy.²⁵⁶

Rep. Mace lashed out at McCarthy on Twitter-X, saying, “If the former Speaker had spent as much time going after Chuck Schumer for not taking up our DoD military spending bill as he is attacking other Republicans, he wouldn’t be the former Speaker.”²⁵⁷

When members of the Republican House Conference gathered on Tuesday (the 10th), neither Scalise nor Jordan had the 217 votes within the party needed to earn heavy support. This was because members weren’t either satisfied or didn’t want to speak about it openly on record. According to one unnamed lawmaker, “The thing that drives me nuts the most is we all admit that we've got to make deals. And it seems like that the far-right guys are mad at McCarthy for making deals but both these guys admitted that they're gonna have to negotiate deals and get the best they can get.”²⁵⁸

Sewing the differences between the two contenders to be Speaker, there were a few who spoke about such philosophies. According to one member, Jordan’s earlier roles weren’t made to campaign for everyone. “His biggest weakness is he has done very little for purple district GOP members while Steve has been there from day #1.” Another suggested that Scalise has traveled to many districts nation-wide, and has become an effective campaigner. Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) had questioned Jordan about helping out moderate members within the party, to which Jordan responded that he sought to help out members of the Judiciary committee, but at the time didn’t feel there was a responsibility helping rank-and-file members.²⁵⁹

Mike Carey (R-OH), who shared a county with Jordan, viewed him as a team player. “Look, Jim didn't support me and my primary and he and I have voted differently on many, many issues… and we split a county together in Ohio and he has never once uttered a bad word and has helped me with with many of these counties, and I'll tell you, and that's that goes to the measure of who he is. He's a team player.”²⁶⁰

In a solid analogy by Rep. Massie put together Jordan's mantra as if it were planned through a committee hearing. Instead of relying on a down-the-line of seniority order, Jordan establishes a batting lineup, where there would be a chance of who would best challenge witnesses and develop a strong narrative for Republicans. With a skill like that, Massie believed that the Conference would benefit if they were to elect someone with that game plan as Speaker. “He doesn’t mince his words. He doesn’t stutter. He is able to express his thoughts clearly. And I would love to have somebody who’s covering all of our issues for our party who can communicate that well as the Speaker,” stated Massie.²⁶¹

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) observed with much of the House Conferencing moving towards the right, this would allow Jordan to have an advantage, due to Scalise being, “part of the establishment.” Following up, “If what we’ve done so far is unacceptable to people on the right, then, quite frankly, he’s unacceptable.”²⁶²

Another Jordan supporter early on was Rep. Donalds who said that Jordan was the man who would get the party, “back on track, and lead our conference.” As for Jordan being at the center of political battles nation-wide, he also understood where there were pitfalls too. “I think it’s time that we do have a sea change with respect to leadership in the Republican party on Capitol Hill…” In another comment made by Donalds, with everything that’s gone on in this congressional session, it was time to look for new leadership, “We wouldn’t be at this place if our leadership was batting 1,000.”²⁶³

Overall, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) put the general consensus at best: “I think that this is very healthy and constructive for the country, for the Congress, and for the Republican conference. We’re going to have a competition to select a Speaker instead of a coronation.”²⁶⁴ 

Proposed by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), in draft, would require that there be 217 of the 221 votes within the Conference to confirm the nominee before embarking on the House floor for a full vote. Such a number meant that there would be enough votes to make it through the full chamber. Jordan, expressed his support for the idea, but others such as Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) stated that the change should be made whole instead of being made short-term. “The rule change is being sold as temporary. If it’s such an important and good rule change, that should be permanent, not temporary.” Further implying that a change to the rules, “should not be used to allow a candidate who archives few votes to bludgeon the conference to reject the vote of the majority of the majority.”²⁶⁵ 

Under Roy’s proposed amendment draft, such a process was lengthy: 

“First, it allows a candidate who receives the votes of a majority of the conference, but fewer than 217, to answer more questions from GOP members — and then moves to a secret ballot that asks members if they will commit to supporting that candidate on the floor of the House. After two rounds of that, if the candidate does not get support from at least 185 members, the election will restart with all previously nominated candidates who have not withdrawn their names, plus allowing for new nominations. But if at least 185 members — and fewer than 217 — support the candidate, the process goes to the next phase. Lawmakers will answer if they can commit to supporting the leading candidate in a manual roll call vote — ditching the secret ballot and revealing the holdouts to the conference. If the candidate cannot get to 217 after two rounds of that, then the process is restarted.”²⁶⁶

Some members, identifying what they were going through was a messy process, Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) suggested, “I think that if we’re going to have a mess, we should have it in private.” From a lukewarm point of view, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) said that while going through discussions in private would avoid the mess, coming to a consensus, “in the privacy of our conference is going to drag this out for a long time, in my opinion.” Even Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), said that the 217 threshold would become “misdirected” despite its well intentions. Having the drama be played out on the floor of the House would show to the public at least, that the situation was playing out, versus behind closed doors.²⁶⁷

In a thorough breakdown, Matt Glassman provided a reputable summary of what a general GOP Conference nomination process for the election would be, proposed rules changes such as the Roy amendment, and more.²⁶⁸

In a Conference election, there are three details to understand: With the election held by secret ballot, nominees are allowed to make 3-minute speeches but there is no discussion held, and the nominee would need to win by a simple majority. If there are multiple candidates in the race with no person having the majority, repeated run-offs happen with the person receiving the lowest number of votes being dropped out.²⁶⁹ 

Typically, someone receiving the majority of votes for a leadership position within the Conference goes on to get the job. But since the party has been voting on someone to become Speaker-designee, a simple majority [ex: 111 out of 221] in their political party is the first part. The second part is attaining enough supportive votes on the full floor [217 to be needed], since the opposing minority party isn’t going to bulge, instead voting for their own party’s nominee.²⁷⁰

Nevertheless, a lawmaker may vote for whoever they wanted in caucus/conference before backing up the party’s eventual nominee on the full floor. Likely was the case due to party leadership threatening lawmakers with punishment if they ever defected on the floor. But over the past decade, defections have not only increased, but have become apparent since the start of the 2010s era.²⁷¹

With Republican lawmakers unsure that anyone would be able to achieve 217 votes on the first ballot, getting a simple majority can only go so far. Some suggested that the party temporarily change its Conference rules that would require a nominee receiving a 217 threshold before heading towards the floor. This would allow the party to come up with three pros: 1) Showing unification for the Speaker-designee prior to the first floor roll call. 2) What happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors, therefore saving a public floor fight that would most likely be messy and overdramatic. 3) Time. Usually a party’s nominee for a leadership post is chosen in November, giving that person a 6-week gap to rack up the people he needs to find support before the full floor vote once January rolls around. In the context of October’s events, finding support would not necessarily be weeks, but rather hours or days.²⁷²

There are also disadvantages, as Glassman points out: 1) Racking up to get 217 votes doesn't mean a winner is guaranteed, for there is a possibility of deadlock and prolonged Conference meetings, similar to the events that happened to McCarthy in January. 2) Emboldened factions may occur, where depending on how slim a majority party is, lawmakers can dissent their party’s nominee, toppling the 217 needed. 3) Ballot kept secret. While the floor vote offers a public glimpse on who a dissenter would be, that wouldn’t be possible in Conference. Someone could pretend in public that they supported the party’s nominee but voted in dissent when it came to secret ballot time.²⁷³

Regarding Rep. Chip Roy’s proposal, there are 6 takeaways: 1) Under current Conference rules, a normal simple majority establishes an initial nominee winner. 2) If the nominee does not reach the desired 217 vote threshold, the Conference would ask questions which the nominee would have to answer, followed by an up/down vote on said nominee. 3) If there’s no winner after the first approval vote to 217, another question is asked followed by another approval vote. 4) If the nominee does not get to 185 votes on the second approval, the process will start over again. If 185 is successful but short of 217, another question will be asked followed by a third approval vote. However the roll-call vote will be non-secret.. 5) If no one reaches 185, the process will start over, and if 185 is successful but short of 217 again, a fourth approval non-secret vote will proceed. 6) If no one gets to 217 by the fourth approval vote, the process starts all over.²⁷⁴

In his description, Glassman said how Roy’s proposition would try to force the Conference into confrontation with a questioning period, followed by a public roll call vote. It would build unity in the Conference, giving a nominee the ability to rack up support and talk to any necessary holdouts, should there be a few. At the same time, such an avenue felt, “a little clumsy.” in Glassman’s words, “Part of the way you get holdouts to give in is to offer them side deals, in private negotiation. This feels more like it’s setup as a church basement meeting, where everyone knows everyone’s business. That might not be conducive to getting to 217 when you are down to 6-10 holdouts, many of whom might like to be bought up but don’t want to be publicly airing those negotiations.”²⁷⁵

While it may seem like an approach to gather those in a basement Conference room and not leave until the issue has been solved, it only takes a small few to tear down a majority power. 

So what was to come of this? In retrospect, it was a motive to help become an incentive for the good of the party. However if there was a member just as one sided for one candidate, such a change to the rule was to be regarded as how it would affect an election outcome. In the following, Glassman observed three findings: 1) If you believe you are going to be the party nominee under the current system, you probably don’t want to change the rules. Winning the nomination doesn’t mean you’ll be a shoe-in when it comes to the floor right away, but it’s very likely you'll become Speaker somehow, even if you received votes from lawmakers of your own party who initially didn’t support you when it came to the private-ballot. 2) If you believe someone else has a majority in the Conference, you probably want to get the rules changed. Generally there’s pressure to wrap-up and support the one person who won the nomination. If there’s a possibility that the party is short of 217, then you would be able to state why you would be the better choice over the original winner. “Lots of fence-sitters will jump onto the nominee, but fewer than would if you were heading to the floor. And what do you have to lose? You almost certainly aren’t going to be Speaker if you don’t change the rules.” 3) If you are a secret dark horse candidate, you want the rules to change. The game of this one is to exhaust as much as you can, and let it be known how the top dogs will have a complex time within the Conference.²⁷⁶

As between both Scalise and Jordan, Glassman described, “Majority leaders [sic] Scalise is against changing the rules, and this is almost certainly not out of any normative view of what is best for the party, but simply because he thinks he has 111 votes. So he’s going to run a line that people should just support the party and fall in line with whoever wins. Conversely, the Jordan crowd seems to think it doesn’t have the majority. And so they (along, apparently with some McCarthy folks) are pushing for the rules change. Again, it may or may not be good for the party, but it certainly is better for someone who wants to win but doesn’t think they have a conference majority.”²⁷⁷

What lies ahead is figuring out what a lawmaker would do if he or she has no reason to support a candidate, playing a balancing act between the good of the party and how considerate a candidate must be to eventually earn their vote.²⁷⁸

Come Wednesday morning, House Republicans met together and went ahead to table by secret ballot vote, 135-88, Rep. Chip Roy’s plan that would’ve required 217 votes to carry on before heading to the floor as a whole. Members who backed Roy were eager to avoid a highly public fight on the House floor, while those who weren’t in favor may have viewed it as an effort to block Scalise from becoming the Conference’s nominee.²⁷⁹

Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), was the one who offered the motion to table the rule change, later telling reporters that he thought the amendment was flawed. “We have a process that is time-honored and tested and works. I’m a put-up-or-shut-up kind of guy. We have a chance to go to the floor, demonstrate who we are and what we stand for, and I don’t think there should be any finessing of a system that puts us in a situation where we have to do it all behind closed doors. Personally I think it empowers a handful of people to be able to stop the movement of a speaker in its tracks.” A Scalise supporter as Womack was, Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) who had backed the motion to table, offered that while he did indeed throw support for Jordan, the rule change made little sense to him. “What I like to do is imagine if we were running for office, and you got 60 percent of the vote. But somehow there was a rule that 60 percent wasn’t enough. And as a member of Congress, we had to go back and let our opponent who got 40 percent go through round two,” Weber said. “Sixty percent ought to be enough, right? Seems like simple math to me.”²⁸⁰ 

Rep. Tom Cole, who viewed the change as “overly complicated,” said that even with 217, just those 5 votes alone would keep the process from heading towards the floor, and it was better to just pick a winner. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) who favored Roy’s plan, indicated that there ought to be a supermajority before heading down to the floor as a whole. The American people deserve better than having another circus play out on the House floor.”²⁸¹

Once the amendment was rejected, the Conference followed to vote by secret ballot to elect their Speaker-designee. Scalise would defeat Jordan by a difference of 14 votes, 113 to 99. While that number totalled 212, an unsure few may have held back their votes. Far from the 217 needed to show a form of unification, such a wide gap continued to show a fractured party. And even if it were to go to the floor, some were still hammered to vote for Jordan, such as Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Max Miller, and Mace, despite Jordan himself trying to rally around support for Scalise.  Given the stakes of national security concerns, and the attacks on Israel, this of itself could have been a matter to get behind Scalise, so that the House would have a Speaker, and go back to legislative business. However, there were others who were undecided, wanted more time, or kept things closed. Rep. Ken Buck said that he was undecided, Reps. Troy Nehls (R-TX) did not want to go to the floor because more deliberation was needed, and Victoria Spartz (R-IN) had said to the press, “I cannot tell you what I’m going to do on the floor right now.”²⁸²

To describe the mood in the room was Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) who said to a congressional reporter heading into the Conference meeting, “Frustration is really high. People don’t send us here to play silly leadership games. They sent us here so that we can pass laws and govern the country, and we have been unable to do that for a couple of weeks. We have to get our act together.”²⁸³

Grace Segers of The New Republic gave a worthy visualization of what it was like in the Capitol basement, where Republican lawmakers met to hash things out: 

“The hallway outside of HC-5, the meeting room of the House majority, is like the Thunderdome for congressional reporters. But instead of a spacious arena, it’s a narrow passageway in the basement of the Capitol building, as if a real office complex vomited up a dank facsimile of itself with sickly beige walls, exposed pipes in the ceiling, and grayish concrete floors. As the meeting began, some Republican lawmakers bravely attempted to walk down the narrow strip of hallway unmolested. Others embraced the glaring lights of studio cameras and endured the shouted questions from the roiling mass of reporters, a many-armed creature of gnashing teeth and cell phones held aloft.”²⁸⁴

One of the most iconic scenes within the basement that week came from Rep. Nancy Mace, who entered a meeting wearing a white shirt with the red letter ‘A’ remarking as if it were a scarlet letter. “I hope that, you know, win, lose or draw that we all get behind one person so we can go to the floor in the afternoon,” she told reporters.²⁸⁵ 

To sum up such a process, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) viewed that the events have become petty in a comparison to both political television shows Veep and House of Cards: “This is petty. This is petty. And I’m getting fricken [sic] tired of it,” and “I’m getting frustrated about everybody being petty with their reasons when we have a government to run.”²⁸⁶

Other Reps. such as Ronny Jackson (R-TX) compared the process as if it were choosing the next Pope, “If you see smoke, and it’s not the speaker, someone just set the House on fire.” Though a disappointing time to be caught in this moment, Marc Molinaro (R-NY) suggested that while the conversation on one side was not to blame, “This is a production that was bound to happen, sadly… but this is a bit of a crisis of our own making.” And Glenn Thompson (R-PA) went on to say, “there’s a handful of folks that don’t play well with others.”²⁸⁷

With impatience growing inside the Conference, Rep McCaul brought up that the vote should be brought to the floor, “and have another episode, like we did with McCarthy,” despite the lack of unification for the party to rally around one sole candidate, due to requisite votes. “One of the biggest threats I see is in that room because we can’t unify as a conference.”²⁸⁸

In an iconic flip-flop as a freshman lawmaker, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) supported Scalise one day, who soon found herself skeptical, perhaps due to his cancer diagnosis, claiming after a meeting, “I need someone that can unite the conference because we’re fractured.” She wouldn’t be the only lawmaker refusing Scalise to have the gavel, since there were half-dozen Republicans who refused to back the majority leader’s position.²⁸⁹

Rep. Tom Cole, in similar fashion to McCaul earlier, had indicated in a warning where because House Republicans had failed to back a candidate despite winning the majority of the Conference, found itself to, “paralyze the country indefinitely at what’s a very difficult moment… If people aren’t careful, they’re going to open the door for a coalition speakership, which is not something that we should want to happen as Republicans.”²⁹⁰

Despite Scalie’s 14-vote margin, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) said that, “I can count votes, and the votes aren’t there for Steve,” with momentum shifting towards Jordan. Luna even remarked, “I don’t even think we make it to the floor.”²⁹¹

Some have said that backing Scalise meant continuing the support of the status quo, and with uncertainty in the air, the list of the growing support amongst the Jordan camp climbed as time progressed. While McCarthy may have received 188 votes in the Conference back in late 2022, in comparison, it was only a matter of time before Scalise had to figure out how to grow his 113 bloc. Trying to persuade some of his detractors, it looked as if he was going to hit a wall, and fast. “He’s going to have to give us a message or an understanding of how he’s going to bridge that gap and make certain he brings Congress together and not divide the Republican conference more,” said Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH).²⁹²

Into Thursday evening, as House Republicans met again for a closed-door session, Scalise made his announcement that he would drop out of the Speaker’s race. Hinting on unity over individual political agendas, he spoke to the press:

“First, let me -- I know we have been following this. It had been quite a journey. And there is still a long way to go. I just shared with my colleagues that I am withdrawing my name as a candidate for the speaker. If you look at the last few weeks, if you look at where our conference is, there is still work to be done. Our conference still has to come together and is not there. There are still some people that have their own agendas and I was very clear, we have to have everybody put their agendas on the side and focus on what this country needs. This country is counting on us to come back together. This House of Representatives needs a speaker and we need to open up the house again, but clearly, not everybody is there. And there are still schisms that have to get resolved. I never came here for a title. I have had some great titles. I'm the majority leader of the house and I love the job I have. I have had big challenges in my life. I have been tested in ways that really put perspective on life. Really the 2017 shooting when I didn't know if I was going to make it out alive, taught me what is important in life. And that is my family, my faith, and I am blessed beyond belief. I have absolutely all the right perspective and I still have a deep, deep passion for making sure we get our country back on track and get our conference fixed again. That there are some folks that really need to look in the mirror over the next couple of days and decide, are we going to get back on track? Are they going to try to pursue their own agenda? You can't do both. And I think we are going to get there. I was very clear in that room that ultimately we — we have to come together for the country. But I never came here for a title. It's much bigger than me and it's much bigger than anybody else. And nobody is going to use me as an excuse to hold back our ability to get the house opened again. We still need to get a speaker. And I am going to continue to push as hard as we can make that happen as quickly as it has to happen. But it wasn't going to happen. It wasn't going to happen today. It wasn't going to happen tomorrow. It needs to happen soon. I have withdrawn my name. I appreciate the interest y'all had along the way. We still have work to do. We have to get this done… I have cut no deals with anybody. I am sure there will be a lot of people that look at it. But it has to be people that aren't doing it for themselves and their own personal interests and the folks that have their own personal interests in mind.”²⁹³

Scalise being out of the race, the office of majority leader continued to be his with no change from the party. McCarthy was to say, “He’s gonna still be a majority leader. I’ve been in that exact same position that he was back in 2015.” In addition, members flocked towards Jordan, with Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) making his remark, “I voted for Jim Jordan in the conference election yesterday and I remain committed to doing everything I can to help elect him the next Speaker of the House. He is a conservative fighter and a leader who can unite our party. Republicans have a lot of work to do and if Jim Jordan is in the Speaker’s chair we will get it done.”²⁹⁴

With Jordan ahead of the pack, not all was fine and dandy. Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) suggested that Republicans will find someone who would achieve the 217 threshold, but he had no idea just who that person would be, further adding, “Look, this is a troubling time for our conference.” Not to mention that Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) believed that the party was going to come across the same problem with Jordan, just as they did with Scalise, “So I think it’s a math problem frankly,” he said. The party was also facing a historical problem within its own culture too, by removing its own Speaker that they had elected.²⁹⁵

House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) had said that House Democrats are willing to find a path forward, and through a bipartisan resolution, to pick a Speaker that could acquire the votes needed from both sides. The drawback to this however was that some Republicans may’ve believed this avenue would eventually cost the House GOP their governing majority power, leveraging legislative matters over by a Speaker more friendly to democratic-party initiatives. Some members from both parties suggested that they would be open to giving McHenry more power despite his clerk-like role as Speaker pro tempore. But if such a change was to occur, it would have to be approved by a full House vote.²⁹⁶ 

The heavy week that it was, not to mention frustrating process that kept on growing as the days turned into weeks, the process to select a Speaker, remember, was not to be a coronation. As Rep. Chip Roy, who originally proposed the rules change to vote over and over until the person the Conference selected got to the magic number of 217, “They tried to steamroll it, and that’s not a good direction to go.”²⁹⁷

Behind the scenes, a tidal figure was in the midst of weighing their decisions on who the Republican party should back, former President Donald Trump. A former backer of McCarthy, Trump sought Scalise to be unfit for the speakership due to having a blood cancer diagnosis. In a radio segment with Fox News Radio, Trump issued, “Steve is a man that is in serious trouble, from the standpoint of his cancer. I just don’t know how you can do the job when you have such a serious problem.”²⁹⁸

Jordan, who was expected to become the next guy to pursue the pathway towards the speakership, was remarked by Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), “I hope now he’s the obvious choice. He barely came in second place to Steve Scalise.” An obvious choice that may seem, but as a conservative champion Jordan made himself out to be, the superb icon who created a brand of ditching the blazer, would soon find himself losing support little by little by moderate members within his own party.²⁹⁹

As House Republicans continued to hash out on who they would nominate as Speaker-designee, four House Democrats part of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Ed Case (D-HI), Susie Lee (D-NV) and Jared Golden (D-ME) proposed a pitch towards McHenry. “In light of our nation’s pressing issues, a looming government shutdown, and the attacks on our key ally, Israel, we strongly support an immediate vote to expand the Speaker Pro Tempore's authorities to allow for the consideration of a legislative agenda limited to the most pressing issues,” the statement read.³⁰⁰ 

Sarah Ferris of Politico, gave an understandable description of the legislative olive branch proposal: 

“Specifically, the Democrats are proposing to let McHenry bring up any emergency aid for Ukraine or Israel, a short-term bill that extends government funding through Jan. 11, or general consideration of fiscal 2024 spending bills. Those powers should be limited to 15-day increments, they proposed, with extensions possible if the House GOP continues to remain without a leader. In exchange, the Democratic quartet suggested, their party would be allowed to fill up 50 percent of the House's suspension calendar — which is reserved for noncontroversial bills and requires two-thirds votes for passage, not simple majorities.”³⁰¹

By the end of Friday afternoon, members of the House Republican Conference concluded their meeting, where they met to vote by secret ballot between Jim Jordan and Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) on the nomination for Speaker. Jordan would assume the temporary title as Speaker-designee, defeating Scott by a vote of 124-81, only totalling to 179 altogether, a long way from 217, but better than Scalise just a few days earlier. Despite the victory by a simple majority, Jordan pressed after the nomination for another secret ballot count to find out if had enough support. Turns out that he got 152, with 55 against. He’s also found support amongst McCarthy, Scott, and McHenry, with McCarthy adding, “I think we’ll be able to get it on the first one.”³⁰²

One who did not give a definite answer, at least publicly after the vote, was Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) who commented, “When you reward bad behavior, you get more of it. So I struggle with that… we need to have enough time for other folks to consider running and to come up with a game plan.” Much to his chagrin, Bacon did have a point when it came to rewarding bad behavior. It was reported by Politico that Jordan’s supporters would play hardball: using the threat of primary challenges if other GOP members opposed him, and creating pressure on the holdouts. While Jordan’s spokesperson Russell Dye rejected the claims as “totally untrue,” a senior aide familiar with Republican optics disputed Dye’s statement. The undisclosed aide added their jist of things by saying, "There were not-so-thinly veiled threats of primaries for those who don’t support him." The aide continued, "We have now reached the phase of this shitshow where bullying the very people who handed them the majority — and then lying about it — has become an acceptable tactic.”³⁰³

With Jordan becoming the apparent nominee for the House’s highest office, Democrats expressed their views of the political firebrand, calling him an insurrectionist, election denier, and extremist. On the steps outside on Capitol grounds, Hakeem Jeffries rebuked, “House Republicans have selected as their nominee to be the Speaker of the people’s House, the chairman of the chaos caucus, a defender in a dangerous way of dysfunction, and an extremist extraordinaire…” Later adding that Jordan’s focus was on peddling the lies and theories which drove divisions amongst Americans. To wrap up his remarks, Jeffries said, “Republicans continue to triple down on the chaos, the dysfunction and the extremism that has been visited upon the American people as a result of the House Republican civil war. On the other hand, traditional Republicans can break away from the extremism, partner with Democrats on an enlightened bipartisan path forward, so we can end the recklessness and get back to doing the business of the American people. And Democrats are ready, willing, and able to get that done.”³⁰⁴

In similar fashion, House Minority Whip Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) said that Jordan was “involved in the right-wing coup that sought to overturn the 2020 election. At every single turn, Jim Jordan has prioritized politics, power, fear, division, and hate over the American people. He has used his committee gavel to advance right-wing conspiracies, while undermining the very institution that he serves… Every Republican who cast their vote for him is siding with an insurrectionist against our democracy.”³⁰⁵ 

Given the weekend for Jordan to get votes amongst his party, Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) recommended that he go out and talk to people and listen to them. “He’s really good at it. Everybody sees the partisan brawler on TV because he’s on message, he’s an effective communicator, but he’s the only guy that has the credibility with our base to do what we need to do and not get beat up.”³⁰⁶

“If people are looking for a perfect system,” as Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) put it, “they shouldn’t be looking at the U.S. House right now.” The hostile environment had even had one lawmaker, Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) looking forward to having a root canal procedure done. Be as it may, whoever would be serving the high position had a heavy task ahead: The Biden administration was seeking military aid for Israel after the Hamas attacks, Ukraine aid facing opposition, and a possible government shutdown pending November 17, just about a month’s time away.³⁰⁷

But in the meantime, Jordan would have to figure out how to count properly, because it’s all a math game when one tries to seek high office. As Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) described, “I think it’s a very difficult math equation for him to overcome. He deserves the opportunity to try to see if he can get that math better. The math is not good for him right now.” Rep. Massie also theorized, while Jordan did have work to do to get people on board with him, “The difference between McCarthy’s election in January on the floor and this election is that it was popular to vote against McCarthy with the base in January. It is popular to vote for Jim Jordan with the base.”³⁰⁸

Rep. Chip Roy, who indicated that Jordan should fight all the way through, said, “The status quo will try to push back in the coming days. If a bunch of deficit appropriators and defense establishment bureaucrats want to fight, well game on.” Jordan himself understood the need to discuss with members of his party, further emphasizing, “We’re going to talk to colleagues. And we’ve got a lot of colleagues helping us make calls. Talking with members.” In a public push to have the vote proceed to the floor, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) had also tweeted out, “You guys want to go 15 rounds? Fine. Let’s do it. On the floor… You want to explain to your voters why you blocked Jordan? Then bring it.” But on the other side, few lawmakers who didn’t want to see the conservative firebrand be in charge, such as Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL) said, “I’m a no on allowing Matt Gaetz and the other seven to win by putting their individual in as speaker.” Meanwhile in one moderate district, one freshman lawmaker, Rep. Lawler was closed on who he would pick, this was due to the fact that Lawler came from a Biden-heavy district, making him a vulnerable figure in the election season.³⁰⁹

Just as there were holdouts to Scalise, the same was happening to Jordan this time around. Relying on a pressure campaign, which would allow for those on the conservative base to twist arms of those camped in the holdouts to see if they would be able to cross over and vote for Jordan. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) tweeted out, “It’s time for a floor vote! Republicans should come back to DC to elect Jim Jordan the Speaker of the House. What are we waiting for? The American people want Jim to be the next Speaker.”³¹⁰

---

WEEK 3

“We cannot have this ‘Gaetz doctrine’ continued any further,” said McCarthy to Fox News. With the push to get someone over the finish line, Republicans would come to see just if the pressure campaign was enough to make Jordan their new king of the hill. Yet if a small number of House Republican lawmakers objected, there was speculation a deal with the Democrats would have to be made, even giving the possibility for McHenry to have extended powers to pass much needed legislation.³¹¹

Feeling good about the momentum, Jordan expressed the following  heading into a new week, “That's how our great system works, and we will go to the floor tomorrow," he said. "It's not about pressuring anyone. It's about--we gotta have a speaker. You can't open the House and do the work of the American people and help our dearest and closest friend Israel, if you don't have a speaker. So, we get the speaker, we get the House open, and we get to work on the resolution and supplemental for Israel and we get back to work for the American people, and that's what I'm committing to doing and I think it's going to happen tomorrow."³¹²

Releasing yet another Dear Colleague letter mid-Monday, Jordan laid out his path forward: 

“The principles that unite us as Republicans are far greater than the disagreements that divide us,” the statement began. “And the difference between us and our Democrat colleagues vastly outweigh our internal divisions.” The time to attack each other is unaffordable, and there needs to be unification to work on America’s behalf. Republicans hold an energetic Conference with members ranging from different backgrounds, as if it were similar to the country as a whole to which they come to represent. Not everything is agreeable on every issue or bill all the time, and there is a value which comes by having discussion and robust debate. Unlike “march in lock-step” upon the Democrat side.³¹³

While it’s been an honor, Jordan exclaimed, to become the party’s Speaker-designate, as its nominee, he understood that many lawmakers expressed about the wide range of issues that matter to them, and the constituents of their districts. Not to mention, the frustration over past events, including the treatment of both McCarthy and Scalise. There was also an acknowledgement about candid conversations being honest and open, whereas, “In these conversations, we’ve also discussed your thoughts on how we can best move forward. And we must move forward. The role of Speaker is to bring all Republicans together. That’s what I intend to do.”³¹⁴

This also included leading the charge to proceed with House legislative work by the means of regular order, and empowering committees and committee chairs to take the lead. “This will bring us together to pass responsible legislation to fund our government and support our military. I will tirelessly work to defend and expand our majority and help every Republican member back at home.”³¹⁵

In his conclusion, he issued, “Our Republican vision for America is grounded in boundless optimism. America is a nation of explorers and risk-takers. There is nothing that the United States can’t achieve and no limit to our nation’s success. As Republicans, we innately believe these things. When Republicans come together, there is no measure to what we can achieve for the American people.”³¹⁶

That same day, House Democrats sought to use a political tactic by launching robocalls to House Republicans in vulnerable districts, suggesting that voters contact their lawmakers office to vote against a Jordan speakership. Described by the Washington Examiner, House Majority Forward, a nonprofit of the Democrat’s fundraising arm House Majority PAC, was targeting eleven competitive districts. Lawmakers of those districts included Reps. David Schweikert (R-AZ), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), John James (R-MI), Nick LaLota (R-NY), George Santos (R-NY), Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Marc Molinaro (R-NY), and Brandon Williams (R-NY), and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). While Stefanik herself is not be in a district deemed as competitive, she was perhaps chosen due to her leadership role as chairwomen of the House Republican Conference.³¹⁷

In the robocall transcript obtained by the outlet it read:

“Hi, it’s House Majority Forward. Republicans have nominated Jim Jordan for Speaker, who voted to overturn the 2020 election, defended the criminals who attacked the Capitol on January 6th, and is in favor of an extreme agenda to ban abortion nationwide, cut veteran benefits by 22%, eliminate health insurance for 21 million Americans, and fire 108,000 school teachers and aides. Please call Rep. XXX at XXX-XXX-XXXX and tell him to vote against Jim Jordan for Speaker.”³¹⁸

And it wasn’t just robocalls doing the work, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) put pressure onto New York Republicans in particular. While being aired on CNN, she stated she had no regrets voting out McCarthy:

“It has never been truly, within the integrity and history of this institution for one party to elect another party’s member as speaker. We’ll see if Jim Jordan has the votes. We’ll see if individuals like Mike Lawler or Marc Molinaro who represent New Yorkers … will actually vote to install a man who voted to overturn the United States’s election and who supports a national abortion ban to be speaker of the House, second in line to the presidency. I have my doubts that the people of New York would really stand for that, but in terms of the integrity of the institution, I think it’s important that we support Hakeem Jeffries for speaker of the House.”³¹⁹

New York being a Democratic party-led state in its past, the changing of the state’s congressional districts by a court-appointed special master, steered course to helping Republicans gain congressional seats in the 2022 midterms, eventually becoming an aide to controlling the House majority.³²⁰

Republican New York lawmakers were made to be unseen as to how they would vote until the day of, and opposing Jordan’s bid may have increased the political weight on their shoulders due to the possibility of political primary threats, including the havoc amongst the Republican base voting bloc, which “appears to have had success.”³²¹

As the hours winded down into the twilight before Jordan’s prospects would come to battle their first hurdle on the House floor, Republican donors had some words to say on background themselves. Reported by CNN, a donor who raised for Republican Speakers in the past, “vowed not to raise money for Jordan if he becomes the speaker.” This had also lead for political operatives in Republican circles to try to pitch their way into explaining to donors why they would be the worth to invest in, with one party lawmaker suggesting that his concern for Jordan was that he is not able to play well in swing-purple districts.³²²

Rep. Miller-Meeks (R-IA) also tasked that Jordan’s support would be up to each individual lawmaker to decide, and how they base their own district. And it’s not just the House Majority Forward that is helping Democrats, but another Dem-lead coalition, the Congressional Integrity Project, who ran ads in 18 Republican congressional districts that Biden won.³²³

On the other side of the aisle, the Republican-establishment Congressional Leadership Fund, who were supportive towards McCarthy in the past, sent out a memo to donors, authored by the president of the organization, Dan Conston. “CLF is no stranger to House leadership transitions, as we have been through productive transitions from Speakers Boehner to Ryan to McCarthy, and this will be no different. We will remain a good steward of donor resources and an effective weapon to protect our incumbents and elect standout candidates.”³²⁴

In a Monday night wrap-up, it was clear that Jordan was not able to come to terms with meeting the amount of votes to carry out his elected promotion to become the next Speaker. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) spoke about his point of view dealing with a situation that hasn’t made a lot of sense. “We had an election last week, the first election we had, Steve Scalise was our speaker designate. I just don’t understand, if it doesn’t go your way on the first vote, how these people could go into that conference and talk about what a great team they have when they turn their back on the exact rules that we have. That doesn’t make sense.” More vocal was Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) “There are still some hard feelings out there in the conference. And just because some people are coming aboard the Jordan movement, people shouldn’t be too quick to read that they are just kind of all in for Jordan. I mean, there are some, but a lot of these folks, a lot of that 55, they just don’t like the pressure cooker.” While political lawmakers may cave under pressure, with an earlier validation that such a campaign was making its rounds appearing as a success, just as it did to three committee chairs: Reps. Mike Rogers (R-AL) of the House Armed Services committee, Michael McCaul (R-TX) of the House Foreign Affairs committee, and Ken Calvert (R-CA) of an appropriations subcommittee, some of the pressure lost its steam. To a few, pressure wouldn’t be applicable to vote a certain way, as Rep Diaz-Balart (R-FL) had said, “I will tell you that if folks think that they can pressure me, that’s where they lose.”³²⁵

In a short and straightforward description, Republicans may have been eager to back Jordan just to put the moment of chaos in their rear-view mirror, but would soon find themselves stuck in a pickle as to defending the Midwest conservative firebrand. In a reasonable case study, New York’s Republican make-up, some lawmakers such as Reps. Brandon Williams, Anthony D’Esposito, and Nick LaLota weren’t publicly commenting on who they would support just before the floor vote. Lawler clarified to CNN, insisting that he had intentions of voting for McCarthy instead of Jordan, despite audio with constituents, obtained by Politico, indicating that he would, “probably just vote for him because I’m not gonna be a cog in the wheel.” Rep. Marc Molinaro however viewed otherwise, stating over the weekend: “This place is filled with people who have done things that many people don't want to have done, but at the end of the day, will they legislate? Will they give the upstate New Yorkers I represent the opportunity to govern, the opportunity to be heard and the opportunity to have their needs addressed? That's my threshold.”³²⁶

In a dire quote by a Jordan-supporting lawmaker, “There’s a huge risk that if you end up with a coalition government, and you were the person who caused it, you will be excommunicated from the party and not just from Congress.”³²⁷

Bringing it back a notch, Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), who wanted to give McHenry more cushion by allowing him in temporary fashion more power to conduct legislative business said, “When you go outside the rules of your own conference because you didn’t get your war, I think that is truly sad.” Further twisting his leverage, “That is a real indictment of who you are.”³²⁸

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) stated that he would vote for Jordan so that the House can function, despite his frustrations, saying, “I believe the future and immediate well-being and security of our country is too important and the need for Republicans to move forward united is greater than ever.” Rep. Carlos Giménez on the other hand would refuse voting for Jordan, likely the conservative favorite, especially amongst those in the Gang of Eight who ousted McCarthy. Giménez wrote on Twitter-X, “Last week, eight colleagues joined all the socialist Democrats to carry-out a coup against our duly-elected Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy. These 8 lit the fuse & every Democrat in Congress provided the gunpowder to overthrow the will of 96% of Republicans in Congress who voted to retain Speaker McCarthy. I will not partake in this despicable coup. Speaker McCarthy should have never been removed to begin with.”³²⁹

Before heading into Tuesday’s events, the options laid down for Jordan if he found his support lacking, were 1) he could either drop out like Scalise did, 2) postpone the vote, or 3) he could try to endure through multiple rounds of voting just as the House did with McCarthy back in January. 

On Tuesday morning, the House was called to order, and the election of a new Speaker was underway. But first, both chairpersons of each party rose to speak on behalf of their nominees. Rep. Elise Stefanik for Jordan, and Rep. Pete Aguilar for Jeffries. 

Rep. Stefanik in her speech rose to nominate the Ohio lawmaker, “We are at a time of great crisis across America, a time of historic challenges in this very Chamber, and a time when heinous acts of terror and evil have been committed against our great ally, Israel,” she began. “As this body convenes for the sacred responsibility to elect the next Speaker of the people’s House, I am reminded of the Book of Esther: for such a time as this.” Jordan would be “America’s Speaker” for a time like this. In a list of timely issues, they ranged from the increase of inflation, illegal trafficking, violent crime, utility expenses, a weaponized federal government, the crushed energy production, and the terrorist attack on Israel. “We are here in this very Chamber for such a time as this. Jim Jordan will be we the people’s Speaker for such a time as this.”³³⁰

Remarking on how Jordan was a patriot, he would be, “an America First warrior who wins the toughest of fights, going after corruption and delivering accountability at the highest levels of government on behalf of we the people.” Nonetheless, a voice for the voiceless Americans, who “is strategic, scrappy, tough, and principled.”³³¹

In a short closing, Stefanik brought up Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who a decade ago addressed the congressional body, who said, “‘Overlooking all of us in this Chamber is the image of Moses… And before the people of Israel entered the land of Israel, Moses gave us a message that has steeled our resolve for thousands of years… Be strong and resolute, neither fear nor dread them.’ He went on to say: ‘My friends, may Israel and America always stand together, strong and resolute. May we neither fear nor dread the challenges ahead. May we face the future with confidence, strength, and hope.’ On behalf of the American people, let’s face the future with confidence, strength, and hope. Let’s elect Jim Jordan, our Speaker of the people’s House, for such a time as this.”³³²

Democrats on the other side of the aisle, had a more vile picture of Jordan’s candidacy. While Aguilar nominated the Crown Heights lawmaker, “this is not the history we wanted to make here in the House,” he said. “It is something that none of us imagined when we were sworn into this office.” To add, “We are here because the House has been thrown into chaos. We are there because this hallowed Chamber has been led to a breaking point by two dangerous forces: extremism and partisanship.”³³³

House Democrats were sent to help American lower cost, grow the middle class, and stand up against a national abortion ban, he exclaimed. The choice laid before the governing body was to work together on a bipartisan path forward, otherwise the other option was go over a cliff. “Abandon the extremism that is preventing us from getting things done or triple down on division and dysfunction.” A vote for Jordan would send a terrible message to not just the country, but also America's allies as well, Aguilar issued. Even to toe on the party-line, calling out Jordan as someone who was “an election denier,” “insurrection insider,” and an “architect of a nationwide abortion ban.” Jordan also posed a national security threat, even to have used his committee chair position, “wasting taxpayer dollars on baseless investigations with dead ends…”³³⁴

In a list of “he said no” points, they ranged from Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, wildfires out West, floods that devastated communities in the South, veteran suffrage, and support for Ukraine. “This body is debating elevating a Speaker nominee who has not passed a single bill in 16 years. These are not actions of someone interested in governing or bettering the lives of everyday Americans.”³³⁵

In nominating Jeffries for Speaker, Aguilar briefly mentioned how it was only he who had the most credibility, “can be trusted to keep his word,” and lead the body out of chaos and into governance.³³⁶

Taking it back to Jordan again, in his conclusion this time, “A vote for the gentleman from Ohio is a vote to turn your back on national security. It is a vote to turn your back on a bipartisan path to fund the government and avoid shutdowns, something we can only do if we reject his nomination… There is still a path forward for both Democrats and Republicans to come together to elect a Speaker who can unite us behind a common purpose; keeping the government open on a bipartisan compromise… Let’s elect a Speaker who will reach out the hand of bipartisanship and deliver for the American people.”³³⁷

After both nominees were recognized by McHenry, the House conducted it’s roll call, with the final votes: Jeffries - 212, Jordan - 200, Scalise - 7, McCarthy - 6, Lee Zeldin - 3, Mike Garcia -1, Emmer - 1, Cole - 1, Massie - 1, with 1 not voting. This would be the most votes Jordan would receive on his nomination for Speaker throughout the following roll-call cycles, with support slowly oozing away from the conservative firebrand. ³³⁸

Despite the nice one-on-one approach that Jordan seemed to embrace, his support however was never able to get a crack at it because the pressure campaign, broadly speaking, ended up cracking itself down whatever amount of support was left from playing hardball. While not directly involved himself in such matters, Jordan backers even stemmed through the party bosses of local leadership in Republican circles. “I think some of it did backfire… and I think it was to the detriment of Jim,” said Rep. Byron Donalds. With the first vote concluded, Jordan could have pursued a second vote, but decided to delay it, due to remarks that he would possibly risk the increased number of opposition to him. Republicans would continue to have conversations, and that there was more work to do, “and we’re going to get the votes,” he said late Tuesday.³³⁹

Unfortunately some right-wing media figures like Benny Johnson and Sean Hannity, spent their time singling out those who may have prevented party unification for a Jordan speakership. On the pressure campaign, some have said that Jordan wasn’t able to do enough to tell his supporters to cut the slack. Even Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) said how, “Jim didn’t necessarily support the strategy,” with Jordan’s spokesperson Russell Dye acknowledging, “it’s imperative that Republicans come together, stop attacking each other and get back to work as soon as possible.” And according to one House Republican who spoke on background, “He’s lost support because of this,” pointing out the constant smears from Jordan allies, which were at its core, was dishonest.³⁴⁰

Heading back briefly towards New York yet again, lawmakers in vulnerable swing districts came out to show their opposition towards Jordan. They were, Reps. Anthony D’Esposito, Andrew Garbarino, Nick LaLota, and Mike Lawler. In a statement, D’Esposito said, “I want a Speaker who understands Long Island’s unique needs. Restoring SALT reduction, safeguarding 9/11 victim support funding, and investing in critical infrastructure are our priorities.” Even LaLota published a tweet saying, “For two weeks, I’ve met & and talked with candidates for Speaker, telling them what’s important to my district. I’ve been up front about withholding my support without reliable commitments on these important issues.When I said I’d always put Long Island First, I wasn’t bluffing.” Attached was a photo of a handwritten note that read, “1) Keep gov’t open while cutting spending, 2) SALT, 3) 9/11 Comp, 4) Flood insurance.” For those not familiar, SALT is an acronym for State and Local Tax, to which the policy has created a lot of controversy amongst wealthy suburban communities, since cap limits are set to $10k a year.³⁴¹

Be as it is that Jordan’s first go-around on the floor was met by a group of moderates who usually seek compromise over confliction, lawmakers recognized the office calls that have been calling in, with Rep. Ken Buck describing it as ridiculous. To add, “They’re in the hundred if not thousands that are coming into every office right now.” Jordan, not being a lawmaker known for cutting deals or becoming a skilled legislator, was referenced by Jeffries how there were other Republicans who would be qualified to be the next Speaker, [perhaps McHenry was one of them due to small-talk possibilities to make him Speaker] but under no circumstance was Jordan, “one of them.”³⁴²

And it wasn’t rank-and-file lawmakers residing in Biden-favored districts that were weary of supporting Jordan, but also one of them was  Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) who chaired the House Appropriations Committee. If Jordan ever got his way to win the gavel, the moment would be a victory for the populist sector of the party, who have been combative with establishment types and understandably so. On the other hand, when it comes to legislative games, just how would they be able to work on negotiations with Democrats whenever the occasion arose to pass critical legislative matters? One strength that Jordan seemed to have, as told by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) was that Jordan can control the Freedom Caucus, while neither McCarthy nor Scalise couldn’t. Interestingly enough, Rep. Byron Donalds had this to say about the matter, “The days of just ‘Oh, this is our person, everybody’s just going to rally’ - those days are over.”³⁴³

Wednesday rolls along, and to put it bluntly by Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA), “When you’re going in the wrong direction after two rounds after two rounds, that’s obviously not a great sign.”³⁴⁴

On the House floor, Rep. Tom Cole spoke on behalf of his party to nominate Jordan for Speaker. 

And although two weeks and a day had passed since the vacate vote, Cole highlighted that the legislative body would be in a state of chaos and uncertainty, whether such an action was done intentionally or not. “I think the last 2 weeks have vindicated that observation,” he said. Soon Cole would dive into the qualities that made Jordan the candidate qualified to become the House’s next Speaker. “My friend is not exactly a shrinking violet. You don’t win national championships in college; you don’t come to this floor with a sincere set of beliefs and a desire to make a change and be shy about it. My friend is not a shy person.” A man who was both honorable and direct, Jordan doesn’t deceive nor dissemble, for he tells it like it is, straight up. “This is why I think it is the right thing to do for the country; and that is what I am going to try and accomplish, and I am going to work with you in any way that I can to do it.”³⁴⁵

In what it takes to be Speaker, it required a spine of steel to do the job. Jordan, in Cole’s words, had that type of character and spine, for it was a quality the next person who’d occupy the seat would need, whereas Jordan had great abundance. “If you are a Republican, it ought to be a pretty easy decision, my friends. This is somebody who believes what we believe and has fought for and shown that over and over again.” While some may talk about short-term plans, Jordan, in Cole’s view, had laid down a long-term plan in the appropriations process. Vast drivers of debt were notably social security, medicare, and medicaid, for Jordan would like to establish a debt commission in a bipartisan manner, to tackle the roots of federal spending.³⁴⁶

On the topic of immigration, especially the rising concern about border security, reform would not be possible until border security was tackled. “Nobody has highlighted that issue like my friend Jim Jordan. Nobody has done more as a committee chairman to move legislation that would meaningfully deal with this problem.”³⁴⁷

While this may be a body of government that has a lot of disagreements, one thing would bring both parties together, for the security of Israel. “All of us on both sides of the aisle reacted with horror and with deep sympathy and with the legitimate outrage at the crimes that were perpetrated against the people of Israel in the last week. All of us know that they are within their rights to respond forcefully and swiftly to defend their people and punish those who brought that upon them.” In essence, there was a moment of crisis, and in such an event, both parties should come together and act. Despite the narrow majority, there needed to be a Speaker. “We have a candidate who we know where he will stand on issues that are important. We know where he is going to stand on spending because it is where he has always stood. It is not like he changed over the course of his whole career… a person whose principles you know, whose actions you can trust, and who in a time of crisis will respond with the leadership we need, Jim Jordan.”³⁴⁸

Rep. Aguilar, representing the House Democratic Caucus, was then recognized by the chair after Cole’s remarks. In nominating Jeffries for Speaker, Aguilar pointed out while Republicans were “making late-night back-room deals to secure the gavel,” Jeffries not only extended his hand for a bipartisan pathway, but in a 212-200 vote tally, “The people’s House has spoken and Leader Jeffries has the support to be the Speaker that this country needs.”³⁴⁹

Who ever would be the next Speaker, must be a legislator, in which the gentleman from Ohio, Mr Jordan, fell short within that regard, not to mention in the Californian’s questioning, would it be surprising to anyone he never put up a piece of legislation that has made it to a committee, let alone passing one? If there was no Speaker elected within this round of voting, the House Republican Conference would vote by secret ballot again, America wasn’t able to afford the chaos and further delays, “Fifteen days should be enough,” he said. Democrats are behind Jeffries, even united, because they sought “to put people over politics, to lower costs, create better paying jobs, build safer communities, and defend democracy.”³⁵⁰

Because House Republicans continued to show division amongst their party, the Democratic Caucus under Jeffries led them to “reject extremism and keep the government open. Mr Speaker pro tempore, we have the vote totals to back that up.” To deliver for the families of America, Jeffries would be the leader needed to move the body and country on a bipartisan path forward, Aguilar insisted, before laying out three common goals: 1) Assistance to Ukraine and national security, 2) Keeping the government open, and 3) To create a bipartisan pathway to achieve results for the American public. In his conclusion, “That is what we were sent to do. That is what we need to do. That is why Hakeem Jeffries is the leader we need at this time to lead this chamber.”³⁵¹

After both gentlemen made their voices heard on the House floor, the vote was once again initiated via roll call. This time with Jeffries tallying the same amount as before 212, Jordan knocked down by one vote at 199, with Scalise - 7, McCarthy - 5, Zeldin - 3, Donalds - 1, Emmer - 1, Mike Garcia - 1, John Boehner - 1, Granger - 1, Westerman - 1, and Candice Miller of Michigan - 1.³⁵²

It was at this moment that some Republicans who originally voted for Jordan on the first go-around changed their votes for other candidates a second time around, such as Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Drew Ferguson (R-GA), and Pete Strauber (R-MN) Even two original opponents such as Reps. Victoria Spartz (R-IN), and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) wound up backing Jordan on the second ballot.³⁵³

Casting his vote for former New York Representative of Long Island, Lee Zeldin, Rep. D’Esposito said, “We should all be embarrassed because what's happening and what's unfolded. You know whether you liked Kevin McCarthy or you didn't, whether you thought he was doing a good job as speaker or you didn't, what we're doing right now is detrimental to this institution.” LaLota also pointed out two issues that had made it difficult for the Ohioan to rack up his voting tallies: the pressure campaigning on moderate members, and restoring tax exemptions via SALT. “I think that him losing ground is probably evidence that it was a tactical error to bring it to the floor without ironing these issues out," LaLota said. "I think that somebody advising him thought it was a good idea to try to shine a spotlight on us and to try to shame us on the floor. That tactic obviously didn't work.”³⁵⁴

Having gone through two rounds to see if Jordan would become king of the hill, some House Republicans may not be willing to fight for Jordan on the floor any longer. Suffice to say, some like Rep. Molinaro, continued to push for an approach to empower McHenry, for this would give them, “the time to work as a conference, and more importantly get back to governing.”³⁵⁵

In a widely covered piece by NBC, authors Scott Wong et al. go into detail about the looming pressure campaign by Jordan supporters on Republican holdouts, which made it more challenging for Jordan to get the votes he needed to secure the speakership. “Several GOP lawmakers, as well as one member's spouse, have reported a barrage of calls and messages pushing them to back Jordan, R-Ohio, in his struggling candidacy,” they wrote. The wife of Rep. Don Bacon (R-NB) received threats via text messages, all to create persuasive pressure for her husband to support Jordan. Some of the messages, shared by Bacon to the outlet, called on questioning Bacon’s wife, Angie, “Why is your husband causing chaos by not supporting Jim Jordan?” and, “Your husband will not hold any political office ever again. What a disappoint [sic] and failure he is.”³⁵⁶

Reps. such as Steve Womack (R-AR) claimed that staff have been cursed out when answering phone calls, Don Bacon (R-NE) told reporters that his wife had to sleep with a loaded gun after receiving “ugly phone calls,” and even with Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) had to release a public statement due to the “credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls,” just after changing her vote during the second round. “One thing I cannot stomach, or support is a bully. Someone who threatens another with bodily harm or tries to suppress differing opinions undermines opportunity for unity and regard for freedom of speech,” her statement read.³⁵⁷

Jordan soon issued a statement on Twitter-X Wednesday night, “No American should accost another for their beliefs. We condemn all threats against our colleagues and it is imperative that we come together. Stop. It’s abhorrent.” But that wouldn’t be enough to stop the criticism amongst the Capitol Hill ecosphere.³⁵⁸

Gimenez, who was never on board with the Jordan train, told reporters off the House floor after the unsuccessful second ballot, “Robocalls — they’re not free. So somebody is actually funding this. And then he told me that he wasn’t behind it and he’s asked people to stop. But if you’ve asked people to stop it, why aren’t they listening to you? I told him, ‘I don’t really take well to threats.’ … Matter of fact, if you threaten me, I’d probably go the other way.” He continued, “I probably head into the wind, not away from the wind, because if you succumb to threats and intimidation and all that, the rest of your life you’ll just be threatened and intimidated.”³⁵⁹

As the authors entail, Jordan had built a talent amongst grassroot conservative activists, and was one to be a lawmaker making the rounds on right-wing media slots. Yet his struggles exposed his own weakness when it came to the inside game, those one-on-one relations, not to mention coalitions, “skills that have historically been staples of successful speakers,” they wrote.³⁶⁰

Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL) who too has been bombarded with calls to his office, believed that Jordan was, “absolutely responsible for it.” The pressure campaign does not work, he noted, “Nobody likes to have their arm twisted or talking about individuals' wives… That’s just not acceptable.”³⁶¹

Womack, who too voted against Jordan, also chimed in on the calls made to his office reflected by his colleagues, “They’ve been cussed out. They’ve been threatened. I’m not talking bodily threatened, they’ve just basically said very unkind things to my team. And it’s been nonstop,” he told reporters. “And most of these are out-of-state calls; very few of them are from my district… But when my staff has to absorb the brunt of this, you know, kind of verbal assault, then that’s just unacceptable."³⁶²

In the midst of such a mess, perhaps looking for advice from past Speakers may be a tale, especially when it comes to the change of a political party. Paul Ryan, interviewed by Politico, describes such a change, tackling the burning question, why is it that the GOP can never seem to unite?

House Democrats have called earlier for a bipartisan approach, but according to Jordan, “No one in our conference wants to see any type of coalition government with Democrats,” he said to reporters after Tuesday’s vote. It could likely be that a coalition government may seem to some extent, having a Democrat as House Speaker within a Republican-led majority, or even just by pushing McHenry as Speaker.³⁶³

In Ryan’s words, “It’s basically a bifurcated coalition government,” he told Jonathan Martin of Politico. In squaring out the differentiations between party and Conference, the party had become populist-leaning party rather than a policy-leaning one, while simultaneously the Conference had become a political-leaning, not policy-leaning. Jordan, as described by the former Speaker during the early years of Trump’s presidential first term, was the gravitational center, for he was articulate on television just as he was with the gavel. “He is the star of the conservative media industrial complex, he is their darling.”³⁶⁴

Barely making it through a full year at nine months, McCarthy’s speakership term was as if it were walking on egg shells, trying to avoid the analogizing frenzy of the hard-pressed conservative icons in the party. It was a motive that was never sustainable, no matter how hard he tried to bridge that relationship. But with a new Speaker to elect, Ryan suggested, “We can be majoritarian if we have appealing political leaders who can broadly appeal and sit atop this fusion conservative movement.”³⁶⁵

Before Ryan became Speaker in his hay-day, he was insightful about matters related to taxation and finances, to which he found himself chairman of the House Budget committee, and later a short stint on the Way and Means committee. So too in financial jargon was McHenry, where in his political career rose to chairman of the House Financial Services committee. While W&M may focus on tariffs and taxation, and Budget on budgeting processes, Financial Services leads to a world of understanding financial matters, especially banking. If one thing about being a lawmaker is a daily hassle, it’s raising money, and financial support most of the time will depend on the committee of which one serves on. McHenry, who’s been part of the Financial Services committee for a few years, had banking lobbyists from both sides cheering for his change to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.

For Bloomberg Government, Kate Ackley wrote about such a matter in the financial world, as the Speaker’s race dragged on. Quoting Michael Williams, a Democratic lobbyist of the Williams Group, “When he [McHenry] got called up, after the McCarthy motion to vacate, I said, ‘Thank, Jesus.’” Williams’ who understands McHenry is a conservative, implied that he was, “nothing if not pragmatic, and that’s all you could ask for.” Adding that the North Carolinian “offers a clear-eyed assessment of legislative fights.” Williams’ firm happens to represent financial clients such as the National Bankers Association, and the Managed Funds Association.³⁶⁶

Even former Speakers Gingrich and Boehner commented on empowering McHenry, Gingrich calling is an alternative in the better sense, in an environment full of “gridlock and chaos.” Boehner just simply endorsed the plan, quote-tweeting Gingrich’s post on Twitter-X, “I agree.”³⁶⁷

Another Washington lobbyist, Warren Tryon, who holds the position as partner of the Capitol Counsel lobbying firm, noted that McHenry began his political career in Congress early on as a rabble rouser, “Now he’s a real leader,” he said. Tyron who had previously worked on Capitol Hill, notable in the role as deputy staff director for the Financial Services committee, and Republican offices in general, understands that McHenry is aware about “how to delegate, empowering the subcommittee chairs on the panel.” Another standout he commented on McHenry was his capability to empower others, “He’s well liked by evert faction.”³⁶⁸ 

And that’s not all. While it is widely known about staff on the Hill that in order to climb the career ladder, it’s essential to hop from various offices, the staff and offices sets to hire, usually equates to policy outcomes. McHenry’s staff never had a clean slate to start from scratch with leadership experience, because Financial Services committee staff director Matt Hoffman, was once a former staff member of Speaker Ryan’s team.³⁶⁹

According to federal campaign reports, donations from PACs to McHenry’s re-election campaign by Sept 30th’s numbers, were marked at $2 million. Those who donated were financial institutions such as Visa Inc, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and UBS Americas Inc. In lieu to corporate ties, Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen, where she holds the position of its executive vice president, said, “Patrick McHenry as speaker means putting someone in place who is tightly interwoven with the financial giants. As the chair of the Financial Services Committee his ear is held by the biggest banks, and he has proven his worth by pushing to undercut tougher capital standards and endlessly critiquing the Securities and Exchange Commission. He is only moderate in contrast to Jim Jordan.”³⁷⁰

Two other people, John Murray of Monument Advocacy, and Paul Merski of Independent Community Bankers of America, commented further on McHenry. “Patrick is a very strategic, steady hand at the wheel at a time when the House Republican conference needs that, and he is very well liked by the members,” Murray said. “I’m a huge fan, and I’m not surprised that in these turbulent seas that he is one of the folks that is trying to stabilize the ship.” Murray had served on the Hill, while getting to know the McHenry office, he was working for then-Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA). Merski, acknowledged that McHenry was shown to have a deep understanding within the financial services world, and lead for regulations to be rolled back on the sector. “He really knows the ins and outs and the issues of the banker sector, particularly the community banking sector,” he said. “It would be a very positive thing to have a potential speaker of the House that would have that in-depth knowledge and long-term understanding of the issues that the community banking sector is facing.”³⁷¹

As well intentioned the possibility of having a McHenry speakership was in theory, it was not practicable in reality. With the people’s House unable to elect a new Speaker to succeed McCarthy, McHenry warned his Republican colleagues that he would resign his pro tempore position if there ever was a push to advance legislation to the floor without a vote to expand his role. In essence McHenry was playing defense, where he did not want to set precedent that would give future lawmakers in his position as Speaker pro tempore, creating a situation that the House wouldn’t have to elect a new Speaker if the Speaker pro tempore was suitable already in serving capacity. “If you guys try to do that. you’ll figure out who the next person on Kevin’s list is,” McHenry told members within the Conference. Unfortunately House Republicans were in a sticky situation where they couldn't advance anything unless a new Speaker was elected, meanwhile they weren’t able to figure out who would lead the chamber. In addition, McHenry choosing this course of action meant that he was questioning the authority from a constitutional perspective, and did not want anyone serving that position to be given extended powers unless Republicans themselves had agreed to grant such measures through a recorded vote, seemingly on the House floor. Even if such a measure had passed, McHenry appeared to have the possibility of resigning his post.³⁷²

McCarthy said about such matters, “When I put McHenry’s name down it was my belief that if something happened to me that McHenry could run the floor until we elected a new speaker. It was not my intention when I put a name down that they couldn’t do anything.” Further noting before leaving the Conference meeting, “I’m focused on electing Jim Jordan, the speaker nominee, as speaker of the House.”³⁷³

Come late Thursday, House Republicans stopped the push to make McHenry as Speaker, altogether. Defining the pathway as a type of  “coalition government,” even if it gained momentum from House Democrats,  such a resolution was not taken with much pizazz within the Republican Conference. As Jordan clarified, “We made the pitch to members on the resolution as a way to lower the temperature and get back to work. We decided that wasn’t where we’re going to go. I’m still running for speaker, and I plan to go to the floor and get the votes and win this race.”³⁷⁴

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) seemed lukewarm about the measure, and seemed undecided whether or not to empower the limited McHenry, “You also have to think through the practical and political consequences at the same time, and so, I’m just trying to wrestle with all this.” After Jordan’s failure to reach victory in the second ballot, he also stated, “I think if he’s not not [sic] making progress, and indeed he’s hemorrhaging votes, then yeah, I think we need to go back to the drawing board.”³⁷⁵

While Democrats may find it suitable to back McHenry only in compromise to restore regular order, it’s plausible this could’ve been a trojan horse approach since political parties tend to vote for their own candidate in the end. Needless to say, it’s hard to come to grasp just how long a McHenry temporary speakership would’ve lasted, and the intra-party politics that would be at play from both sides if they wished to continue or stop his duties as Speaker. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) suggested he would not vote for McHenry, “Democrats don’t vote for Republican speakers, and Republicans don’t vote for Democratic speakers.” On the flip-side he said, “But he’s there. Giving him powers so that the House can do the people’s business, to help the American people, to help our ally Israel - that’s what I’m supporting.”³⁷⁶

House Minority Whip Katherina Clark (D-MA) had even suggested that she hopes lawmakers would, “come to us now that there have been two votes, and Jim Jordan has been unable to put it together, and find that bipartisanship.” With Jeffries suggesting that Democrats might want to seek out changes to enable legislation through bipartisan means that would allow votes on the floor more easily.³⁷⁷

In politics, it’s recommended to follow the money. It’s also just as recommended to ask why lawmakers vote the way they do on legislation. Sometimes special interest groups are involved, and in this historic case study, Heritage Action found its way in Congress to sink the possibility of McHenry to gain more power.

According to Audrey Fahlberg in a piece published by National Review, “One conservative group is working to keep the proposal effort dead on arrival in the House should it reemerge as a formal resolution in the near future. Heritage Action for America confirms to National Review that if a resolution to empower McHenry comes to the floor in the coming days, the conservative advocacy organization will issue a key-vote alert urging members to oppose it.”³⁷⁸  

Speaking to the publication, Ryan Walker, who serves at the capacity as the organization's Executive Vice President, said, “I don’t think the conversation has gone away completely, so we’re continuing to monitor. If that were to come to the floor, we would weigh in with our key vote.”³⁷⁹ 

As told by The Hill, a notice was sent out by the group, which read in part, "Cutting a deal with Democrats on control of the Floor activities concedes a conservative agenda that Americans elected a Republican majority to advance. The move amounts to denying the will of Americans to right the wrongs of this current administration and show a better path forward. There is currently no path to a GOP-only resolution empowering a temporary speaker.”³⁸⁰

While Jordan may have backed the plan to empower McHenry only as a temporary measure up until January 3rd, that’s when Heritage increased its political whip to tear down such a possibility, in which Jordan would later decry that it “wasn’t where we’re going to go,” as previously mentioned. Yet through the thick of it all, Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) spoke about the issue at hand, “I think there are some of these folks in there who wish it was dead. But I think the overwhelming majority of the people in there agree that we can’t continue down in this paralysis when the world is on fire.”³⁸¹

Walker, expressed his vantage point by stating, “It’s our perspective that there is no pathway to have a Republican-only led effort to give additional authorities to the Speaker Pro Tem. Knowing that, it’s clear that Democrats would have to go along with this effort. It’s our perspective that it undermines those voters who elected a Republican majority to the House if they go in and make a deal with Democrats to give additional authorities to the Speaker Pro Tem.”³⁸²

While not endorsing a candidate for Speaker, let alone Jodan, who’s failed after two rounds of voting at the time, they believe that the Ohio lawmaker is able to tackle the issues of the day, calling him, “equipped and prepared,” especially if it’s on the group's radar. Walker himself, told the publication that Jordan will continue to talk to the lawmakers who are holding out, but would prefer to see the Conference get behind a Republican who can reach the 217 threshold. That person ought to lead the Republican Conference, and not strike a deal with Democrats, “to advance some bipartisan agenda.”³⁸³

Be as it may, moderate lawmakers are not fully on board the Jordan train. Some, like Womack, said that he would want a Speaker, “not just capable of moving the bills that we would prefer to move,” but also having, “the skill sets to work with the opposing party, particularly in the Senate.” Furthermore, “Mr. Jordan, while perfectly suited for [the] Judiciary and Oversight positions that he’s held, does not possess the skill sets that are going to be needed to be an effective Speaker and to be able to deliver what we need to deliver.”³⁸⁴

Others, such as Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) became frustrated by his Conference. “This has to do with the integrity of that conference. They don’t need to lecture me on the way things work. I’m 75 years old. I’ve watched it my entire life, how things work. This is what tears teams apart.” With a small window that has continued to close by each day, Jordan remarked that there have been members within the Conference by various cross sections, “We’ve got people who are defense hawks who are for us, appropriators who are for us, Main Street Group who are for us, conservative members who are for us.”³⁸⁵

Still, the elephant in the room that had been hurting the Jordan camp was the pressure campaign, as Womack mentioned, “Early on, there was a chance that some of them might be able to come around. And then we got into the attack dog tactics that were employed against the people that voted against him the first time.”³⁸⁶

To compare and contrast the events from January against the events in October, Roy and Womack spoke about the two periods: “We went down to the floor, we did nomination speeches, and we got behind people and explained what we wanted,” Roy said. “We offered proposals, we offered thoughts. We put out a list of things that we thought ought to change in the institution. What are they doing besides sitting around whining?” In Womack’s view, “The January 20 [against McCarthy] were all trying to extract something, it was transactional. The October 20 — I’ve talked to these people. There’s not an ask. There is nothing that the candidate can offer that can move these members from their positions.”³⁸⁷

The Gang of Eight however had their own point of view, noting that the holdouts who opposed Jordan aren’t doing it because they object to Jordan personally, rather it was because voting for Jordan may reward Gaetz and the others. The four lawmakers profiled by the Daily Caller, were Reps. Biggs, Mace, Good, and Warren Davidson (R-OH).³⁸⁸

“I have been told by a good number of people that their objection isn’t personal to Jim, it is that voting in Jordan is perceived to be rewarding Matt Gaetz and the rest of the eight,” Biggs said. “Others have indicated that some of Jim’s supporters wouldn’t support Scalise and so the holdouts won’t support Jordan.”³⁸⁹

Mace told the outlet that she believed Americans should have a Speaker, “who will be honest and represent them, not business as usual in Washington. It is disgraceful for a number of elected officials, many of them in safe GOP districts, to oppose Jim Jordan purely to spite Matt Gaetz.” Implying, “Voting against the will of your constituents to get back at a fellow Member is the definition of the swamp. We hope the American people see who is standing with them and who is standing with Washington.”³⁹⁰ 

The lengthiest soundbite came from Good: 

 “Well, I would point out that Jim Jordan is a centrist Republican leader in terms of the conference. Jim Jordan has his roots obviously in the conservative movement, founding of the Freedom Caucus and so forth. However, everyone knows he’s been a loyal team member of the leadership group in the conference, having been a chairman having supported Kevin McCarthy multiple times, not just voting for him, but endorsing him giving floor speeches to nominate and defend him. He supported Steve Scalise when he was the majority vote-getter last week. And so Jim Jordan represents the control center and that’s why he’s got 200 votes. While I wouldn’t pretend to be able to crawl into the minds of the 22 who voted against him yesterday. I would point out they have no alternative. No one else has a supportive right at 200 members of our conference, there are no other candidates… In this case, these individuals are not only voting against the party here in DC, they’re also voting against the wishes of Republicans across the country and against the person who I would submit as the second most popular Republican in the country. I’ll resist trying to apply my opinion on what their motivations might be. But obviously, there are members of our conference who are disappointed or disapprove of how or why we got to this point, the fact that we’re having to select the speaker, however, we are at this point. And so what is the right path forward for the good of the country, the good of the conference, the good of the conservative Republican agenda, our ability to fight the Biden, Schumer, radical regime and policies under which the American people are truly suffering.”³⁹¹

Meanwhile, the lawmaker that brought the House down, Gaetz, brought up that those opposing Jordan, specifically those 22, were doing nothing but hurting their voters. “The only people being punished are their constituents. Republican voters across the country are united behind Jim Jordan,” he said.³⁹²

Davidson, in brief, spoke how elected Jordan wouldn’t reward the eight that voted out McCarthy, instead calling it as a win for the people of America, and the Republican agenda.³⁹³ 

Perhaps, this was political pressure made by the holdouts. The gist of the campaign in theory was to move on quickly over Republican divisional issues, and get together to make sure the House was working. But it’s not without criticism, as Diaz-Balart suggested, “I think it gets more and more difficult for him every day.”³⁹⁴

Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), said that Jordan, who doesn’t even wear glasses [except for readers], yet could see the writing on the wall. Point being, his prospects weren’t keeping up, and the dilemma within the party continued to be met with resistant lawmakers, with Rep. Gimenez saying, “He doesn’t have the votes to be speaker.” The prospective idea to put McHenry in charge was supposed to be temporary just enough to give Jordan a window of time to build support, while legislative business could move forward with issues such as aid to Ukraine and Israel, and government funding. While this would’ve needed a full House vote, support would also have to come from House Democrats, with the possibility of concessions. Republicans weren’t very likened to the idea, with Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) claimed that about two-thirds of the Conference were in opposition. “Democrats have suggested a rule change to enable legislation with significant bipartisan support to come to the House floor without having to go through the Rules Committee,” reads a passage from the Wall Street Journal.³⁹⁵

Among leadership circles, Rep. Stefanik posted on Twitter-X stating, “The people across #NY21 and America can rest assured that I strongly oppose any attempt to create a Democrat backed coalition government. I will vote to support Jim Jordan for Speaker on the House Floor.” Meanwhile Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) declared that the option to empower McHenry was, “the biggest FU to Republican voters I’ve ever seen. We’re handing our majority back over to the Democrats by going along with a power-sharing agreement. It’s absurd.” Another comment came from Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) who had prior military service as a Green Beret, “We are in completely uncharted territory as a country in the middle of a Middle East war. Where I come from, as a veteran, if you got to blow a bridge, you better have another one to cross. Those eight clearly didn’t have another one to cross.”³⁹⁶

Before the House floor was set to convene for round three of a Jordan candidacy, the Ohio lawmaker was seen carrying a slip of paper with a hand-written note late Thursday that read, “What is the real reason?” as he continued to meet with the presumed holdouts within the party.³⁹⁷ 

As the night turned into morning, he issued an 8am press conference. He began by telling a story of how he and his wife Polly received a call a few years ago from some friends out in the Dayton area, asking if they were free to attend dinner together. But before heading off to dinner, the friends advised that they all tour the Wright Brothers Home. An admirer of history, Jordan claimed, “Let's learn about these amazing two Americans.” Upon arrival, they paid $5 at the door, and long behold, “you go on this tour and you learn all these amazing things about the Wright Brothers,” he said. “You learn about the bicycle shop and the other things that the gadgets and gizmos they tinkered with and built fascinating tour.”³⁹⁸

Upon the last moments of the tour was the bedroom of Orville Wright’s bedroom, where soon he encountered two pictures. The first picture was the first flight in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, NC. “In this thing, they called a plane. And you… first of all, you see that, you know, how did that thing get off the ground? And the truth is it barely did, flew like 100 ft, got a few feet off the ground.” The next picture to be shown was Chuck Yeager, who broke the sound barrier in a jet in 1947, 44 years after the Wright Brothers first plane. “They put that picture down and Polly and I start walking out, and as we're walking out that door, it hit me. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Why did they stop there? I represent Wapakoneta, Ohio, all of Auglaize County, Ohio, hometown of Neil Armstrong who 22 years after Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier steps on the moon. Stop and think about it. In 66 years, one lifetime, we went from two guys flying 100 ft to putting a man on the moon. It is a great country, a great country.”³⁹⁹

In a shift, Jordan turned this part of his remarks to acknowledging that Americans have been in doubt about their government, and the direction of where the nation was headed. Ranging on issues from an open border, crime, cost of living such as food and gas expenditures, “They see a war in Israel, our strongest ally, Israel and what's happening there and the help that Israel needs. And they see a government that's been weaponized against, we, the people. The very government that's supposed to serve us has been turned on the taxpayers who pay for it.”⁴⁰⁰ 

Americans, “are thirsty for change,” he said. And with a White House that is unable to provide it, there is hunger for leadership. “They know the Senate won't lead, and they are looking for House Republicans to step up and lead, and make change on these important issues.” There is important work to be done such as helping Israel, getting the appropriations process moving, committee work, and continuing oversight. “In short, we need to get to work for the American people. We need to do what we said we were going to do. We need to do what we told them we were going to do when they elected us and put us in office. And frankly, we can't do that if the House isn't open. If we can't, we can't open the House until we get a Speaker.”⁴⁰¹

Referencing scripture, Jordan’s favorite verse is from 2 Timothy 4:7, paraphrasing, “‘Fight the good fight. Finish the course. Keep the faith.’ And I tell folks, I love that verse because of the action in it.” Viewing the verse in the American way of life, Americans are people of action, and the words such as ‘fight.’ ‘finish,’ and ‘keep,’ do fit the American spirit. “Americans expect their government to fight for them. They expect us to finish our work, and they expect us to keep faith with the principles and values that made us the greatest nation ever.” To go from the timespan of the Wright Brothers to Neil Armstrong, is what the nation should keep in mind. “And that's the kind of attitude I think we got to have. The quickest way to get all this working is to get a speaker elected. That's what I hope we can do today.”⁴⁰² 

As for taking questions from reporters, it was worth mentioning again that there was no clear transcript about what those questions directed to Jordan were, only to rely on his responses. In summary, he picked at the media claiming about losing voting support, arguing that it’s been staying the same, “We picked up a few, we lost a few… I just know that we need to get a speaker as soon as possible so we can get to work for the American people.” On package legislation, particularly aid to Israel, the process wouldn’t take course until the House is back open. More responses came from questions seemingly whether Jordan had support within his party, before one asking about the 2020 election. “I think there were all kinds of problems with the 2020 election. I've been clear about that. My intention in forwarding the email was an argument made by former inspector general for Donald Rumsfeld, accomplished lawyer who laid out an argument from the Federalist papers. I forward it on to them that that was all it was.” In closing he stressed that the weekend plan is to get a Speaker elected to help the American people, and being a supporter of Israel, “we should do everything we can to help them. The quickest way to do that is to elect a speaker.”⁴⁰³

After lawmakers showed up on the House floor Friday morning, McCarthy nominated Jordan on behalf of the Republican Conference, with Clark nominating Jeffries on behalf of the Democratic Caucus. 

McCarthy, in a likely final push for Jordan’s nomination, spoke about how there was a record worth correcting, in that Jordan was an effective legislator. “To legislate is about more than the name on the bill. It is about reaching compromise and working long hours behind the scenes to get the job done. When you are the chairman of a committee, you are responsible for dozens of bills passing the House and being signed into law.” He even went on to say how Jordan passed more bills in a timespan of three years than the entire Democratic leadership had done, collectively speaking, in its 28 years in Congress.⁴⁰⁴ 

It was good enough for Aguilar to become Caucus chair just by having one post office bill signed into law, McCarthy remarked, while Jordan demonstrated his drafting capabilities through the REINS Act, and H.R. 2. “Many of you know because you were in the room watching Jim find compromise, watching Jim listen to your positions and finding a bill that can pass,” he said. To pressure Democrats, McCarthy spoke about how they voted against securing the border, where there are people on the terrorist watch list who are captured, and that the future of the nationa’s security is held, “based upon their policies.”⁴⁰⁵

Heading back to Jordan’s capacity as a legislator, “the truth is, if we measure lawmakers by how many bills have their names on it, we are using the wrong measuring stick. Some of the Members I know with the most bills to their name are the most selfish. Jim Jordan, on the other hand, is one of the most selfless Members I know.”  Even so, McCarthy called upon freshmen lawmakers who served on Jordan’s committees, asking what they thought about Jordan as their chairman. Remarkably, the feedback was very kind and worthwhile to his working in his legislative capacity. ⁴⁰⁶

Citing a few examples, McCarthy read aloud, “Jim empowers every member of the Judiciary Committee to pursue what interests them.” Another, “He lets each of us take the lead on the issues that are important to us, even letting freshmen and junior members take important roles.” Followed by two additions, “He trusts our judgment on how we handle issues and witnesses and always seeks our input on key issues. Here is another: As a freshman, he had me lead off a hearing that related to my subject matter expertise, and he goes out of his way to highlight member’s success.” Describing his style, McCarthy labeled how Jordan was someone who is straightforward, honest, and reliable. “That is who Jim Jordan is, and that is what being a Speaker is all about.”⁴⁰⁷

Going back to their past history, McCarthy understood that he and Jordan both took their jobs seriously. “I first met Jim as a candidate,” he recalled. “I traveled to Ohio. I remember pulling up for breakfast at a Bob Evans in Ohio. There was Jim having a meeting, listening to constituents. I traveled with him throughout the day from rotary to farm bureau, just listening to people that had concerns, and I watched then the same Jim Jordan I see today. He was a leader, a listener, and a fighter.” Both men entering into their congressional debuts in 2007, the two became close friends, and amidst a small Republican class of 13, the two would go on their own paths in the years to come. Eventually in 2018 both men took the opportunity to become the party’s House Conference leader, yet McCarthy addressed that he never questioned Jordan’s skills nor his commitment to either the Conference or country. It may have been a “hard-fought battle,” however there was still a window for a new opportunity, an opening to become the ranking member of the House Oversight committee.⁴⁰⁸ 

Recalling, “Jim didn’t even apply for the job. I walked into steering; didn’t tell steering. I walked into the other room, and I picked up the phone and I called Jim. I said: I know you are not running for the job, but I believe in what Jim Collins says in the book ‘Good to Great.’ You put the right people in the right seats on the bus.” Despite the competitive stakes McCarthy believed that Jordan was the right person for the position, so along he went. When asked if Jordan could serve on the Intelligence Committee when Democrats were putting politics over people, it was right. When asked if Jordan could serve on the Judiciary Committee chairman, it was right. “Jim is the right person to take that seat behind me to be our next Speaker of the House.”⁴⁰⁹

In his concluding remarks, Americans expect the legislative body to focus on the issues that are pressing the most, ranging from inflation, border security, fentanyl, and Israel. “This country is too great for small visions. Trust me: Being Speaker is not an easy job, especially in this Conference, but I’ve seen Jim spend his entire career fighting for freedom, no matter what, no matter the odds, and I know he is ready for the job.” As directed by the vote of the Conference, McCarthy then nominated Jordan for Speaker.⁴¹⁰

Next to speak was Rep. Clark, who began by highlighting the number 212. Being renowned as a New York area code, it was also a staple for the highest vote tally Jeffries could attain. For reference, he had the same number of votes when running against McCarthy back in January. Whereby Democratic support for Jeffries meant, “for a Speaker of integrity, intelligence, and inclusion… who will grow the middle class, lower costs, create good-paying jobs, and make healthcare affordable; 212 is our call for a Speaker who will secure liberty, justice, and opportunity for everyone.”⁴¹¹

Embarking on how Jeffries was the one who had answered the call, Clark wasn’t hesitant to call out Jordan, the majority’s nominee, as disconnected. “He is disconnected from the American people and their values. MAGA extremism is designed to divide, and it has broken the Republican Party. Their nominee’s vision is a direct attack on the freedom and the rights of the American people, and he has got the record to prove it,” she said. That same nominee, Clark claimed, voted against healthcare for children, veterans, 9/11 survivors, opposed lowering insulin costs, and cut social security programs.⁴¹² 

Hitting on issues even further such as agriculture, she also said how Jordan turned his back on rural communities, having never supported a farm bill, in which 11 million children go to bed hungry. When it came to reproductive rights, Jordan, “wants a national abortion ban with no exeptions for rape, incest, or the health of a mother. We want to make our own healthcare decisions in consultation with our families, our doctors, and our faith - not with Jim Jordan.” And regards to the last presidential election in 2020, “The Republican nominee plotted to overturn the 2020 election, traffics in misinformation, and is a true threat to our democracy and our Constitution.”⁴¹³

In the conclusion of her oration, it wasn’t too late for the majority party to reopen the House by taking on a bipartisan path forward, for they just have to simply say “yes.” But with Republicans engaged in their own civil war, not only has that become a threat to members of their own, but it has weakened both the standing of the country, and this institution. “We need a Speaker who will govern through consensus, not conflict. We need a Speaker worthy of wielding that gavel. We need a leader who will defend democracy, not degrade it. More than ever, we need proven, patriotic, people-first leadership.”⁴¹⁴

As both lawmakers ended the speeches for their party’s nominee, the third roll-call vote for Speaker was called. The final votes showed: Jeffries - 210,  Jordan - 194, McHenry - 6, Zeldin - 4, Donalds - 2, McCarthy - 2, Mike Garcia - 1, Emmer - 1, Westerman - 1, with 4 not voting.⁴¹⁵

Perhaps as the vote was taking place, but not reported on until after the vote, a Dear Colleague letter was sent around by the Gang of Eight, which read: 

“The recent passage of the Motion to Vacate the Speaker has caused rancor, hurt feelings and acrimony in the House Republican Conference. While we stand by our actions, it is our goal to proceed forward with our colleagues, our teammates, our fellow Republicans in a manner that embraces reconciliations. 

It has been suggested the Conference cannot move forward until there are consequences for each of us. While we violated no rule of either the House or Republican Conference, we understand some in the Conference wish to punish us. 

The actions we took were never about us - they were to change Washington for the better. The House now needs a Speaker, and we have a Speaker-Designate in Jim Jordan of Ohio. 

Therefore, if the holdouts who refuse to vote for Speaker-Designate Jordan would be willing to ‘vote with the team’ and elect him the 56th House Speaker, we are prepared to accept censure, suspension, or removal from the Conference to accomplish this objective. We remain proud members of the Republican Party, as nominated by our representative districts. 

What united us as Republicans is more important than our disagreements. We must now come together to elect Jim Jordan. We offer this sincerely and with the hope of unity with purpose. Our fidelity to Republican virtues and principles remains unwavering.”⁴¹⁶ 

As for the signatories, Rep. Buck, who was one of the eight lawmakers, opposed Jordan, despite being on the letter itself.⁴¹⁷ 

Once House Republicans gathered together in a closed-door meeting after the third vote, members decided that they had it, and threw out their support for Jordan, leaving another opportunity for anyone to claim the high seat. The tally, done through a secret ballot, was 86-112. Gaetz himself expressed in a packed hallway, “The most popular Republican in the United States Congress was just knifed by a secret ballot, in a private meeting, in the basement of the Capitol. It's as swampy as swamp gets, and Jim Jordan deserved better than that.”⁴¹⁸

Members would have another candidate forum Monday night, with an internal vote Tuesday. With the door wide open, lawmakers such as Reps. Kevin Hern (R-OK), Pete Sessions (R-TX), and Tom Emmer (R-MN) were the few names interested in the Speaker’s slot. According to a snippet by the Wall Street Journal. “GOP lawmakers said they hoped to finally move beyond the tensions that had built up for months over the role of the GOP hard-liners who had complicated McCarthy’s path to power, blocked legislation and ultimately engineered his ouster… The bad feelings then served to sink Jordan, with many lawmakers loath to promote him, which they worried would reward the behavior of the hard right wing.”⁴¹⁹

Conducting an internal vote on Friday established lawmakers an understanding that there was no internal support amongst the GOP to continue with Jordan as their nominee. “The end of Jordan’s speaker bid marked a rare assertion of power by the House GOP’s more centrist lawmakers and those who want to see the chamber operate, following nine months of intraparty fighting in which small groups of lawmakers often drove the party’s agenda,” the piece stated. Furthermore, “Jordan had faced opposition from GOP colleagues worried about how he would manage spending talks and avoid a government shutdown; allies of other party leaders who were pushed aside in favor of Jordan; and moderates from Democratic-leaning regions who see him as too stridently conservative.”⁴²⁰

Given the circumstances of Jordan failing to gain back his party’s support, Friday’s meeting also led towards McHenry publicly commenting that he would be open to the expansion of powers of his role, only it was through a formalized vote. “It has proved to be constitutional,” he said. “There’s a way through this and a way that the institution can function, but you have to have a formal vote to do anything else.”⁴²¹

McCarthy told reporters that the Conference would have to go back to the drawing board over the weekend to discuss the path forward, while hitting on Gaetz, “What history will look at - the crazy eights led by Gaetz - the amount of damage they’ve done to this party and to this country is insurmountable. We’re in a very bad position as a party, once that has won the majority, one that America has entrusted us with. A simple eight people put us in this place.”⁴²²

To show a form of unification, came the creation of a signature pledge which read: “House Republicans need to elect a Speaker as soon as possible in order to return to work on behalf of the American people. It is time to put politics and personalities aside and unite behind the next Republican Conference choice for Speaker. I, [underlined signature], hereby please to support the Speaker Designate duly elected by the House Republican Conference - regardless of who that candidate is - when their election proceeds to the House Floor. Further, I pledge to vote for the Speaker Designate on the House Floor for as long as they remain the Speaker Designate.” Lawmakers such as Reps. Mike Flood (R-NE), Austin Scott (R-GA), and Pete Sessions (R-TX) were the first few who had offered their signatures to that public pledge.⁴²³

Eventually new names such as Donalds, and Mike Johnson (R-LA) came about as lawmakers had until Sunday noon-time to make their candidacy official for the high office, soon climbing to a total of nine candidates.⁴²⁴

Bringing it back to Gaetz, he said he had no regrets bringing down the most powerful leader in the House. Being interviewed for a profile by the Wall Street Journal, he said, “I have extreme confidence that we will have an upgrade at the position.” Gaetz has continued to face criticism by his colleagues for bringing in what some may call paralysis to the House. When in a closed-door Thursday meeting, McCarthy told the Floridian to, “sit your ass down,” with Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) cursing, and even lunging at Gaetz. McCarthy would later tell reporters about the encounters, “Listen, the whole country, I think, would scream at Matt Gaetz right now.”⁴²⁵ 

While it may seem Republicans that Gaetz might have set a descriptive precedent, even calling him names such as a “charlatan,” or “vile person,” the piece highlighted that he was, “a canny student of procedure with a knack for tapping the conservative zeitgeist, has taken it upon himself to assemble a shifting band of dissidents. And up to now, he has been dramatically successful.” He’s actually more interested in outcomes rather than being an attention-monger just to make headlines, as his critics like to pile on.⁴²⁶

In a small summary, David Jolly, a former congressman from Florida himself spoke how Gaetz came from privilege, being that his father was, “one of the most powerful politicians in Florida,” referring to Don Gaetz, who formerly served as President of the Florida State Senate. Walking into a congressional seat with little effort, “there were very low expectations for him,” with regards to the Washington environment. “The harder road was to develop the legislative and political acumen sufficient to take down a speaker of the House, and he did that in just six years - credit where credit is due.”⁴²⁷ 

Upon touring the nation, Gaetz felt that as if he heard from many Americans the same message, “Why have you guys not done more? Why does the House Republican conference look like the surrender brigade? Didn’t you have a motion to vacate in the event of noncompliance with your January agreement?” just to name a few. “The motion to vacate occurred because those of us who fought for a better way back in January were losing credibility with our own voters,” Gaetz said to the publication. “Things we told them were going to happen hadn’t happened, and it became increasingly clear that McCarthy had no plan to make them happen.”⁴²⁸

In the weeks of a speaker-less House, the profile went on to state that Gaetz tried to fade in the background, speaking little during conference meetings, in which he referred to as, “struggle sessions.” But not even keeping distance was workable, for Gaetz had to apologize, “for a fundraising email that called the Jordan holdouts ‘RINOs’ - Republican in Name Only - saying it was sent by his campaign without his approval.” McCarthy would come to suggest that the email was responsible for Jordan losing voting support he needed.⁴²⁹

It goes without saying, Gaetz made his name be known in Trump circles, and while attending an event out in Florida, former President Trump called Gaetz as, “a big celebrity.” Needless to say, asked on Fox News Radio if Gaetz’s actions hurt the party, it depended. “Maybe we’ll end up with one of the greatest speakers of all time, in which case Matt Gaetz did a tremendous favor,” he remarked.⁴³⁰

The letter by him and the other seven lawmakers sent Friday offering to be kicked out or censured, was a last-ditch effort to boost Jordan, only to see the motive wind up in failure. House Republicans would come to drop Jordan’s candidacy for Speaker, and dismissed the letter solely as a stunt.⁴³¹

In the grand scheme of things, as Republican lobbyist Liam Donovan points out, if a conservative ended up as the next Speaker, Gaetz would become a hero to those of the political right. Henceforth if a non-conservative figure wound up instead into the post, it would only help his campaign, arguing how the DC establishment, per se, was dwindling down conservative avenues and its aims. “It just sets up the grievance-based grift that powered him to this point,” he said. “Matt Gaetz can’t do anything but win in this situation.”⁴³²

In a damning letter in response to Gaetz and the seven others of his pack, one eagerly was made by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA). The letter starts off with a “Dear Wayward Colleagues” greeting: 

“Your letter of October 20, in which you graciously offer to martyr yourselves as long as you can get your way, is perhaps the most selfless act in American history. I was certain that our Republican colleagues ‘who refuse to vote’ with the Republican majority would have been inspired by your stirring example of party discipline and loyalty to ‘vote with the team,’ as you so eloquently phrased it. 

I was frankly stunned when they did not. I do not understand why a handful of our fellow Republicans couldn’t even see the simple fairness of the principle to which you have been so unswerving in your devotion: ‘heads-I-win-tails-you-lose.’

We should have been moved by your willingness to suffer ‘censure, suspension, or removal from the conference’ to enforce your personal preferences on the overwhelming majority of your unenlightened colleagues. We should have appreciated how you (and 206 House Democrats) saved us from a Republican Speaker. 

We truly don’t deserve you.

But your sacrifice is not in vain. You have succeeded in replacing the outdated concept of majority rule with an exciting new standard that a Speaker must be elected by 98.2 percent of the Republican conference. Someday, a messiah will be born unto us who can achieve this miraculous threshold, and on that day your judgment will be vindicated and you will be hailed as the geniuses that you are. 

I think we were all truly humbled to learn your ‘fidelity to Republican virtues and principles remains unwavering.’ Who could not be moved to tears to read that you offer your self-sacrifice 'sincerely and with the hope of unity with purpose?’

With this in mind, I modestly suggest that you plan your martyrdom in the only way that truly matters: to have the wisdom to see the damage you have done to your country and to have the courage to set things right before it is too late.

I enclose a proposed resolution that perhaps one of you can offer as we begin the fourth week of national paralysis and as the world burns around us.

Your secret admirer, Tom McClintock.”⁴³³

While it may have been remarked by reporters that McClintock was writing “sarcastically,” the depth in which the words he chose nonetheless, were valid, since the House Republicans have been feeling frustrated week after week since McCarthy was voted out of his position as Speaker. Glassman himself would later call out such lines as, “the nastiest inter-party letter I’ve ever seen on official Member stationary…”⁴³⁴

With House Republicans figuring out where to go next, the downfall of Jordan was due to much resistance by moderate members, and those from swing or democratic-leaning districts, believing he had baggage, and wasn’t right for the leadership role. To start a newfound search to choose a speaker heading into the weekend, hot heads continued to melt ice, making it difficult to have a possible cool down period. Much to the chagrin from hardcore conservative supporters, disappointment seemed to spare course as Jordan lost the party’s footing.⁴³⁵

Whenever it comes to candidacies for House Speaker, usually it was from a pool of contenders who, for years, made their way through the party’s leadership ladder, whether they served as committee chair, whip, or party leader, just to name a few posts. Whoever was going to throw their hat into the ring this time around, in what used to be typical, now became untypical. Sorting in what was to be an extensive list of nominees under a very short period of a matter of days to settle. Such a range would show lawmakers who had profiles either solely inside their districts, outside of their districts, or have made a national profile for themselves. Namesake however may not make the cut, for a various number of lawmakers from a wide variety of backgrounds also meant understanding how they would come toe-to-toe under legislative and political ingenuity: not only must one recognize the slim majority their party held, but the reality that the opposing party holds the upper chamber, the Senate, and the executive, the White House. It also goes without saying that the position of Speaker meant to become the party’s top fundraiser amongst House campaign operations, and just two heartbeats away from becoming leader of the free world.⁴³⁶

Given those interested in the post, its challenging to know who would stand out amongst the pack, where troubles of ideological differences, the role of government, and contemporary engagement of the domestic politic have been made themselves present, even by variously distinct generational angles.⁴³⁷

As Rep. Dusty Johnson described, “There is still a tremendous pool of talent, people who love this country and understand the need for us to address things like the border and the looming government shutdown.” With a November 17 deadline for federal funding closely approaching, the administration had requested funding for conflicts in both Ukraine and Israel. And whoever would become the new speaker will have to scour through a Republican divide, especially if they were to find a pathway to pass spending legislation. “I’ve heard it said in our conference that Jesus can’t get to 217,” said Rep. Massie. “And I’ve also heard it said that nobody can get to 217.” For it remained to be seen who would restore the civil war within the party, and address the strenuous challenges that have not only transpired in the preceding weeks, but also the forthcoming ahead.⁴³⁸

Unbeknownst to many politicos, this gentleman was an adept constitutional lawyer representing the very most western region of Louisiana, the Pelican State. His name was Mike Johnson, and had recently found himself in the crosshairs, as he was questioning FBI Director Christopher Wray, as part of a House Judiciary Committee hearing last summer.⁴³⁹

After Jordan failed a third time to be elected Speaker and lost the support of his party, Johnson made his decision to run for the slot, amidst the building field, announcing at the very beginning of his letter, “We are facing together one of the most fateful moments in our nation’s history.”⁴⁴⁰ 

The issues that were raised were: the attack on Israel, to foreign adversaries such as Russia and China coming emboldened, a national debt of over $33.5T, a southern border crisis, rise of both violent crime and the cost of living, weaponized federal agencies, and a president not able to lead with an unwilling Senate body. “At this critical juncture, our House of Republican majority must provide principled leadership. Is it our duty to chart a new path, and answer with clarity and conviction who we are, why we are here, and what we are fighting for.” Shortly referencing a scripture passage from Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”⁴⁴¹ 

Before further listing his bolded priorities, his statement also read, “It incumbent upon us now to decide upon a consensus candidate who can serve as a trusted caretaker and a good steward of the gavel. We must govern well, and expand our majority next year. To get Congress reopened, our Conference operating on all cylinders, and all our Members engaged and working together again as one team…” The seven points that were stressed were: restore trust, advance a comprehensive policy agenda, promote individual members, engage members, effectively message, build and utilize external coalitions, and develop and grow our majority.⁴⁴²

Whereby the hour of urgency must demand a specific plan with bold and decisive action, while also having a leader, humble before Almighty God, who would be able to fight for the conservative principles and policies. Johnson, having 20 years experience of constitutional law, with a various past history of working as a policy analyst, media spokesperson, college pressor, and a small business owner. Even mentioning his political history within the Republican Conference serving as vice chairman, and chairman of the Republican Study Committee. “I would bring that same level of organization, dedication, and team emphasis to this new role.”⁴⁴³

“We cannot overstate the importance of our current challenge. I believe the survival and future of our republic may well be decided over the next twelve months. I believe that each one of us was specifically born for this moment and called and equipped by our Creator for the battle ahead. And I believe that real leadership is recognized, not imposed.” In closing, “It is my greatest honor to serve with all of you in this decisive time, and I would be humbled to earn your support, and by God’s grace, lead our historic cause as your Speaker. For freedom, Mike Johnson.”⁴⁴⁴

What was about to unravel in the House Republican Conference that followed was perhaps the wildest turn of events in modern congressional history.⁴⁴⁵

---

WEEK 4

Having gone through two candidates for Speaker, perhaps a third time was the charm. Not at all. In a long list of lawmakers in the running looking upon the party ladder, the number three spot was Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) who soon gained momentum from his colleagues. Even McCarthy himself commented on Emmer’s candidacy on “Meet the Press” saying, “He sets himself head and shoulders above all those others who want to run. We need to get him elected this week and move on, and bring not just this party together but focus on what this country needs most.” Furthermore into the same interview, “I just know this is not a time to play games. This is embarrassing for the Republican Party. It's embarrassing for the nation. And we need to look at one another and solve the problem.”⁴⁴⁶

The following were the Republican candidates hoping to become the next Speaker: Reps. Tom Emmer, Byron Donalds, Mike Johnson, Kevin Hern (R-OK), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Austin Scott (R-GA), Dan Meuser (R-PA), and Gary Palmer (R-AL). All of which were expected to make their pitches Monday evening in front of the Republican Conference, with a designee vote the following Tuesday. In a Twitter-X post, declaring his run, Emmer stated, “The American people elected us to deliver on a conservative agenda that secures our border, stops reckless spending, and hold Joe Biden accountable.” Jordan, who lost the backing of his party the previous week, had no regrets in his attempt to seek higher office, and looked forward to helping unite the party, and the importance of doing so.⁴⁴⁷

While Emmer may be getting votes from top circles amongst the Conference, opposing him was former President Trump, and those in his base which seemingly followed along. To put it bluntly, Rep. Womack regarded the Speaker’s race to a sports analogy, “There are way too many free agents, not enough truly team players.” A manifestation if you will.⁴⁴⁸

With Emmer in the hot seat, former President Trump spoke to reporters in New Hampshire at the time, eyeing that the threshold of four votes that a Republican candidate would need to be able to withstand was very tough. “It’s a very tough thing no matter who it is,” he said. However there was one person who could “do it all the way,” he indicated. Questioning the group, “Do you know who that is?” The answer he proclaimed was, “Jesus Christ.” Continuing, “If Jesus came down and said, ‘I want to be Speaker,’ he would do it. Other than that, I haven’t seen, I haven’t seen anybody that can guarantee it.”⁴⁴⁹

Although not throwing an endorsement, Trump in his brandish way, praised the candidates as “terrific people.” Additionally, he believed that something was bound to happen, more-or-less in a positive light, and that it would come to work out well. “But I’ve spoken to just about all the candidates, quite a few of them, and they’re terrific people.” Once asked about his rapport with Emmer, Trump said, “Well, I think he’s my biggest fan now because he called me yesterday and he told me, ‘I’m your biggest fan,’ so I don’t know about that. We’re looking at a lot of people you know, sort of trying to stay out of that as much as possible. But they’ll get it straightened out. But no, I’ve always gotten along with him, and I get along with all of them really. A lot of good people. We have a lot of great people.”⁴⁵⁰

Matt Glassman, once again shined light into the voting dynamics within the House Republican Conference, and what it would take for anyone to rise above the fray. “What we saw last week was a widespread meltdown of the idea of loyalty to conference decision-making,” he wrote. “First the conservatives refused to consent to Scalise’s victory in the conference nomination. But then a second group decided they were going to block things on the floor that a huge percentage of the conference was in favor of, and sunk the Jordan nomination.” Needless to say, while different groups within the Conference performed different outcomes for both Scalise and Jordan, the best vantage point of understanding voting dynamics is not from the public floor, but rather from the party's secret ballot tallies.⁴⁵¹

Jordan, who failed on his third vote on the floor counting only 194 Republicans in this case, at a margin of 25 defectors, the party went back into Conference, and lost his ability to remain the party's nominee for Speaker, 112-86. “A lot of people saw this as evidence that a ton of GOP members were willing to vote against Jordan in secret, but not on the floor in public, where they might face the wrath of their constituents or the MAGA media/activist machine that could gin up a primary challenger.”⁴⁵²

However, there were other dynamics at play, party loyalty. Just as McCarthy kept pushing the party’s nominee for Speaker: Scalise, Jordan, and Emmer. Lawmakers may not support their party’s nominee in Conference per se, but they’ll feel obligated to support them when it comes for a floor vote.  Should that nominee fail on the floor and the party heads back into Conference, it’s in there, where they are free to vote against that nominee, and become the space to hash things out. “We know this has to be true because of the progression of votes Jordan got. He first got 124 when he beat Austin in a secret ballot (124-84). He then immediately got 152 votes in a secret ballot question about whether Members would support him on the floor (152-55). So that’s 28 votes right there that were floor loyal but not conference loyal,” Glassman breaks down. “He then got 200, 198, and 194 in public on the floor, adding another 40-50 votes from his conference loyalty vote performance. Those 40-50 votes are the only possible votes that could be scared to vote no in public.”⁴⁵³

In addition, lawmakers may simply give up and move on. This is due to the fact Jordan won against Scott earlier, by 124-81, where some may have not supported Jordan the first time around, eventually doing so on the House floor, but later gave up any of their continuing support after the third vote.⁴⁵⁴

Steering away from individual members, it’s also useful to understand how current election rules within the Conference play at stake too, as Glassman indicates they “are more problematic than they appear. Far from building consensus in the party, they actively reinforce division.” He highlights Rule 4(b)(2)(c), where under balloting procedures, it reads, “When there are more than two candidates for any office and none receives a majority of the votes on the first ballot, a quorum being present, the candidate with the lowest number of votes on that and each succeeding ballot will be dropped from the ballot until one candidate receives a majority of the votes, a quorum being present.” Resulting from this scene would make for repeated runoffs, with the candidate receiving the least amount of votes dropping out until somebody received a simple  majority. Glassman further observed, “The problem is that unless someone gets a blowout majority early on, the system will tend toward someone winning with a bare majority, leaving an unreconciled opposition that has more than a critical mass to stake its claim on the floor with a patina of legitimacy.”⁴⁵⁵

It could also complicate things because candidates may receive strong supportive numbers even if one has to lose. Examples include Scalise’s 113 vs Jordan’s 99 votes, or Jordan’s 124 vs Scott’s 84 votes. Politics in this case would not be about party nominee vs tempered holdouts, rather it’s party nominee vs alternative candidate support. Trying to combat this issue was by Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE), who’s been organizing lawmakers to sign a slip that would withhold support of another candidate while they support the party’s nominee. “The problem is that the candidates probably can’t deliver their backers, and it’s not really the candidates who have been the problem in the past few rounds,” Glassman explained. “But this is better than nothing, and it’s a good effort to try to get the party conference machine back in the business of creating consensus in the absence of norms of party loyalty.”⁴⁵⁶

Noting as well, exhaustion may be settling in. In his hypothetical description of GOP House lawmakers sitting through 20+ hours of meetings within a 10 day span, “Imagine going to a 3 hour PTA meeting every night for a week, with 10 people you like and 200 you tolerate. Now imagine Matt Gaetz is there. It’s honestly not surprising that Mike Bost almost fought him after a screaming match developed between McCarthy and Gaetz.” With some extended detail headed into the new week, “And now they are headed for a candidate forum bound to last at least two hours tonight, and right back at it tomorrow for a process that could go upwards of 3 hours if it takes a lot of ballots to get a majority winner.” Even when it came to relations after such long hours, everyone seemed to point fingers at each other, “Most of the party is livid with the anti-McCarthy 8. The Scalise allies are livid at Jordan. The Jordan allies are livid at the moderates. And it may get worse yet before it begins to heal.”⁴⁵⁷

As Glassman would off his skill of foreshadowing once again, his prediction with Emmer seeming to become the next nominee, was likely an easy situation to picture: “Emmer gets the nomination and is subsequently blocked by the Freedom Caucus crowd, as they hope to install their candidate (Hern? Donalds?); one [sic] Emmer goes down, the anti-Jordan coalition is again white-hot mad, and they band together to sink Hern (or whoever) on the floor.”⁴⁵⁸ 

Emmer would eventually become the nominee to succeed Jordan, but he would soon find himself walking out of the nomination, thanks to Trump.

Candidates made their pitches to the Conference Monday evening, with a follow-up vote for being the nominee as soon as Tuesday morning. After three weeks of a speakerless House, Republicans hoped to unite behind another simple majority winner, after all, the third time may be just the charm they needed. What started off with nine heading into the new week, was eventually reduced to eight, for Meuser dropped out.⁴⁵⁹

Given his position as House Republican Majority Whip, Tom Emmer also developed a past history of working within the party as a congressman, building relationships with many members over time . Such a stint included serving as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), likewise the party’s congressional fundraising wing. As was mentioned earlier how becoming Speaker meant becoming the party’s top fundraiser, Emmer gained a reputation raising $7.6M nearly 3/4ths into 2023, and spent time on the campaign trails helping others on the road, 81 days supposedly.⁴⁶⁰ 

McCarthy, supporting Emmer, previously said on “Meet the Press” how Emmer was, “head and shoulders, above all those others who want to run.” He also described, “This is not a moment in time to play around with learning on the job. We need someone who understands how to do the job.” The problem facing Emmer though, given his close knitness to the party’s institution, one’s greatest strength may also be one’s greatest liability. Hence why Emmer doesn’t have a suitable bond into the Trump world. Even Steve Bannon had mentioned that Emmer was, “the biggest never-Trumper in the House,” thereby having not a chance of becoming House Speaker.⁴⁶¹

“First, House Republicans chose an establishment guy to be their speaker. But the hard right got sick of him and dumped him after nine months,” writes Luke Broadwater, congressional correspondent for the New York Times. “Then they turned to his No. 2, another mainstream conservative, who was promptly blocked. Then they tried an ultraconservative candidate, but mainstream members struck back, quickly killing his candidacy.” Now it’s back to being at square one, which raises the question, has the House GOP become too dysfunctional to govern?⁴⁶²

The party, in his description, has too many of the following: conflicting ideologies, unyielding personalities, and bad blood. It couldn’t help to throw their support of unity behind an individual. “There are factions within the factions. A hard-right group calling itself The 20 includes many members of the Freedom Caucus, but some lawmakers who are not. Some members are loyal to others from their home states; some to their committee chairs. There are wild cards who are members of no ideological caucus. There are personal vendettas that have nothing to do with ideology.”⁴⁶³

With Emmer possibly becoming the next nominee, those who seem to be in the Trump camp viewed him as “insufficiently loyal to the former president,” and cite his vote to certify the 2020 election. Emmer had also reached out to Trump in such a small window of time too, claiming to be his biggest fan, whereby Trump seemed to not have been so sure about the short move.⁴⁶⁴

To add on the political commentary about the unfolding dysfunction within the House GOP, there are two quotes from two Republican consultants. The first was by Liam Donovan, a Republican strategist, and former aide within the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) who said, “What’s happening is you have people who don’t want to be led, but also want to engineer a situation where they can be betrayed and use that to rail against leadership.” The other was by Republican pollster, Nicole McCleskey, who steered more into the direction that the “messy dust up in the House,” will be forgotten come next November. “People are used to Washington dysfunction, and this is just another episode,” she said. “It’s Republicans and Democrats, and they’re all dysfunctional. For voters, it’s just further evidence that Washington can’t address their problems.”⁴⁶⁵ 

At long last, narrowed down to the fifth ballot, Emmer won the nomination to become Speaker-designee, with 117 votes, coming second was Johnson with 97. All seemed fine and dandy, yet there was something a bit odd. According to Jake Sherman, he described in a post about Emmer’s newfound candidacy as, “on the ropes,” particularly, he may as well drop out, or wait it through to see how things develop. Nonetheless, “Even emmer allies, supporters and insiders think his candidacy is over.”⁴⁶⁶

And just moments later, Emmer was reported to have briskly left the Longworth office building after meeting privately with Republicans, and hopped into a SUV which was waiting for him. Sherman reported, “He just ….. left. Said nothing.” Haley Talbot, a CNN congressional reporter, even indicated on her excel sheet column,“BIG MAD,” which underneath it read, “Everyone.”⁴⁶⁷

So how could a nominee drop out of the blue a few hours after winning a simple majority of his Conference? Trump. In a post on the conservative social media platform, Truth social, Trump issued a post which read: 

“I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors. RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them. He never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGA—MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! He fought me all the way, and actually spent more time defending Ilhan Omar, than he did me—He is totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters. I believe he has now learned his lesson, because he is saying that he is Pro-Trump all the way, but who can ever be sure? Has he only changed because that’s what it takes to win? The Republican Party cannot take that chance, because that’s not where the America First Voters are. Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake!”⁴⁶⁸

Trump, in a reported phone call, even went on to say how, “He’s done. It’s over. I killed him.” While Trump seemingly looked as if he was going to stay out of the Speaker’s race, he did however, show disinterest in Emmer. As acknowledged by Politico, “The former president complained that Emmer had criticized him following the Trump-inspired Jan. 6 Capitol riot and, among other things, had not forcefully enough defended him against his multiple indictments.”⁴⁶⁹

With Emmer out of the picture, all eyes led towards the second place finisher, Mike Johnson. And in a few short hours later, Johnson would win the simple majority needed to become Speaker-designee. After three ballots, Johnson had won with 128 votes, 44 for “other,” with Donalds with 29 votes. If one were to be interested in the weeds of vote counting, the first ballot resulted with the following scores: Johnson with 85 votes, followed by Donalds with 32, Green with 23, Williams with 21, and Fleischmann with 10. “Other” received 31 votes with two lawmakers voting as “present.” Into the next round: Johnson still held the lead but with 85 votes, Donalds with 31, Green at 21, and Williams at 20. “Other” received 34, with three members voting as “present.” Next, the Conference decided to conduct a roll-call vote, to show public backing behind Johnson. While some names may have fallen under absence due to no appearance in Conference, Johnson overwhelmingly found support, with no sole lawmaker voting, “no.”⁴⁷⁰

With Johnson becoming the declared winner, chants of “Mike, Mike, Mike!” were heard. Gaetz had even stated, “We had the votes for Mike Johnson across the board. From some of the most conservative members to some of our frontliners, there was enthusiastic support.” In addition, Rep. Molinaro said, “Mike Johnson is a humble man who inspires us to work together.” Johnson himself also indicated that he was feeling confident in his reach to score the vote count of 217, and planned with intention to head to the House floor Wednesday for a vote.⁴⁷¹

Whereas Johnson became the party’s new Speaker-designee, the Louisiana congressman spoke to reporters, with many members of his Conference gathered behind him in a unification display of support:

“We want to thank all the press for waiting, it has been quite the process. Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system. This conference that you see, this House Republican majority is united. [Lawmakers applause]. I'm honored to have the support of my colleagues and what they understand about this, is this is servant leadership. We’re going to serve the people of this country. We’re going to restore their faith in this Congress, this institution of government. ‘America is the last best hope of man on the earth.’ Abraham Lincoln said it, Ronald Reagan used to remind us all the time, and we are here to remind you of that again. We’re gonna restore your trust in what we do here. You’re gonna see a new form of government and we’re gonna move this quickly. This group here is ready to govern and we’re gonna govern well, we’re gonna do what’s right by the people. And I believe the people are gonna reward that next year, but we have a lot of big priorities ahead of us right now. The world is on fire, we stand with our ally Israel. [Lawmakers applause]. We have a very busy agenda, we have appropriations bills to get through the process but you’re gonna see this group looking-working like a well oiled machine. We owe that to the American people. The people up here are, have been sent here by the people of this country to do this job, and we’re gonna do it well, we commit that to you. Thank you for allowing us to go through the process, and get to this. It was worth it, and we’re going to serve you well.”⁴⁷²

As for follow-up questions, Johnson responded that the Conference planned to go ahead to the House floor tomorrow by noon-time, and make it official. With some members who were absent, he indicated to be working with those members through the night. In addition, when asked about final vote tallies, assuming the reference to reaching 217, Johnson indicated that the Conference stood united, claiming, “We are united,” followed by more applause. What came next, as told by Fox News, congressional reporter Rachel Scott of ABC News, asked Johnson about overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election. She was met with a bombardment of jeers by the attending lawmakers, with Boebert quietly saying, “Oh Gosh,” and beside the Colorado lawmaker was, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) telling the reporter to “Shut up!” Scott then tried to ask again how Johnson would seek aid to Israel and Ukraine if elected Speaker, which prompted yet another harsh dismissal from lawmakers, such as Boebert and Foxx again, who told Scott she had already asked her question. Johnson, trying to wrap things up clarified, “We’re not doing policy tonight. Any other questions?” Seeming that nothing else was brought up, he ended by saying, “Other than that, thank you for being here,” and was once again met with a loud applause. Even the chants, “Mike! Mike! Mike!” ran through the room.⁴⁷³

As for Democrats viewing Johnson as potential Speaker, a DCCC spokesperson was quoted by Washington Examiner reporter Cami Mondeaux, “Mike Johnson is Jim Jordan in a sports coat. Electing him as Speaker would represent how the Republican conference has completely given in to the most extreme fringes of their party embraced an agenda that promotes a total, nationwide abortion ban, espouses conspiracy theories, and cutting Social Security and Medicare.” In another example, Katie Phang of MSNBC went on to suggest, “Mike Johnson is Jim Jordan with a sport coat and better hair.” One Democrat lawmaker went so far to say that Johnson was an “aw shucks” version of the Ohio firebrand. Meanwhile some never heard of the Louisianian. One senior Democrat said they had very little information to make a judgment, let alone having little interaction with Johnson. However, an aide to a moderate Democrat bluntly asked, “Who?” when it came to Johnson’s recognition.⁴⁷⁴

Elected to Congress in 2017, Johnson stood out as the youngest lawmaker to enter Congress out of the previous nominees for Speaker. Scalise 2008, Jim Jordan 2007, and Emmer 2015,  respectively. Having less leadership experience, he previously served on the Republican Study Committee for a couple years as vice chair, making him 7th in leadership hierarchy. Now with a Speakership on the subtle horizon, and bound by the looks of it, a unified House Republican Conference, the card match between Jeffries vs Johnson was about to commence.⁴⁷⁵

House members gathered into the chamber by noon-time Wednesday, October 25th, with the opening prayer given by Elmhurst, Illinois Rev. Jeremy Leganski of the Immaculate Conception Church. Followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, lead by Rep. Newhouse (R-WA), and eventually the call of the House, where members marked themselves by electronic device, answering “present.” Having a quorum being present, business proceeded with each congressional party chair to announce their party’s nominee for Speaker of the House.⁴⁷⁶

Rep. Stefanik was the first to speak, declaring out loud rising upon the floor to nominate Rep. Mike Johnson, the gentleman from Louisiana, as Speaker of the people’s House. “We convene this esteemed body today at a time of great crisis across America, a time of unprecedented challenges in this hallowed Chamber, and a time when the very existence of our most precious ally, Israel, is under attack from forces of evil.” In a small backstory toward the nomination of Johnson, Stefanik spoke about her colleague Rep. McMorris Rogers (R-WA), chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce committee, who had also once served as House Conference chair. McMorris Rogers was to have said, “Trust has been broken, and we have come to a standstill. How do we restore trust between Members, leadership, and ultimately between Congress and we the people?’’ One does not have to look far and wide to search for a piece of House history, and quite frankly, a motto to be emboldened by. For that search was plainly just above the Speaker’s chair, stated in engraved capital letters, the nation’s motto: In God We Trust.⁴⁷⁷

“She [McMorris-Rogers] went on to say, ‘The times in which we are living demand boldness, unity, and transformational leadership that begins with trust in God and each other. Trust is when the magic happens. In the story of King David, we are reminded that man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” For on this day, House Republicans would, “look in our hearts,” and come to elect Johnson as the next Speaker.⁴⁷⁸

When it came to shining a light about the personal characteristics of Johnson, Stefanik remarked that he was, “a man of deep faith,” and “epitomizes what it means to be a servant leader.” In addition, having built a career as a constitutional lawyer, “Mike has dedicated his life to preserving America’s great principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Having served his time in Congress on both the Judiciary committee and Armed Services committee, he has shown capability to speak both boldly and clearly. “A friend to all and an enemy to none, Mike is strong, tough, and fair. Above all, Mike is kind.”⁴⁷⁹

Towards issues of the day, Stefanik spoke out about hurting Americans who were living through these perilous times. Families struggling to afford groceries and other every-day expenditures due to far-left spending, with various other topics such as an open border, child trafficking, Israel under attack, skyrocketing crime, crushed energy production, high cost of fuel, the illegal weaponization of the federal government, and the targeting of parents, conservatives, and top political opponents of the current Biden administration.⁴⁸⁰ 

In the conclusion of her remarks, “The people are looking to this great Chamber to save America, and save America we will.” Quoting scripture, Galatian 6:9 as a guide to the path that lay ahead, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.” With House Republicans and Mike Johnson as the next Speaker, it was a call to never give up. “Today is the day we get this done. May God bless our  next Speaker, Mike Johnson, and may God bless the United States of America.”⁴⁸¹

Next to speak was House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Aguilar, whereby he began by being mindful of Rep. McHenry, who presided as Speaker Pro Tempore for the last three weeks, “I notice a little bit more of a smile on your face today than we have in the past.” Some lawmakers on the House floor laughed at the remark in good faith, but it was soon followed by a 15-second standing ovation.  McHenry, with a smile on his face, seemed pleased, waving to his colleagues from the Speaker’s chair.⁴⁸²

As the applause winded down, Aguilar rose in recognition to nominate Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House of Representatives, and began his statement. Twenty-two days it’s been, “into this Republican-manufactured chaos and House Republicans have brought us to the exact same position that we were back then. All of the infighting, all of the disarray just to end up where we were 3 weeks ago.” Questioning Republican-led intentions, were they, “truly intent on solving our issues, reopening the House of Representatives, and rallying around someone to lead this Chamber, or has this been about something else?” He pressed Republicans further on matters related to wanting to oppose marriage equality, bans on abortion, cut social security programs including Medicare, and overturn the “free and fair” election of 2020.⁴⁸³

“This has been about one thing,” Aguilar said, “This has been about who can appease Donald Trump.” House Republicans, he claimed, have put their support behind the former president who tried to object to the electoral college, and overturn the results. Not to mention, Aguilar also stated how on the eve of January 6, 2021, some Republican lawmakers called Trump’s effort a failed strategy, “Yet those same individuals plan to stand right next to him today.” It was the belief from House Democrats, whoever objected to the results of the last presidential election, “they forfeited their ability to lead this Chamber.”⁴⁸⁴

Aguilar expressed that Democrats understood leadership, and Jeffries never turned his back on Americans. Having come from a background of two parents of social workers, and stood the working families of America, Jeffries found his North Star in understanding the needs of many every-day Americans. “He believes that everyone in America should have the opportunity to get ahead and achieve their version of the American Dream,” Aguilar expressed, leading towards a list of values Jeffries believed in.⁴⁸⁵

Some of those in which he stated were about the right to affordable healthcare, not just being a privilege. Retrospect to healthcare, it fell in line with women’s reproductive health, enhancing that their freedom mustn’t be stripped away, but guaranteed; Rewarded are those of the working-class, not the seemingly wealthy and well-connected; In creating a successful middle middle class, so too meant for advocacy of safer communities, free from gun violence, and investing in public schools; And protecting those of the elderly, especially senior and veterans, not having their social security benefits slashed. “He believes in living up to the promise that America is a beacon of hope and a land of opportunity,” Aguilar shared. “He believes in defending democracy against all enemies and adversaries, foreign and domestic. He believes in standing by our allies, Israel and Ukraine. He believes in keeping our government running and open.”⁴⁸⁶

In his concluding remarks supporting Jeffries’s nomination for Speaker, Aguilar praised that Jeffries had the track record to back it up. Democrats had a nominee who was “a far contrast from who Republicans have nominated,” stating that regardless of how their colleagues on the other side of the aisle may vote, an opportunity  for a bipartisanship pathway was still joinable. “Let’s come together to fund our government, support our allies abroad, and deliver for working families. Let’s open up the people’s House and end the chaos, end the dysfunction, end the extremism.”⁴⁸⁷

Once both chairs finished their nomination speeches, the House Clerk, Susan Cole, proceeded to read off the names, thereby tallying the roll call. What followed were the results: Johnson - 220, Jeffries - 209, with 4 not voting. With the votes officially recognized, and a nominee having received the majority of the votes cast, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, was declared as the next duly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 118th Congress⁴⁸⁸

Having a delegation of lawmakers help escort the new Speaker-elect, such a procession was announced by the Sergeant at Arms upon the center entrance doors of the House. As applause was present in the chamber, Johnson and members of the delegation made their way down the center aisle. As they took to their seats, McHenry stepped down from his post as Speaker pro tempore, handing over the duties of the chair for the intervening period to House Democratic Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, who would then make the following oration before officially transferring over the Speaker’s gavel to Johnson.⁴⁸⁹

Opening by giving thanks, it’s been an honor to stand before the privileged role as House Democratic leader. He highlighted that the party, “will find bipartisan common ground with our Republican colleagues whenever and wherever possible for the good of the American people, and House Democrats have repeatedly done just that.” Jeffries gave an account of various areas in which the party provided, and would continue to protect.⁴⁹⁰

Provided were the votes a majority needed to pass legislation to avoid a government shutdown, secure $16B worth of assistance towards disaster relief, “governing for the people,” continue to partner with both President Biden and Senate Democrats, and to put people over politics. In continuation, House Democrats would build an economy not from the top-down, but from both the middle-out and bottom-up, fighting for lowered costs, better-paying jobs, and safer communities. Pushing back against the country’s threat of extremism which presented itself in the chamber. Embarking upon additional issues ranging from the protection of social security, children, climate, low-income families, organized labor, LBGTQ communities, seniors, veterans, healthcare, women’s health, the right to vote, the peaceful transfer of power, and our democracy. Jeffries avowed that, “These are blue lines in the sand, and we will work hard to make sure that they are never crossed.”⁴⁹¹

Upon international issues, “We must also continue to stand by President Biden,” as he worked to bring back home the hostages held by Hamas. Noting how this nation’s commitment to the security of Israel was ironclad, “We must also stand by our friends on the international stage. We have no better friend in the Middle East than the State of Israel. Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish and democratic State. The special relationship between the United States and Israel is unbreakable.” For Israel having the right to defend itself, “the effort to defeat Hamas is not inconsistent with the goal of achieving a lasting and just peace  between Israel and the Palestinian people.” Hamas was neither good for Israel, America, let alone the free world, nor the aspirations for democracy of the Palestinian people.⁴⁹²

Shifting to the effort further northeast into the war between Russia and Ukraine, continued must it be to defeat Russian aggression, laying out two distinct points. “We can either stand up for Ukraine or bow down to Vladimir Putin. That is not a difficult choice. We must stand up for America’s national security. We must stand up for freedom. We must stand up for truth. We must stand up for the Ukrainian people until victory is won.” Expected within the next week or so, was for the Senate to send over a legislative package involving national security measures focused on helping Israel, Ukraine, and other key allies, all to be considered, with further emphasis on humanitarian assistance. “The House of Representatives should take up these national security and humanitarian relief packages immediately in totality and without delay. The time for gamesmanship is over. The time for brinksmanship [sic] is over. The time for partisanship is over. It is time to get back to doing the business of the American people.”⁴⁹³

Wanting to share an observation about the current state of American democracy, President Biden won the 2020 election, and under the difficult circumstances within that office, he has been doing a great job, “and no amount of election denialism will ever change that reality. Not now, not ever.” Thorough presidencies of the past, ranging from Eiswnhower, Johnson, Reagan, and Obama, they all urged to put political partisanship aside, “for the good of the American people.” Digging into the past a bit further, Jeffries reminded the audience about Lincoln’s address to Congress back during the Civil War, on December 1st, 1862, that the legislative institution had a responsibility to save the Union, and to further nobly save or meanly lose America, the last best hope of earth.⁴⁹⁴

As Jeffries seemed closing in on the final points of his speech, “This is a turbulent time in the American journey, and we have but one charge to keep during this moment of great fragility. Our Union must be sustained. Our Union must be strengthened. Our Union must succeed.” What has unleashed in the House chamber since it’s beginning session, were extremism, dysfunction, chaos, and turbulence, causing many to become alarmed by such instances, “but this too shall pass,” he assured. America has faced confrontation with adversity, and has always made it to the other side. Citing eras from the Civil War, Great Depression, the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Jim Crow segregation, September 11, and the violent mob on January 6. “Every time we faced adversity, the good news here in America is that we always overcome. That is the power of American exceptionalism. That is why America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. That is why I remain optimistic about the future of this country. That is why America is the last best hope on Earth. God bless you. God bless the House of Representatives.”⁴⁹⁵

Making his transition, Jeffries called upon Louisiana's own Mike Johnson, a hardworking southern Baptist man, who came from a firefighter’s household, to be handed over the people’s gavel of the United States House of Representatives. With exuberant applause, Johnson took stride up the rostrum, hugged Jeffries one-handedly with his right arm, while his left held down to his side, holding onto a bible and portfolio. Jeffries eventually stepped down to sit next to his Democrat colleagues, with Johnson getting ready before a full House to deliver his installation address before being sworn into the new post.⁴⁹⁶

In his opening, he first thanked Jeffries, acknowledging that he was looking forward to working with him on behalf of the people of America. “I know we see things from very different points of view, but I know in your heart you love and care about this country and you want to do what is right. We are going to find common ground there.” Next was former Speaker [Emeritus] McCarthy, for his dedication to public servicing for over twenty years, sixteen of which were spent in the halls of the House. “He is the reason we are in this majority today. His impact can never be overstated. I want to thank him for his leadership, his friendship, and the selfless sacrifice that he and Judy have made for so many years. You helped build it, Kevin, and we owe you a great debt of gratitude.” Next was the recognition of the overworked House clerks and staff, notably Susan Cole, “This has been a grueling process, but they have served an integral role in keeping our Republic. We thank them for that service. I know we all do.”⁴⁹⁷

Johnson also shared his appreciative thanks toward his wife, five kids, his mother, siblings, and extended family. “In Louisiana, family is a big deal, and we have a bunch of them,” to which he followed up by sharing how this was a historic first, to ever have a Speaker come from the Pelican State. “I thank the people of Louisiana for the opportunity to serve you in Congress, and I am humbled by your continuous support. We will make you proud.” And to his lawmaking colleagues, “I want to thank you all for the trust you have instilled in me to lead us in this historic and unprecedented moment that we are in. The challenge before us is great, but the time for action is now, and I will not let you down.”⁴⁹⁸

After giving thanks, Johnson promptly addressed the American people, embarking that the legislative body does hear them. With many challenges both across this nation and abroad, “we are ready to get to work again to solve those problems, and we will. Our mission here is to serve you well, to restore the people’ faith in this House, in this great and essential institution.”⁴⁹⁹

Touching upon a personal story, Johnson spoke about his father, who had gone to serve as a firefighter in a small town of Shreveport, Louisiana. Growing up, he recalled at the age of twelve to find out his dad had become permanently disabled after suffering critical burns from an explosion dating to September 17, 1984. That moment changed many lives within the family, notably how Johnson was the eldest of four. Ever since, Johnson’s dad had to live the rest of his life with pain, before losing his battle with cancer, just three days before his son was elected to Congress. “He wanted to be there at my election night so badly. I am the first college graduate in my family. This was a big deal to him.”⁵⁰⁰ 

Shortly into his freshman term, merely the early weeks of 2017, Johnson was to serve upon the rostrum as Speaker Pro Tempore during an evening session. He added, “I thought that was a big deal until I figured out that is what you do for freshmen late at night.” Recalling the events of that night, Rep. Jackson Lee (D-TX) was coming down from an eloquent speech she had made on the floor, to which Johnson gazed upon the top of the chamber, defining his awareness as if had seen the face of Moses staring down. “I just felt in that moment the weight of this place, the history that is revered here, and the future that we are called to forge, and I really was just kind of almost overwhelmed with emotion.” It had been weeks since his father’s passing, and he hadn’t been given the time to grieve such a loss. But with tears coming down Johnson’s eyes, he felt that he knew that at that very moment, his father was with him, and was proud of him too. Coincidentally, Johnson made a brief remark that the emotions he had been feeling may have made it look as if there was something wrong with the new freshman lawmaker from Louisiana if one was watching C-SPAN. “It wasn’t Sheila’s speech, I am sorry,” he said respectfully.⁵⁰¹ 

Americans once had great pride in this institution, but recently, it found itself in jeopardy, and part of the challenges that lie ahead was to both rebuild and restore that trust. America is a beautiful country, and such beauty makes it possible for the son of a firefighter to serve in Congress, where many of the great men and women of yesteryear have also served, working together upon its enduring strive, and help preserve the last best hope of man on Earth. “We stand at a very dangerous time. I am stating the obvious. We all know that. The world is in turmoil, but a strong America is good for the entire world,” Johnson assured. “We are the beacon of freedom, and we must preserve this grand experiment in self-governance. It still is. We are only 247 years into this grand experiment. We don’t know how long it will last, but we do know the Founders told us to take good care of it.”⁵⁰²

Wanting to tell all parties from what he had told his Republican Conference members, Johnson was a man who believed in the Bible, where God was the one who raises those up in authority, and has allowed each member through ordination to be brought to specific moments. In other words, God gives his grace by divine, where all people, made by his creation, are meant to be placed into vast areas for those times. And through the duty of leadership, God doesn't call the qualified, for he qualifies the called. For Johnson embraced, “I believe that each one of us has a huge responsibility today to use the gifts that God has given us to serve the extraordinary people of this great country—and they deserve it—and to ensure that our Republic remains standing as the great beacon of light and hope and freedom in a world that desperately needs it.”⁵⁰³

Bringing to mind what Stefanik said earlier about the nation’s motto, In God We Trust, Johnson spoke about how those words were added above the rostrum in 1962, in a time during the Cold War, where Soviet Union philosophy fixed on marxism and communism ideology had no premise for the means of God, since no God existed. Johnson then brought up the historic British philosopher G.K. Chesterton, who said that, “America is the only nation in the world founded upon a creed,” for the words of that creed were listed in the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Johnson declared. “Not born equal, created equal, and they are endowed with the same inalienable rights—life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. That is the creed that has animated our Nation since its founding, that has made us the great Nation that we are.”⁵⁰⁴

In time of an extraordinary crisis, the world looked for America to be strong, and to remember once again of its creed and admonition. Over in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, such fronts have been met with turmoil and violence, including the building tensions with the Indo-Pacific theater. America demanded strong leadership, especially from the legislative institution, “and we must not waver.” Israel, being America’s greatest ally in the Middle East region, has been under attack by the barbarism of Hamas. To highlight how Israel were to be upon the highest of legislative priorities, Johnson issued, “The first bill that I am going to bring to this floor in just a little while will be in support of our dear friend Israel, and we are overdue in getting that done.”⁵⁰⁵

Other issues that Johnson described were the catastrophe of America’s southern border, where illegal migrants have been flowing into American communities, stressing them towards breaking points, with a Senate and White House controlled by Democrats, which couldn't be ignored any longer; Children and families are dying in the streets due to the rise of fentanyl; The cost of living has become unsustainable, such as groceries, mortgage rates, and credit card interest rates just to emphasize. “Americans should not have to worry about how they are going to feed their family every week because they can’t afford their groceries anymore. Everybody in this room should think about this.” And with a national debt reaching $33.6T, it’s become a threat to this nation’s national security. The task at hand in combating this will not be easy, for tough decisions ought to be made, and unbearable will the consequences become should there be no action taken now. In an attempt to combat such a fiscal crisis, Johnson would help establish a bipartisan debt commission - in part because lawmakers had a duty to explain to the American people what was going on.⁵⁰⁶

On matters related to politician partisanship, Johnson stated the following:

“We all know that we also live in a time of bitter partisanship. It was noted, and it has been on display here today. When our people are losing their faith in government, when they are losing sight of the principles that made us the greatest Nation in the history of the world, I think we have to be mindful of that. We are going to fight. We are going to fight vigorously over our core principles because they are at odds a lot of the time now in this modern era. We have to sacrifice sometimes our preferences because that is what is necessary in a legislative body, but we will defend our core principles to the end.”⁵⁰⁷

Hinting on developing rapports with other people, he quoted former President Reagan’s farewell address, paraphrasing that people would call him the great communicator, but that wasn’t him per se. Instead he was just only communicating great things, the same things that have guided this great nation since its founding. And what were those great things? Johnson believed there were seven core principles, principles of American conservatism founded by the core principles of our nation: individual freedom, limited government, the rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets, and human dignity. “Those are the foundations that made us the extraordinary nation that we are. You and I today are the stewards of those principles, the things that have made us the freest, most powerful, most successful nation in the history of the world, the things that have made us truly exceptional.” Facing a time of great crisis, solving many of these problems called for the duty of working together, as generations of the past had done, whenever challenges were faced.⁵⁰⁸

Steadily concluding his address, Johnson advised that the job of a Speaker was to serve the body as a whole, with the commitment that the office of which he was about to enter would be known for decentralizing power:

“My office is going to be known for Members being more involved and having more influence in our processes, in all the major decisions that are made here for predictable processes and regular order. We owe that to the people. I make this commitment to you, to my colleagues here and on the other side of the aisle, as well: My office is going to be known for trust and transparency and accountability, for good stewardship of the people’s treasure, for the honesty and integrity that is incumbent upon all of us here in the people’s House. Our system of government is not a perfect system. It has got a lot of challenges, but it is still the best one in the world, and we have an opportunity to preserve it.”⁵⁰⁹

Upon his final remarks, the world has been watching the House drama for weeks, and the lessons learned were through adversity, that itself made this body stronger. “We want our allies around the world to know that this body of lawmakers is reporting again to our duty stations. Let the enemies of freedom around the world hear us loud and clear: The people’s House is back in business.” Duty-bound it was to serve the people, govern, and make everyone proud of the institution once again. “I look forward to the days ahead. I genuinely believe in my heart that the best days of America are still ahead of us. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”⁵¹⁰

With an abundance of applause filling the air after an efficacious speech was made, Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) administered the oath of office to the Speaker-elect, officially titling Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the 56th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

---

CONCLUSION

For what it’s worth, it remains to be determined how a newly elected Speaker will be able to keep his head above water. To put it plainly, Johnson’s accent was as if someone advanced from the hometown tee-ball league straight into the majors. Many politicians in Congress never knew or met him at all, such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) nor Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Likewise, Johnson’s sake for laying down a low profile may have helped enough to cross him over the finish line. Seated in a position in the fighting business of politics, Johnson would have to tackle the many issues of the day, including the political stakes of negotiating especially when both Senate leaders, including President Biden, have been veterans of the beat-up game for decades. For commentary, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) addressed that it doesn’t take one to be an Einstein to figure out the legislative game in politics, “The real work begins now… to pass anything, you have to get Democratic votes.” Johnson himself was not a lawmaker known for compromise. Ranked 429th out of 435 in a 2021 index, measured by the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, the score rates members through bill sponsorship data. It remains to be seen how that number may shift once pursuing his speakership.⁵¹¹

“He is not swampy. He is not beholden to the lobbyists and special interests,” said Gaetz about Johnson’s character. And in due part, Johnson made his voting record separate from his leadership colleagues, given the fact that McCarthy, Scalise, and Emmer had all voted for a stopgap measure to fund the government up to November 17, as well as voting for Ukraine aid, $40B in 2022, and $300M a year later via the Ukraine Security Assistance. As described in a Wall Street Journal article, “Now that Johnson is speaker, the question is how firmly rooted Johnson’s beliefs are about those funds, or whether he is part of a perennial ‘vote no, hope yes’ caucus.”⁵¹²

There are also a variety of quotes to consider, the first being Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) who brought about Johnson as someone who, “represents all of us, not just a particular group within the conference.” Followed by Rep. Ken Buck, who stated that “Mike has the least enemies in this conference.” Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), was also reported to have said that Johnson, “works well with all segments of our conference. I never heard a bad word about him.” Even Johnson himself would explain, “Probably the first box that had to be checked was that you didn’t have enemies in the room. And I didn’t have any enemies in the room.” But just how far his minted speakership was willing to be last, and a 221-212 majority to hold onto, would only be told by time, and as time would have it, that lead would slowly lose it’s edge little by little in the months that followed.⁵¹³

Becoming Speaker in a divided government where the other party controls both the upper chamber and executive branch isn’t all sunshine and rainbows in the world of politics. Johnson may have found a nudge through the cracks for not being considered too much in part of the leadership bubble, and developed a low-key style for political gamesmanship; but it's important to consider his past credentials, even if they were closely parallel within leadership. Having served as deputy whip and vice chair of the House Republican Conference, Johnson also led the conservative group known as the Republican Study Committee. Both areas would leave him to develop relations with lawmakers, including moderate members. In other past stints, he served as a lawyer for the Alliance Defending Freedom, once arguing in front of the Supreme Court defending Louisnana’s law against same sex marriages, having spent time in the state legislature, and was once a college professor and talk-show host, so in him was a reputable skill set for communications. Not to mention, serving as part of President Trump’s defense team back when the first impeachment trial was underway in 2020.⁵¹⁴

As the House found itself with a new Speaker, President Biden in a press statement congratulated Johnson on winning his election, and called on the principle to work in good faith, with bipartisan legislation. “I restated my willingness to continue working across the aisle after Republicans won the majority in the House last year,” it read. “By the same token, the American people have made clear that they expect House Republicans to work with me and with Senate Democrats to govern across the aisle – to protect our urgent national security interests and grow our economy for the middle class.” The statement also mentioned that while Republicans had spent 22 days to find their new Conference leader, Biden worked on issues garning the need of bipartisanship, such as about national security, Israel and Ukraine, the border, and investing in the American people. "Even though we have real disagreements about important issues, there should be mutual effort to find common ground wherever we can. This is a time for all of us to act responsibly, and to put the good of the American people and the everyday priorities of American families above any partisanship."⁵¹⁵

For additional context, Schumer told Johnson what he said to McCarthy, “In divided government, the only way we’ll fund the government or pass supplemental is bipartisanship.” How far Johnson was willing to go, especially in regards to Ukraine and the national security apparatus would not be clear in the early days of his speakership, due to his past history of voting against additional aid to Ukraine, while supportive in aiding Israel fighting against Hamas. Even in a remarkable, yet blunt observation, when pressed about supporting Ukraine, he simply said, “We all do,” before striking up the possibility of conditions about the matter. “We want accountability and we want objectives that are clear from the White House.” With many House Republicans not throwing support towards Ukraine, Rep. Chip Roy for example, expressed his disregard to the matter. “For the House GOP under Speaker Mike Johnson this is an obvious HARD NO. We will not join Israel and Ukraine, we will not throw money at the border, & all supplementals must be paid for - as a starter. Game on.”⁵¹⁶

In a mere description, Republican political strategist Kevin Sheridan stated, “We know now it’s too high of a hurdle to be directly criticized by Donald Trump,” given his overwhelming stance within the party. “He [Johnson] seems to have found the right temperature for the porridge so far.” Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) even called a Johnson speakership as a takeaway towards, “A member of the Trump populist wing is now speaker.” With Gaetz even calling the Louisianian, “MAGA Mike Johnson.”⁵¹⁷

In the left-leaning train of thought, the newly elected Speaker was the reminiscence of, “a Bible-believing Christian who thinks it is okay to bring his beliefs into the public square,” which may just be a cause for concern. As writer Francis P. Sempa’s subtitle in his piece for the American Spectator portrayed, “He is, in their eyes, a ‘Christian Nationalist.’” Sempa puts forth an observation about secular liberals, who are able to tolerate the meaning of “God” when it comes to public speakers or an opening prayer before a legislative session, but endangered is the naked public square, a term sought by Father Richard John Neuhaus, whenever, “a public official dares to intrude his or her faith into public policy issues…” The tension was due to Johnson’s remarks when he said, “I’m a committed Christian and my faith informs everything I do,” which soon followed with a vast onslaught of news articles.⁵¹⁸

As Sempa revealed:

“In the Daily Beast, David Rothkopf warns that the new speaker ‘wants to make America a Christian theocracy.’ Time magazine labels Johnson a ‘Christian Nationalist’ who wants to assert ‘authoritarian social control’ over Americans. Leftist Rep. Jamie Raskin says that Johnson is ‘for theocracy.’ Slate accuses Johnson of ‘theocratic zealotry.’ In Esquire, Charles Pierce calls Johnson an ‘anti-choice fanatic’ with a ‘patina of religious extremism.’ Will Bunch in the Philadelphia Inquirer has called Johnson ‘the most dangerous person ever to lead one of the three branches of American government, due to the extremism of his Christian nationalism.’ Apparently, the Bible, on which American presidents place their left hand when taking the oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, is the next book to be canceled by the Left — canceled, that is, from the public square.”⁵¹⁹

Case in point, remarking Neuhaus, there had been a belief amongst secularists that there ought to be relegation of religion, where although free to worship in church in private, religious beliefs held no place when it came to the presence of public policy. “What is happening to Mike Johnson is not new,” as Sempa took his readers down memory lane when the late-Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) at the time told then-Judge Amy Coney Barrett that her Catholic “dogma lives loudly within you,” as for why she was not qualified to become a Supreme Court justice. In addition, Sempa went on to describe, two more examples, such as Judicial nominee Brian Buescher being grilled by Senate Democrats for being involved with the Catholic group, Knights of Columbus; and that of the New York Time’s own Linda Greenhouse, who, “expressed fear that with five Catholic Justices on the Supreme Court, there was danger that religion would be placed over the rest of civil society.” Not to mention the labeling of Catholics attending Latin Mass being categorized as dangerous extremists, per an FBI’s office located in Richmond, Virginia.⁵²⁰

Suffice to say, in the months that followed, the House was set to vote on separate legislative packages by mid-April that dealt with Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific [Taiwan], and FISA expansion. Pinpointing on the Ukrainian aid for this matter, a few days before the vote took place, Johnson explained to reporters, “My philosophy is do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. If I operated out of fear over motion to vacate, I would never be able to do my job. Look, history judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now. This is a critical time right now. I could make a selfish decision and do something that’s different. But I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important.” His strategy during the tremulous week, as House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul recalled, on the eve before the Ukraine legislation was released, “He was torn between trying to save his job and do the right thing. He prayed over it.”⁵²¹

The $60B foreign aid bill eventually passed with bipartisan support 311-112-1. Over half of  House Republicans opposed the measure, 101-112, with one sole lawmaker voting as “present.” Meanwhile every House Democrat, 210 in all, supported the passage.⁵²²

Moving alongside into fundraising, Johnson would continue to rely on the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), which in estimate, spent $250M+ in helping House Republican campaigns throughout the midterm elections a year prior. At the time in early January, when the 118th Congress was voting on McCarthy for House Speaker, both the CLF and the populist Club for Growth (CFG) came to an agreement that they would endorse McCarthy for Speaker, and in doing so, the CLF would not partake in GOP primaries.⁵²³

But in the subsequent months after becoming Speaker, even with CLF in hand, the Democrat-aligned House Majority PAC out-raised the CLF when it came to first quarter reports, $37M compared to $20M. It's also known that Johnson has not been able to break McCarthy's level of fundraising as of this writing. This is most likely because McCarthy was in leadership since the early 2010s, developing much needed relationships over time, via sporting events such as golf, or retreats put together by party donors. Johnson on the other hand, came to Congress in 2017 [and although served in the tower-ladder of leadership] not being well known by major party donors.⁵²⁴

As for the Gang of Eight, both Gaetz and Mace saw an increase in donations towards their campaigns, in their quarter to quarter estimates, in this case Q3 to Q4. Before Gaetz’s motion to vacate Speaker McCarthy, he had raised approximately $770k in Q3, with small donor donations [those who give less than $200] coming in at just a little over $440k. After the motion to vacate did Gaetz rake in a whopping $1.8M in Q4, with small donor donations just over $1.1M. “As the only Republican in Congress who refuses all lobbyist and PAC donations, we are humbled and honored by the support we have received from across the country. And we hope folks keep giving!” Mace on the other hand, who came second to Gaetz in fundraising, had a Q3 of just over $194k, with $20k in small dollar donations. Heading into Q4 did she pick up an overall $347k, with $36k in small dollar donations.⁵²⁵

But not every member of the group was successful in raising money for their campaigns. Both Reps. Biggs and Good saw a small bump in donations, but it was not much compared to Gaetz. The others such as Buck, Crane, Rosendale, and Burchett all saw a downturn in their fundraising quarters. As clarified by Politico, “Burchett, who represents a safe district, only saw a modest drop. Crane’s fundraising spiraled by over a quarter, while Rosendale saw his dip more than 70 percent — not a good sign for him as he publicly teases a Senate run in Montana.” Still some still hold grudges against the eight, notably finding candidates who would go toe-to-toe with Mace, Good, and Crane, since they may be deemed as, “most vulnerable.”⁵²⁶

Mace still held her vote to vacate McCarthy as, “the most popular vote I took last year in Congress,” speaking to The Post and Courier. “Seventy-five percent of the country — and even more in South Carolina — supported me kicking out Kevin McCarthy as speaker.” And after appearing on “Face the Nation” she received over $23k, likewise, her run for re-election will be closely watched, with a Republican primary set for June 11. While it could be a sign of momentum for the twice-elected congresswoman, there could also be some bumps in the road, considering that she will not have the backing of leadership like she once had with McCarthy. According to the outlet, “When she was running for reelection to South Carolina's 1st Congressional District in 2022 — her first cycle as an incumbent House member — Mace's average fundraising haul each quarter was just shy of $736,000. Now, those numbers have plunged. Mace's 2023 quarterly fundraising average was half as strong as it once was, taking a 49 percent nosedive. Her average quarterly haul last year was $377,587.”⁵²⁷ 

McCarthy had some words for Mace when he spoke to reporters in mid-February, “Nobody will stay working for her. You can’t have somebody who just flips and flops based upon what TV station she gets put on. You want someone who’s willing to work, and so I hope she gets that kind of help.” When asked to clarify about helping Mace, the former Speaker said, “No, not help financially. I just hope she gets the help to straighten out her life. She's got a lot of challenges."⁵²⁸

While the actions taken by a minority within the governing majority party toppled a Speaker, another would rise, and the body would become anew again. Despite the chaos, it was all a glimpse of representative democracy inside the vast American engine at work, beholden to the ink stains of history. Bitter as it was, to some, it may have been worth the price.

1. Garret Graves (R-LA), Congressional Record, Volume 169, Number 162, October 3, 2023, [House] H4976, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2023-10-03/pdf/CREC-2023-10-03.pdf.

2. Annie Karni, "From a Capitol Hill Basement, Bannon Stokes the Republican Party Meltdown," New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 6, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/us/politics/bannon-republicans-gaetz-mace.html.

3. Karni, "From a Capitol Hill Basement, Bannon Stokes the Republican Party Meltdown," New York Times.

4. Karni.

5. Kalyn Wolfe, Patricia Mazzei, and Colbi Edmonds, “Gaetz Is a Divisive Figure In Congress, and at Home,” New York Times, (Newspaper accessed October 6, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/03/us/matt-gaetz-florida-voters.html.

6. Wolfe, Mazzei, and Edmonds,  “Gaetz Is a Divisive Figure In Congress, and at Home,” New York Times.

7.  Wolfe, Mazzei, and Edmonds.

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Congressional Record, Volume 169, Number 162, October 3, 2023, [House] H4977.

11. Olivia Beavers and Nicholas Wu, "‘Adopt Kevin or ditch him’: McCarthy’s speakership now at the mercy of Dems," Politico, October 1, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/01/mccarthy-speakership-mercy-democrats-00119359.

12. Beavers and Wu, “‘Adopt Kevin or ditch him’: McCarthy’s speakership now at the mercy of Dems,” Politico.

13. Beavers and Wu, ‘Adopt Kevin or ditch him’: McCarthy’s speakership now at the mercy of Dems,” Politico.

14. Matt Gaetz, Twitter-X post, October 2, 2023, https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/1708991508458639420

15. Kimberly Leonard and Mia McCarthy, "'He’s about clicks’: Florida Republicans furious at Gaetz," Politico, October 4, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/04/florida-republicans-matt-gaetz-furious-00119865#:~:text=%E2%80%9CHe's%20about%20clicks%2C%E2%80%9D%20Gimenez,the%20%E2%80%9Cstages%20of%20grief.%E2%80%9D.

16.  Leonard and McCarthy, "'He’s about clicks’: Florida Republicans furious at Gaetz," Politico.

17. Brianna Lyman, "‘I Don’t Have To Agree’: Byron Donalds Shoots Down Fox Host On Question Over Gaetz-McCarthy Debacle," Daily Caller, October 4, 2023, https://dailycaller.com/2023/10/04/byron-donalds-kevin-mccarthy-fox/.

18. Lyman, "‘I Don’t Have To Agree’: Byron Donalds Shoots Down Fox Host On Question Over Gaetz-McCarthy Debacle," Daily Caller.

19. Rich Lowry, "A Bomb-Thrower Targets His Own," National Review, October 3, 2023, https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/10/a-bomb-thrower-targets-his-own/.

20. Arjun Singh and Mary Lou Masters, "‘Shouldn’t Be In The GOP’: House Republicans Slam Matt Gaetz, Others Who Voted Out Kevin McCarthy," Daily Caller, October 3, 2023, https://dailycaller.com/2023/10/03/house-republicans-slam-gaetz-conservatives-voting-oust-mccarthy/.

21. Leonard and McCarthy, "'He’s about clicks’: Florida Republicans furious at Gaetz," Politico.

22. Auguste Meyrat, "Saving Democracy Means Saving the Legislature from Itself," The American Conservative, October 3, 2023, https://www.theamericanconservative.com/saving-democracy-means-saving-the-legislature-from-itself/.

23. Meyrat, "Saving Democracy Means Saving the Legislature from Itself," The American Conservative.

24. Meyrat.

25. Ibid.

26. Ryan King, “Nancy Mace appears to flout House rules by fundraising off McCarthy’s ouster at Capitol: ‘Not going to be shamed’," New York Post, October 4, 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/10/04/nancy-mace-appears-to-flout-house-rules-by-fundraising-off-mccarthys-ouster-at-capitol/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost.

27. Catie Edmondson, “Republican Hard-Liners Send House Into Chaos After a Fierce Debate,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 4, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/03/us/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-news.

28. Isaac Schorr, "The Irrational, Hypocritical, And Unbearable Nancy Mace," Mediaite, October 4, 2023, https://www.mediaite.com/opinion/the-irrational-hypocritical-and-unbearable-nancy-mace/.; Melanie Zanona, Twitter-X post, October 3, 2023,

https://twitter.com/MZanona/status/1709326559348183337.

29. Eliza Collins, “Ex-Ally Cites Betrayal for McCarthy Vote,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 6, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/nancy-mace-explains-why-she-nixed-kevin-mccarthy-as-house-speaker-32148d9d.

30. Collins, “Ex-Ally Cites Betrayal for McCarthy Vote,” Wall Street Journal. 

31. Collins.

32. Ibid.

33. Jared Kushner, “Jared Kushner: Israel, Palestine, Hamas, Gaza, Iran, and the Middle East | Lex Fridman Podcast #399,” Lex Fridman Podcast, October 11, 2023, https://lexfridman.com/jared-kushner-transcript.

34. King, “Nancy Mace appears to flout House rules by fundraising off McCarthy’s ouster at Capitol: ‘Not going to be shamed’," New York Post.; Meredith Lee and Olivia Beavers, "GOP knives out for Nancy Mace," Politico, October 5, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/05/the-gop-unsheathes-its-knives-for-nancy-mace-00120118.

35. David Harsanyi, "Matt Gaetz Didn’t Oust McCarthy. He Just Helped Democrats Do It," The Federalist, October 4, 2023, https://thefederalist.com/2023/10/04/matt-gaetz-didnt-oust-mccarthy-he-just-helped-208-democrats-do-it/.

36.  Harsanyi, "Matt Gaetz Didn’t Oust McCarthy. He Just Helped Democrats Do It," The Federalist, October 4, 2023.

37. Mick Mulvaney, "Democrats’ cooperation in ousting McCarthy shows they have no interest in bipartisanship," The Hill, October 3, 2023, https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4236973-democrats-vote-to-oust-mccarthy-shows-they-have-no-interest-in-bipartisanship/.

38. Beavers and Wu, “‘Adopt Kevin or ditch him’: McCarthy’s speakership now at the mercy of Dems,” Politico.; Catie Edmondson, “Republican Hard-Liners Send House into Chaos After a Fierce Debate: With 216-210 Vote, Far-Right Faction Prevails in a Power Struggle that Lasted Months,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 4, 2023).

39.  Edmondson, “Republican Hard-Liners Send House into Chaos After a Fierce Debate…” New York Times.; Derek Kilmer, "Kilmer Statement on House Resolution to Vacate the Office of the Speaker of the House," October 3, 2023, https://kilmer.house.gov/media/press-releases/kilmer-statement-on-house-resolution-to-vacate-the-office-of-the-speaker-of-the-house.; Beavers and Wu, “‘Adopt Kevin or ditch him’: McCarthy’s speakership now at the mercy of Dems,” Politico.

40. Mulvaney.

41. Ibid.

42. "Fox News' Newt Gingrich launches vicious attack on Republican ‘traitors’ who voted to oust McCarthy," Media Matters, October 3, 2023, https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-news-newt-gingrich-launches-vicious-attack-republican-traitors-who-voted-oust-mccarthy.

43. “Matt Gaetz Burns Down the Republican House,” New York Post, October 3, 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/10/03/matt-gaetz-burns-down-the-republican-house/.

44. “Matt Gaetz Burns Down the Republican House,” New York Post, October 3, 2023.

45. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Congressional Record, Volume 169, Number 162, October 2, 2023, [House] H4937, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2023-10-02/pdf/CREC-2023-10-02.pdf.

46. Gaetz, H4937.

47. Ibid.

48. Ibid.

49. Speaker pro tempore, H4937. 

50. H4948.

51. Edmondson, “Republican Hard-Liners Send House into Chaos After a Fierce Debate…” New York Times. 

52. Congressional Record, Volume 169, Number 162, October 3, 2023, [House] H4969, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2023-10-03/pdf/CREC-2023-10-03.pdf. 

53. Leonard and McCarthy, "'He’s about clicks’: Florida Republicans furious at Gaetz," Politico.

54. Congressional Record, Volume 169, Number 162, October 3, 2023, H4970.

55. Bob Good (R-VA), H4970.; The Limit, Save, Grow Act, H.R. 2811, was passed by the House in April ‘23 by a vote of 217-215 and has yet to be taken upon in the Senate, https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2811/actions. 

56. Good. H4970.; The “failed responsibility act,” referenced by Good was related to the 71-paged stopgap bill that passed in large bipartisan fashion 335-91, mere hours after Speaker McCarthy announced the proposal. Those voting against the measure were one Democrat and 90 Republicans.; Mychael Schnell, "House sends Senate bill to avert government shutdown," The Hill, September 30, 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4231914-house-sends-senate-bill-to-avert-government-shutdown/. 

57. Good, H4970.

58. Ibid., H4970-71. 

59. Ibid.

60. Tom Cole (R-OK), H4971.; Cole would later become chairman of the House Appropriations Committee in April after Kay Granger (R-TX) stepped down from her post. 

61. Ibid.

62. Ibid.

63. Ibid.

64. Gaetz, H4971.

65. Ibid.

66. Ibid.

67. Tom Emmer (R-MN), H4971.

68. Emmer, H4972.

69. Gaetz, H4972.

70. Jim Jordan (R-OH), H4972.

71. Jordan.

72. Ibid.

73. Gaetz, H4972. Although Gaetz called out Jordan’s points on passed legislation which did not become law, he failed to mention Mr Good’s claim on The Limit, Save, Grow Act, H.R. 2811. 

74. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), H4972.

75. Biggs, H4972.

76. Ibid.

77. Ibid., H4973.

78. Ibid.

79. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), H4973.

80. Westerman, H4973.

81. Gaetz, H9473.

82. Thomas Massie (R-KY), H4973.

83. Massie, H4973.

84. Ibid.

85. Ibid.

86. Tom McClintock (R-CA), H4973.

87. McClintock, H4973.

88. Ibid.

89. Gaetz, H4974.

90. Carlos Giménez (R-FL), H4974.

91. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), H4974. 

92.  Hinson, H4974.

93. Ibid.

94. Gaetz, H4974.

95. Steve Scalise (R-LA), H4974.

96. Scalise, H4974.

97.  Ibid., H4975.

98. Ibid.

99. Ibid.

100. Gaetz, H4975.

101. Ibid.

102. Ibid.

103. Mike Garcia (R-CA), H4975.

104. Garcia, H4975.

105. Ibid.

106. Gaetz, H4975.

107. Patrick McHenry (N-NC), H4975.

108.  McHenry, H4975.

109. Ibid., H4975-H4976.

110. Gaetz, H4976.

111. Stephanie Bice (R-OK), H4976.

112. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), H4976.

113. Stefanik, H4976.

114. Ibid.

115. Gaetz, H4976.

116. Garret Graves (R-LA), H4976.

117. Graves, H4976.

118. Ibid.

119. Ibid.

120. Gaetz, H4977.

121. Ibid.

122. Ibid.

123. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), H4977.

124. Armstrong, H4977.

125. Ibid.

126. Ibid.

127. Ibid.

128. Gaetz, H4977.

129. Gaetz

130. Ibid.

131. Ibid.

132. H4977.

133. H4977-78.

134. Ibid.; Note that the C-SPAN video and congressional record differ on the closing sentence read aloud by the Clerk, “Signed sincerely,” instead of “With best wishes, I am…”

135. Kyle Stewart, “What happens next now that Kevin McCarthy has been ousted as speaker,” NBC, October 3, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/kevin-mccarthy-ousted-speaker-house-next-steps-rcna118561.

136. McHenry, H4978.

137.  Ibid.; The closing gavel was a surprise to some, given McHenry’s professional demeanor. But understandably so, McHenry was one of McCarthy’s closest allies, and seeing a friend go down may have been disheartening to witness.  

138. Kevin McCarthy, "Rep. McCarthy News Conference After Removal as Speaker," C-SPAN, October 3, 2023, https://www.c-span.org/video/?530913-1/rep-mccarthy-news-conference-removal-speaker.

139. McCarthy, "Rep. McCarthy News Conference After Removal as Speaker," C-SPAN.

140. McCarthy.

141. Ibid.

142. Ibid.

143. Ibid.

144. Ibid.

145. Ibid.

146. Ibid.

147. Ibid.

148. Ibid.

149. Ibid.

150. Ibid.

151. Ibid.

152. Ibid.

153. Ibid.

154. Ibid.

155. Ibid.

156. Ibid.

157. Ibid.

158. Ibid.

159. Ibid.

160. Ibid.

161. Ibid.

162. Ibid.

163. Ibid.

164. Ibid.

165. Ibid.

166. Ibid.

167. Ibid.

168. Ibid.

169. Ibid.

170. Ibid.

171. Ibid.

172. Ibid.

173. Ibid.

174. Ibid.

175. Ibid.

176. Ibid.

177. Ibid.

178. Ibid.

179. Ibid.

180. Ibid.

181. Ibid.

182. Ibid.

183. Ibid.; Vladimir Osachenkov, "Putin pays tribute to Gorbachev but won’t attend his funeral," The Associated Press, September 1, 2022, https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-mikhail-gorbachev-moscow-97165ca6f9b44cba33ad089f5e07e134. Although Putin did not attend the funeral of the former Soviet leader, he did attend Gorbachev’s wake and casted aside a bouquet of flowers.

184. McCarthy.

185. Ibid.

186. Ibid.

187. Ibid.

188. Ibid.

189. Ibid.

190. Ibid.

191. Ibid.

192. Ibid.

193. Juliegrace Brufke, "House ousts Kevin McCarthy as speaker in historic vote," Axios, October 3, 2023, https://www.axios.com/2023/10/03/house-republicans-remove-speaker-kevin-mccarthy.

194. Victor Nava, "Who is Steve Scalise? No. 2 House Republican could replace McCarthy as speaker," New York Post, October 3, 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/10/03/who-is-steve-scalise-no-2-house-republican-could-replace-mccarthy/ 

195. Nava, "Who is Steve Scalise? No. 2 House Republican could replace McCarthy as speaker," New York Post.; Katy Stech Ferek, "Who Will Be the Next House Speaker? A Look at the Race So Far," Wall Street Journal, October 6, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/who-house-speaker-candidates-3db4bb68

196. Nava.

197. Kate Ackley, "House Turmoil Sends Aftershocks Into Corporate Lobbying Sector," Bloomberg Government, October 4, 2023, https://news.bgov.com/bloomberg-government-news/house-turmoil-sends-aftershocks-into-corporate-lobbying-sector

198. Ackley, "House Turmoil Sends Aftershocks Into Corporate Lobbying Sector," Bloomberg Government.

199. Dan McLaughlin, "With removal of McCarthy, rogue Republicans just keep helping Democrats," New York Post, October 3, 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/10/03/with-removal-of-mccarthy-rogue-republicans-just-keep-helping-democrats/.

200. Ackley.

201. Ibid.

202. Jim Jordan, “Dear Colleague,” October 4, 2023, https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7mwMdvWwAArPGM?format=jpg&name=medium.

203. Jordan, “Dear Colleague.” 

204. Ibid.

205. Steve Scalise, “Dear Colleague,” October 4, 2023, https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/Scalise-Announces-Run-for-Speaker-of-the-House.

206. Scalise, “Dear Colleague.”

207. Scalise.

208. Ibid.

209. Ibid.

210. Ibid.

211. Olivia Beavers, Sarah Ferris, and Anthony Adragna, "It's on: The bare-knuckle battle for House GOP leadership spots begins," Politico, October 4, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/04/congress/the-leadership-free-for-all-00119905.

212. Luke Broadwater, "Two Contenders for House Speaker Race to Cobble Support, but in Trump’s Shadow," New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 6, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/05/us/politics/scalise-jordan-trump-speaker.html.

213. Ryan King, "Kevin McCarthy ousted as House speaker, thrusting Congress into chaos," New York Post, October 3, 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/10/03/kevin-mccarthy-ousted-as-house-speaker-causing-congress-chaos/.

214. Broadwater, "Two Contenders for House Speaker Race to Cobble Support, but in Trump’s Shadow," New York Times. 

215. Katy Stech Ferek and Eliza Collins, "McCarthy Ouster Triggers Successor Scramble," Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 5, 2023.); Carl Hulse and Luke Broadwater, "Scalise and Jordan Announce Bids for Speaker as Vacancy Paralyzes the House," New York Times, October 4, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/us/politics/house-speaker-mccarthy.html.

216. Josh Christenson, Ryan King, and Caitlin Doombos, "Reps. Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise first to enter House speaker race to replace McCarthy," New York Post, October 4, 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/10/03/kevin-mccarthy-ousted-as-house-speaker-causing-congress-chaos/.

217. Stech Ferek and Collins.; Hulse and Broadwater, "Scalise and Jordan Announce Bids for Speaker as Vacancy Paralyzes the House," New York Times.

218. Hulse and Broadwater, "Scalise and Jordan Announce Bids for Speaker as Vacancy Paralyzes the House," New York Times.

219. Ibid.

220. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Twitter-X post, October 12, 2023,

https://twitter.com/RepBowman/status/1712483111035150780?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1712483111035150780%7Ctwgr%5E7825936ab88d0e5068ffbe7a368d45387f5e887f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F2444038%2Ffact-checking-claims-about-scalises-alleged-ties-to-david-duke-and-white-supremacist-events%2F.

221.  Brady Knox, "Fact-checking claims about Scalise’s alleged ties to David Duke and white supremacist events," Washington Examiner, October 12, 2023, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2444038/fact-checking-claims-about-scalises-alleged-ties-to-david-duke-and-white-supremacist-events/#google_vignette.; D. Stephen Voss, "Saddling Steve Scalise with David Duke’s baggage," Missouri Independent, October 11, 2023, https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/11/saddling-steve-scalise-with-david-dukes-baggage/.

222. Knox, "Fact-checking claims about Scalise’s alleged ties to David Duke and white supremacist events," Washington Examiner.

223. Knox.

224. Luke Broadwater and Kardoun Demirjian, “Who Wants to Be Next as Speaker?” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 5, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/us/politics/house-speaker-replacement-jordan-scalise.html.; Hernwould did run for majority leader by passing around flyers and a popular breakfast sandwich known as the McGriddle. 

225. Hulse and Broadwater, "Scalise and Jordan Announce Bids for Speaker as Vacancy Paralyzes the House," New York Times.

226. Brian Murphy, "This NC congressman is responsible for finding the votes to keep GOP’s promises," News & Observer, September 7, 2017, https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/under-the-dome/article170861472.html.

227. Murphy, "This NC congressman is responsible for finding the votes to keep GOP’s promises," News & Observer.

228. Murphy.

229. Daniel Victor and Catie Edmondson, "Who Is Patrick McHenry, the Interim House Speaker?," New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 4, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/03/us/politics/patrick-mchenry-interim-house-speaker.html.; Murphy.

230. Murphy.

231. Josh Christenson, “Sen. 2nd in Line for Prez,” New York Post, (Newspaper, accessed October 4, 2023).; Kayla Guo, "What Can the Interim Speaker Do? It’s Not Clear,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 5, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/us/politics/patrick-mchenry-interim-speaker.html.

232. Guo, "What Can Patrick McHenry, the Interim Speaker, Do?," New York Times.

233. Robert Draper, "A Final Payback From McCarthy: 2 Democrats Are Evicted From ‘Hideaway’ Rooms," New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 5, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/us/politics/pelosi-hideaway-office-capitol.html.

234. Draper, "A Final Payback From McCarthy: 2 Democrats Are Evicted From ‘Hideaway’ Rooms," New York Times.

235. Emily Brooks, "Republicans aim to change internal Speaker nomination rules to avoid floor fight," The Hill, October 6, 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4242687-republicans-aim-to-change-internal-speaker-nomination-rules-to-avoid-floor-fight/.

236. Kerry Picket, "GOP infighting erupts over rewriting rules to oust speaker," The Washington Times, October 5, 2023, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/oct/5/gop-infighting-erupts-over-rewriting-rules-oust-sp/.

237. Picket, "GOP infighting erupts over rewriting rules to oust speaker," The Washington Times.

238. Picket.

239. Ryan King, “Matt Gaetz says booting McCarthy ‘absolutely’ worth it even if he gets expelled,” New York Post, October 8, 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/10/08/matt-gaetz-says-booting-mccarthy-absolutely-worth-it-even-if-he-gets-expelled/.

240. Picket.

241. Anthony Adragna, "McCarthy won’t rule out return to speakership after Israel attacks," Politico, October 9, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/09/mccarthy-speakership-israel-palestine-conflict-00120602#:~:text=Politico%20Logo&text=Video%20Player%20is%20loading.&text=Former%20Speaker%20Kevin%20McCarthy%20refused,on%20Capitol%20Hill%20on%20Monday.

242. Anthony Adragna, "Acting speaker suggests Congress might aid Israel before House gets new leader," Politico, October 10, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/12/congress/hern-majority-leader-house-gop-mcdonalds-00121235.

243. Adragna, "Acting speaker suggests Congress might aid Israel before House gets new leader," Politico.

244. Broadwater, “Broadwater, “Republicans Search for Consensus on Speaker Candidate Ahead of Vote,” New York Times.

245. Matt Glassman, “How much power does Speaker pro tempore McHenry have?,” Matt’s Five Points, October 4, 2023,

How much power does Speaker pro tempore McHenry have?

246. Matt Glassman, “Notes from a quiet week in the House,” Matt’s Five Points, October 9, 2023,

Notes from a quiet week in the House

247. Glassman, “Notes from a quiet week in the House,” Matt’s Five Points.

248. Glassman.

249. Ibid.

250. Ibid.

251. Ibid.

252. Sarah Ferris and Olivia Beavers, "GOP holds emotional meeting on next speaker — but fails to unite on one," Politico, October 9, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/09/gop-speaker-meeting-israel-hamas-00120661

253. Ferris and Beavers, "GOP holds emotional meeting on next speaker — but fails to unite on one," Politico.

254. Katy Stech Ferek and Siobhan Hughes, "Republicans Meet About Speaker," Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 10, 2023).; Kristina Peterson, “Ex-Rebel Now Wants to Run the House,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 10, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/jim-jordan-house-speaker-2eaae7d5.

255. Annie Karni,”Scalise Makes His Pitch To Bring Together a Party That Split Over McCarthy,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 10, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/09/us/politics/scalise-speaker-mccarthy-jordan.html.

256. Luke Broadwater, "McCarthy Says He’s Considering Being Considered for Job He Lost." New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 10, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/09/us/politics/mccarthy-speaker.html.

257.  Broadwater, "McCarthy Says He’s Considering Being Considered for Job He Lost." New York Times,

258. Juliegrace Brufke, "House Republicans worry about speaker gridlock after closed-door meeting," Axios, October 10, 2023, https://www.axios.com/2023/10/11/speaker-vote-steve-scalise-jim-jordan.

259. Brufke, "House Republicans worry about speaker gridlock after closed-door meeting," Axios.

260. Ibid.

261. Bradley Devlin, "Grapple for the Gavel 2.0," The American Conservative, October 10, 2023, https://www.theamericanconservative.com/grapple-for-the-gavel-2-0/. 

262. Devlin, "Grapple for the Gavel 2.0," The American Conservative.

263. Devlin.; Luke Broadwater, “Republicans Search for Consensus on Speaker Candidate Ahead of Vote,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 11, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/10/us/politics/republicans-speaker-house-mccarthy-scalise-jordan.html.

264. Devlin, "Grapple for the Gavel 2.0," The American Conservative.

265. Emily Brooks and Mycheal Schnell, "GOP split over rules change to keep Speaker ‘mess’ behind closed doors," The Hill, October 11, 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4249101-gop-rules-change-speaker/.; There were also proposed drafts by Reps. Roy, Cammack, Timmons, and Huizenga, as reported by Jake Sherman for Punchbowl News. 

266. Brooks and Schnell, "GOP split over rules change to keep Speaker ‘mess’ behind closed doors," The Hill.; Olivia Beavers, Twitter post, October 10, 2023, https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1711848893564977551.

267. Brooks and Schnell, "GOP split over rules change to keep Speaker ‘mess’ behind closed doors," The Hill.

268. Matt Glassman, "Should the GOP conference change its rules," Matt's Five Points, October 11, 2023,

Should the GOP conference change its rules?

269. Glassman, "Should the GOP conference change its rules," Matt's Five Points.

270. Glassman.

271. Ibid.

272. Ibid.

273. Ibid.

274. Ibid.

275. Ibid.

276. Ibid.

277. Ibid.

278. Ibid.

279. Olivia Beavers, "House GOP nixes plan designed to avoid another messy speaker vote," Politico, October 11, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/11/congress/217-fails-00120960.

280. Laura Weiss, Mary Ellen McIntire, and Aidan Quigley, "House GOP rejects effort to raise threshold for speaker," Roll Call, October 11, 2023, https://rollcall.com/2023/10/11/house-gop-rejects-effort-to-raise-threshold-for-speaker/.

281. Weiss, McIntire, and Quigley, "House GOP rejects effort to raise threshold for speaker," Roll Call.

282. Sarah Ferris and Olivia Beavers, "Scalise wins Round 1. What's next?," Politico, October 11, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/11/congress/scalise-gop-speaker-majority-house-00120940.

283. Grace Segers, “"Will They or Won’t They (Ever Elect a Republican Speaker of the House)?" The New Republic, October 12, 2023, https://newrepublic.com/article/176210/republican-house-speaker-jordan-scalise.

284. Segers, “"Will They or Won’t They (Ever Elect a Republican Speaker of the House)?" The New Republic. 

285. Siobhan Hughes et al., “Jordan, Scalise Make Pitches To Be Speaker,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 11, 2023).; Sarah Fortinsky, "Mace wears red letter ‘A’ after McCarthy vote," The Hill, October 10, 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4249080-mace-wears-scarlet-letter-after-mccarthy-vote/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI'm%20wearing%20the%20scarlet,scarlet%20letter%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20after%20becoming%20pregnant.

286. Segers, “"Will They or Won’t They (Ever Elect a Republican Speaker of the House)?" The New Republic.; Sarah Ferris, Jordain Carney, and Olivia Beavers, “"GOP says time is running out for Scalise to lock down the speakership," Politico, October 12, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/12/congress/more-frustrations-00121251.

287. Segers, “"Will They or Won’t They (Ever Elect a Republican Speaker of the House)?" The New Republic.

288. Ferris, Carney, and Beavers, “"GOP says time is running out for Scalise to lock down the speakership," Politico.

289. Ibid.

290. Ibid.

291. Rebecca Downs, “Steve Scalise Drops Out Of Speaker’s Race,” Town Hall, October 12, 2023.https://townhall.com/tipsheet/rebeccadowns/2023/10/12/steve-scalise-withdrawing-from-speakers-race-n2629761. The previous title for the article before Scalise dropped out later that same day was, “Will Steve Scalise Withdraw From the Speaker’s Race Before a Floor Vote Even Takes Place.”; The full quote from Luna regarding the votes was from a tweet, “There is no consensus candidate for Speaker. We need to stay in Washington till we figure this out. I will no longer be voting for Scalise. I don’t even think we make it to the floor.” Chad Pergram, Twitter-X post, October 12, 2023, https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1712521725756244232.

292. Kristina Peterson, Siobhan Hughes, and Lindsay Wise, “GOP Selects Scalise As Speaker Nominee But Holdouts Dig In,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 12, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/republican-speaker-vote-jim-jordan-stevescalise-2419cbf6.; Luke Broadwater and Annie Karni, “Divided G.O.P. Nominates Scalise for Speaker,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 12, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/11/us/politics/republicans-house-speaker.html.

293. Steve Scalise (R-LA), "Rep. Scalise Announces His Withdrawal from Speaker Election," C-SPAN, October 12, 2023, https://www.c-span.org/video/?531099-102/rep-scalise-announces-withdrawal-speaker-election.

294. Jordain Carney et al., “Scalise drops out of speaker race,” Politico, October 12, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/12/congress/scalise-drops-out-00121354.

295. Siobhan Hughes et al., “Scalise Quits Race For House Speaker,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 13, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/steve-scalise-struggles-to-build-support-for-house-speaker-post-99be48e6.

296. Hughes et al., “Scalise Quits Race For House Speaker,” Wall Street Journal.

297. Ibid.

298. Luke Broadwater, “Scalise Departs Speaker’s Race As G.O.P. Feuds,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 12, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/us/politics/scalise-jordan-house-speaker.html.

299. Broadwater, “Scalise Departs Speaker’s Race As G.O.P. Feuds,” New York Times.

300. Sarah Ferris, "4 Democratic centrists to McHenry: Let's make a deal," Politico, October 13, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/13/congress/dems-to-mchenry-00121499. https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000018b-2a83-dcb5-a1bf-6f9f86210000.

301. Ferris, "4 Democratic centrists to McHenry: Let's make a deal," Politico.

302. Scott Wong et al., "Jim Jordan wins GOP nomination for speaker on second try," NBC News, October 13, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/jordan-speaker-house-republicans-rcna120244.; Siobhan Hughes et al., “Jordan Gets Speaker Nod but Faces Hurdles,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 14, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/house-republicans-pursue-new-speaker-plans-after-steve-scalise-exits-race-8ec48b57.; Jordain Carney, and Olivia Beavers, “Jordan wins House GOP's latest speaker nod — but still lacks the votes,” Politico, October 13, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/13/congress/jordan-wins-00121525.

303. Carney and Beavers, “Jordan wins House GOP's latest speaker nod — but still lacks the votes,” Politico.

304. Luke Broadwater, “Divided G.O.P. Nominates Jordan for Speaker,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 14, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/13/us/politics/house-speaker-jordan-scalise.html.; Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), "House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the State of Congress," C-SPAN, October 13, 2023, https://www.C-SPAN.org/video/?c5088402/house-minority-leader-hakeem-jeffries-jim-jordan.

305. Sahil Kapur, and Julia Jester, “Democrats refuse to help GOP out of House speaker mess, trashing Jim Jordan as an 'insurrectionist',” NBC News, October 13, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-refuse-help-republicans-house-speaker-mess-rcna120242.; Broadwater, “Divided G.O.P. Nominates Jordan for Speaker,” New York Times.; Katherine Clark (D-MA), "House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the State of Congress," C-SPAN, October 13, 2023.

306. Kapur and Jester, “Democrats refuse to help GOP out of House speaker mess, trashing Jim Jordan as an 'insurrectionist',” NBC News.

307. Molly Ball, “GOP Battles With No End in Sight,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 14, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/house-cant-respond-to-world-crises-as-gop-speaker-fight-rages-on-52014889.

308. Broadwater, “Divided G.O.P. Nominates Jordan for Speaker,” New York Times.

309. Jordain Carney, and Nicholas Wu, "‘Game on’: Jordan racing to secure votes as speaker vote looms," Politico, October 14, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/14/jim-jordan-racing-to-secure-speaker-votes-00121584.

310. Olivia Beavers, "Jordan to face a challenger in floor vote Tuesday," Politico, October 15, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/15/congress/jordan-gets-a-challenger-00121640.

311. Lindsay Wise, “Jordan Has GOP Fans, but Also Holdouts,” (Newspaper, accessed October 16, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/jim-jordans-backers-for-house-speaker-say-this-time-is-different-4e645e2f.

312. Rebecca Downs, “Ahead of Tuesday's Speaker Vote, Here's Who Is Supporting Jim Jordan for Speaker,” Town Hall, October 16, 2023, https://townhall.com/tipsheet/rebeccadowns/2023/10/16/ahead-of-tuesdays-speaker-vote-heres-who-is-supporting-jim-jordan-for-speaker-nx2629882.

313. Jim Jordan, “Dear Colleague,” October 16, 2023,

https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1713957436728496298

/photo/1.

314. Jordan, “Dear Colleague.”

315. Ibid.

316. Ibid.

317. Cami Mondeaux, “House Democrats target vulnerable Republicans to vote against Jim Jordan speakership,” Washington Examiner, October 16, 2023, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2433515/house-democrats-target-vulnerable-republicans-to-vote-against-jim-jordan-speakership/.

318. Mondeaux, “House Democrats target vulnerable Republicans to vote against Jim Jordan speakership,” Washington Examiner.

319. Conrad Hoyt, “AOC targets vulnerable New York House Republicans ahead of speaker vote for Jim Jordan,” October 17, 2023, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2577007/aoc-targets-vulnerable-new-york-house-republicans-ahead-of-speaker-vote-for-jim-jordan/.

320. Craig Angioletti, “Redistricting New York,” The Legislative Route, June 6, 2022, https://thelegislativeroute.substack.com/p/redistricting-new-york.; Jonathan Cervas, "Report of the Special Master," May 20, 2022, https://jonathancervas.com/2022/NY/CERVAS-SM-NY-2022.pdf.

321. Sarah Ferris, Olivia Beavers, and Jordain Carney, “Jordan's wall of opposition starts to crumble, with 24 hours before speaker vote,” Politico, October 16, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/16/congress/jordan-gains-critical-traction-00121758.

322. Melanie Zanona, and Annie Grayer, “Jordan works to assuage fundraising fears in his quest for speakership,” CNN, October 16, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/16/politics/jim-jordan-fundraising-concerns/index.html.

323. Zanona, and Grayer, “Jordan works to assuage fundraising fears in his quest for speakership,” CNN.

324. Zanona, and Grayer.

325. Resse Gorman, "Jim Jordan’s momentum stalled after closed-door GOP meeting a day before floor vote," Washington Examiner, October 17, 2023, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2444240/jim-jordans-momentum-stalled-after-closed-door-gop-meeting-a-day-before-floor-vote/.; Gorman, "Jim Jordan’s momentum stalled after closed-door GOP meeting a day before floor vote," Washington Examiner.; Katy Stech Ferek, and Siobhan Hughes, “Jordan Gains Momentum Before Vote,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 17, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/jim-jordan-wins-over-some-holdouts-ahead-of-planned-speaker-vote-7335ca30.

326. Kevin Frey, "How will New York swing district Republicans vote on Jim Jordan's speaker bid?," Spectrum News NY1, October 16, 2023, https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2023/10/17/how-will-new-york-swing-district-republicans-vote-on-jim-jordan-s-speaker-bid-

327. Ferek and Hughes, “Jordan Gains Momentum Before Vote,” Wall Street Journal.

328. Luke Broadwater, “Jordan Makes Gains but Still Faces Holdouts,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 17, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/16/us/politics/jordan-speakership-holdouts.html.

329. Broadwater, “Jordan Makes Gains but Still Faces Holdouts,” New York Times.

330. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Congressional Record, Volume 169, Number 170, October 17, 2023, [House] H5018, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2023-10-17/pdf/CREC-2023-10-17.pdf.

331. Stefanik, H5018.

332. Ibid.

333. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), H5018.

334. Aguilar, H5018.

335. Ibid, H5019.

336. Ibid.

337. Ibid.

338. H5019.

339. Jordain Carney, Sarah Ferris, and Olivia Beavers, "Jim Jordan’s allies tried strong-arming his GOP critics. It backfired," Politico, October 17, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/17/conservative-pressure-jordan-speaker-bid-00122089#:~:text=The%20arm%2Dtwisting%20campaign%2C%20which,with%20no%20clear%20way%20out.

340. Carney, Ferris, and Beavers, “"Jim Jordan’s allies tried strong-arming his GOP critics. It backfired," Politico.

341. Emily Ngo, "Some NY GOP House members go it alone on Jordan vote," October 17, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/17/some-ny-gop-house-members-go-it-alone-on-jordan-vote-00122099.; Congressman Nick LaLota, Twitter-X post, October 17, 2023, https://twitter.com/RepLaLota/status/1714372733193134466.

342. Luke Broadwater, “Jordan Pushes On to Next Vote, and Chaos Seems Set to Persist,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 18, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/us/politics/jordan-speaker-house.html

343. Siobhan Hughes et al., "Jordan Falls Short In Opening Round Of Vote for Speaker," Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 18, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/jim-jordan-needs-to-win-over-final-holdouts-to-clinch-speaker-vote-9256441.

344. Andrew Solender, "GOP scrambles for escape hatch as Jim Jordan falls short again," Axios, October 18, 2023, https://www.axios.com/2023/10/18/gop-scrambles-for-escape-hatch-as-jim-jordan-falls-short-again.

345. Tom Cole (R-OK), Congressional Record, Volume 169, Number 171, October 18, 2023, [House] H5026, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2023-10-18/pdf/CREC-2023-10-18-house.pdf.

346. Cole, H5026.

347. Ibid., H5027.

348. Ibid.

349. Pete Aguilar, H5027.

350. Aguilar, H5027.

351. Ibid.

352. H5027-28. 

353. Katherine Tully-McManus, Anthony Adragna, and Daniella Diaz, “Jordan’s speakership campaign on its last legs,” Politico, October 18, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/18/congress/jordans-opposition-grows-in-2nd-ballot-00122240.

354. Tully-McManus, Adragna, and Diaz, “Jordan’s speakership campaign on its last legs,” Politico.

355. Solender, "GOP scrambles for escape hatch as Jim Jordan falls short again," Axios.

356. Scott Wong et al., "Hardball tactics by Jim Jordan allies are backfiring with detractors in House speaker’s race," NBC News, October 18, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/hardball-tactics-jim-jordan-allies-backfiring-house-speakers-race-rcna121121.

357. Scott Wong et al., "Hardball tactics by Jim Jordan allies are backfiring with detractors in House speaker’s race," NBC News.; Gabriel T. Rubin, "Pressure Campaign Against GOP Holdouts Backfires," Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 20, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/pressure-campaign-by-jim-jordan-supporters-backfires-in-house-speaker-race-92779873.; Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), "Miller-Meeks Statement on Speaker Vote and Death Threats," October 18, 2023, https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/miller-meeks-statement-speaker-vote-and-death-threats.

358. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Twitter-X post, October 18, 2023, https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1714779942523699416?s=2

359. Scott Wong et al., "Hardball tactics by Jim Jordan allies are backfiring with detractors in House speaker’s race," NBC News.

360. Scott Wong et al.

361. Ibid.

362. Ibid.

363. Jonathan Martin, “Why the GOP Can’t Unite,” Politico, October 18, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/10/18/gop-party-house-speaker-00122371.

364. Martin, “Why the GOP Can’t Unite,” Politico.

365. Martin.

366. Kate Ackley, "Lobbyists Root for McHenry for House Speaker as Race Drags On," Bloomberg Government, October 18, 2023, https://news.bgov.com/bloomberg-government-news/lobbyists-root-for-mchenry-for-house-speaker-as-race-drags-on.

367. Ackley, "Lobbyists Root for McHenry for House Speaker as Race Drags On," Bloomberg Government. ; Newt Gingrich, "Speaker McHenry," Gingrich 360, October 17, 2023, https://www.gingrich360.com/2023/10/17/speaker-mchenry/.; John Boehner, Twitter-X post, October 17, 2023, https://twitter.com/SpeakerBoehner/status/1714440130562281829.

368. Ackley, "Lobbyists Root for McHenry for House Speaker as Race Drags On," Bloomberg Government. 

369. Ackley.

370. Ibid.

371. Ibid.

372. Scott Wong, and Rebecca Kaplan, “In the latest sign of House chaos, the temporary speaker is threatening to quit,” NBC News, October 19, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/patrick-mchenry-house-speaker-pro-tempore-threaten-quit-rcna121314.

373. Wong and Kaplan, “In the latest sign of House chaos, the temporary speaker is threatening to quit,” NBC News.

374. Reese Gorman, Cami Mondeaux, and David Sivak, "GOP ditches plan to empower McHenry as Jordan seeks to revive speakership push," Washington Examiner, October 19, 2023, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2442416/gop-ditches-plan-to-empower-mchenry-as-jordan-seeks-to-revive-speakership-push/.

375. Gorman, Mondeaux, and Sivak, "GOP ditches plan to empower McHenry as Jordan seeks to revive speakership push," Washington Examiner.

376. Gorman, Mondeaux, and Sivak.

377. Kristina Peterson et al., “Jordan’s GOP Backing Ebbs on Second Ballot,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 19, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/jim-jordan-tries-again-for-house-speaker-as-republicans-weigh-alternatives-ef1e3cf3.

378. Audrey Fahlberg, “Heritage Action Plans to Sink Any Future Effort to Empower Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry,” National Review, October 19, 2023, https://www.nationalreview.com/news/heritage-action-plans-to-sink-any-future-effort-to-empower-speaker-pro-tempore-mchenry/.

379. Fahlberg, “Heritage Action Plans to Sink Any Future Effort to Empower Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry,” National Review.

380. Emily Brooks, Twitter-X post, October 19, 2023, https://twitter.com/emilybrooksnews/status/1715052907152683064.

381. Fahlberg.

382. Ibid.

383. Ibid.

384. Emily Brooks, "Speaker saga sparks revolution among mainstream Republicans," The Hill, October 19, 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4264036-speaker-saga-sparks-revolution-mainstream-republicans/#:~:text=Speaker%20saga%20sparks%20revolution%20among%20mainstream%20Republicans,-by%20Emily%20Brooks&text=Mainstream%20House%20Republicans%20long%20frustrated,Jordan%20(R%2DOhio).

385. Emily Brooks, "Speaker saga sparks revolution among mainstream Republicans," The Hill.

386. Brooks.

387. Ibid.

388. Henry Rodgers, "Republicans Voting Against Jordan Are Doing It To ‘Spite Matt Gaetz,’ Members Say," Daily Caller, October 19, 2023, https://dailycaller.com/2023/10/19/exclusive-republicans-gaetz-jordan-speaker-fight/.

389. Rodgers, "Republicans Voting Against Jordan Are Doing It To ‘Spite Matt Gaetz,’ Members Say," Daily Caller.

390. Rodgers.

391. Ibid.

392. Ibid.

393. Ibid.

394. Luke Broadwater, “In Bid for Speaker, Jordan Loses Ground in Second Round of Votes,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 19, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/18/us/politics/house-speaker-jim-jordan-vote.html.

395. Siobhan Hughes et al., "Jordan Weighs Next Step in Speaker Bid," Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 20, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/gop-weighs-giving-patrick-mchenry-more-powers-as-jim-jordans-speaker-bid-fades-71f404d4.

396.  Josh Christenson, "Havoc in House: Speaker plan, Jordan lack votes," New York Post, (Newspaper, accessed October 20, 2023,) https://nypost.com/2023/10/19/house-gop-plan-to-empower-acting-speaker-mchenry-fails/.

397. Annie Grayer, Twitter-X post, October 19, 2023, https://twitter.com/AnnieGrayerCNN/status/1715120530016158118.

398. Jim Jordan, “Rep. Jim Jordan on His Speakership Candidacy,” C-SPAN, October 20, 2023, https://www.c-span.org/video/?531282-1/rep-jim-jordan-speakership-candidacy.

399. Jordan, “Rep. Jim Jordan on His Speakership Candidacy,” C-SPAN.

400. Jordan.

401. Ibid.

402. Ibid.

403. Ibid.

404. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Congressional Record, Volume 169, Number 173, October 20, 2023, [House] H5036, https://www.congress.gov/118/crec/2023/10/20/169/173/CREC-2023-10-20-house.pdf.

405. McCarthy, H5036.

406. Ibid.

407. Ibid.

408. Ibid.

409. Ibid.

410. Ibid, H5036-37.

411. Katherine Clark (D-MA), H5037.

412. Clark, H5037.

413. Ibid.

414. Ibid.

415. H5037-38.

416. Andy Biggs et al., "Dear Colleague," October 20, 2023. ; Olivia Beavers, Twitter-X post, October 20, 2023, https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1715403226210508816.; Nick Robertson, "Anti-McCarthy Republicans say they’ll accept conference punishment if holdouts vote for Jordan," The Hill, October 20, 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4266969-anti-mccarthy-eight-accept-punishment-holdouts-vote-jordan/.

417. Mica Soellner, Twitter-X post, October 20, 2023, https://twitter.com/MicaSoellnerDC/status/1715404664332546254.

418. John Bresnahan, Twitter-X post, October 20, 2023, https://twitter.com/bresreports/status/1715428632871493948.; The Recount, Twitter-X post, October 20, 2023, https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1715438182861287866.

419. Kristina Peterson, Katy Stech Ferek, and Gabriel T. Rubin, "GOP Starts Anews After Jordan Bid Fails," Wall Street Journal (Newspaper, accessed October 21, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/jim-jordan-set-to-fall-short-again-in-third-speaker-vote-2c72ff5e.

420. Peterson, Stech Ferek, and Rubin, "GOP Starts Anews After Jordan Bid Fails," Wall Street Journal. 

421. Caitlin Emma, “McHenry open to expanding his powers as acting speaker — but only with a 'formal vote',” Politico, October 20, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/20/congress/mchenry-open-to-vote-that-expands-powers-00122750.

422. Audrey Fahlberg, "House GOP Drops Jordan as Speaker Nominee in Secret-Ballot Vote," National Review, October 20, 2023, https://www.nationalreview.com/news/opposition-to-jim-jordans-speaker-bid-grows-in-third-failed-floor-vote/.

423. Mike Flood (R-NE), “Press Release,” October 20, 2023, https://flood.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-flood-launches-unity-pledge-speakers-race. ; Katherine Tully-McManus, Olivia Beavers, and Jennifer Scholtes, "House Republicans push unity ‘pledge’ to guarantee a speaker," Politico, October 21, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/21/speakership-scramble-continues-with-new-crop-of-candidates-staking-their-claims-00122884.

424. Jacob Ogles, "Byron Donalds running for House Speaker," Florida Politics, October 20, 2023, https://floridapolitics.com/archives/640577-byron-donalds-running-for-house-speaker/.; Elise Stefanik, Twitter-X post, October 22, 2023, https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716122991539409393.

425. Molly Ball, "Gaetz Says He Has Now Regrets For Triggering GOP Meltdown," Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 21, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/matt-gaetz-tore-the-house-gop-apart-he-isnt-sorry-c7a7646d.

426. Ball, "Gaetz Says He Has Now Regrets For Triggering GOP Meltdown," Wall Street Journal. 

427. Ball.

428. Ibid.

429. Ibid.

430. Ibid.

431. Ibid.

432. Ibid.

433. Olivia Beavers, Twitter-X post, October 21, 2023, https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1715800189225578608.

434. Gabrielle M. Etzel, "Tom McClintock mocks the ‘Gaetz eight’ for dramatic censure letter: ‘We don’t deserve you’," Washington Examiner, October 21, 2023, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2445011/tom-mcclintock-mocks-the-gaetz-eight-for-dramatic-censure-letter-we-dont-deserve-you/.; Matt Glassman, "Some notes on the Speakership fight," Matt's Five Points, October 23, 2023,

Some notes on the Speakership fight

435. Carl Hulse, "After Jordan Falls, House Republicans Ask What’s to Come," New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 22, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/21/us/politics/house-speaker-republicans-whats-next.html.

436. Carl Hulse, "After Jordan Falls, House Republicans Ask What’s to Come," New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 22, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/21/us/politics/house-speaker-republicans-whats-next.html.

437. Hulse, "After Jordan Falls, House Republicans Ask What’s to Come," New York Times.

438. Hulse.

439. Mike Johnson (R-LA), “Press Release,” July 12, 2023, https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1310.

440.  WAFB Staff, "La. Rep. Mike Johnson announces run for U.S. House Speaker position," WAFB, October 21, 2023, https://www.wafb.com/2023/10/21/rep-mike-johnson-announces-run-us-house-speaker-position/.; Mike Johnson, Twitter-X post, October 21, 2023, https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1715753985540239776?lang=en.; Mike Johnson, “Dear Colleague,” October 21, 2023, https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F8-H7ZgXAAAP6wp?format=jpg&name=large.; https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F8-H7aAXoAA2UFG?format=jpg&name=large.

441. Mike Johnson, “Dear Colleague,” October 21, 2023.

442. Ibid.

443. Ibid.

444. Ibid.

445.  It’s worth mentioning how the communications team for Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) had done a splendid job providing a much-needed comedic relief for many in an ever-changing Hill environment. Some posts included posting various online memes through Twitter-X.

446. Sarah Ferris et al., "GOP speaker chaos: 7 Republicans will battle for top post," Politico, October 23, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/22/gop-speaker-chaos-republicans-battle-00122918.; Katy Stech Ferek, “New Crop of Speaker Candidates Emerges,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 23, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/republican-hopefuls-crowd-into-speaker-race-after-jordans-exit-7b0682fb.; “Meet the Press,” NBC News, October 22, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-october-22-2023-n1307654.

447. Stech Ferek, “New Crop of Speaker Candidates Emerges,” Wall Street Journal. 

448. Sarah Ferris et al., "GOP speaker chaos: 7 Republicans will battle for top post," Politico.

449.  Sarah Fortinsky, "Trump jokes only Jesus Christ could become Speaker," The Hill, October 23, 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4271224-trump-jokes-only-jesus-christ-could-become-speaker/.

450. Fortinsky, "Trump jokes only Jesus Christ could become Speaker," The Hill. ; "Trump says Emmer is his ‘biggest fan’," Washington Post, October, 23, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-says-emmer-is-his-biggest-fan/2023/10/23/27270948-aa1a-4a54-9531-e48858f4a4cd_video.html.

451. Glassman, "Some notes on the Speakership fight," Matt's Five Points.; Not certain here if Glassman saw this through, but mentioning how Jordan failed the second time with 194 votes supporting him would be incorrect. Jordan received 199 votes during the second vote, 194 was during the third time. 

452. Glassman.

453. Ibid.

454. Ibid.

455. Ibid.; "Conference Rules of the 118th Congress," House GOP, March 31, 2023, https://www.gop.gov/conference-rules-of-the-118th-congress/.

456. Glassman, "Some notes on the Speakership fight," Matt's Five Points.

457. Ibid.

458. Ibid.

459. Siobhan Hughes, and Katy Stech Ferek, “Majority Whip Faces Hurdles in Speaker Bid,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 24, 2023.)

460. Hughes and Stech Ferek, “Majority Whip Faces Hurdles in Speaker Bid,” Wall Street Journal.

461. Hughes and Stech Ferek.

462. Luke Broadwater, “Speaker Fight Exposes Dynamics That Make G.O.P. Hard to Govern,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 24, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/23/us/politics/house-republicans-divisions-speaker.html.

463. Broadwater, “Speaker Fight Exposes Dynamics That Make G.O.P. Hard to Govern,” New York Times.

464. Broadwater.

465. Lisa Lerer, and Michael C. Bender, “Still Without a Speaker, Republicans Are a ‘Captainless Pirate Ship,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 24, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/23/us/politics/republicans-speaker-2024-elections.html.

466. Jill Colvin, "Tom Emmer withdraws bid for House speaker hours after GOP nomination," PBS, October 24, 2023, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/tom-emmer-withdraws-bid-for-house-speaker-hours-after-gop-nomination.; Jake Sherman, Twitter-X post, October 24, 2023, https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1716906557869297954.

467.  Colvin, "Tom Emmer withdraws bid for House speaker hours after GOP nomination," PBS.; Jake Sherman, Twitter-X post, October 24, 2023, https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1716913278356774924.; Haley Talbot, Twitter-X post, October 24, 2023, https://twitter.com/haleytalbotcnn/status/1716924735077126481.

468. Donald Trump, Truth Social post, October 24, 2023, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111291340230348905.

469. Meridith McGraw, and Alex Isenstadt, "‘I killed him': How Trump torpedoed Tom Emmer’s speaker bid," Politico, October 24, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/24/i-killed-him-how-trump-torpedoed-tom-emmers-speaker-bid-00123329.

470. Olivia Beavers, Twitter-X post, October 24, 2023, https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1716996670381052242.; Olivia Beavers, Twitter-X post, October 24, 2023, https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1716999540958437491.; Laura Weiss, and Mary Ellen McIntire, "Johnson secures GOP nomination for speaker," Roll Call, October, 24, 2023, https://rollcall.com/2023/10/24/gop-tries-again-to-unite-behind-speaker-nominee/#:~:text=After%20Johnson%20secured%20the%20nomination,a%20couple%20%E2%80%9Cpresent%E2%80%9D%20votes.

471. Jordain Carney et al., "Mike Johnson wins House GOP's latest speaker nomination," CNN, October 24, 2023, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/24/congress/next-up-mike-johnson-00123404.

472. Mike Johnson (R-LA), “Rep. Mike Johnson on Winning House Republican Speaker Nominee Election,” C-SPAN, October 24, 2023 https://www.c-span.org/video/?531389-1/rep-mike-johnson-winning-house-republican-speaker-nominee-election.

473. Johnson, “Rep. Mike Johnson on Winning House Republican Speaker Nominee Election,” C-SPAN. ; Gabriel Hays, "House Republicans jeer reporter, tell her to 'shut up' and 'go away' during Mike Johnson presser," Fox News, October 24, 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/media/house-republicans-jeer-abc-news-reporter-tell-shut-up-go-away-during-mike-johnson-presser.

474.  Cami Mondeaux, Twitter-X post, October 25, 2023, https://twitter.com/cami_mondeaux/status/1717216350496567363?s=46.; Katie Phang, Twitter-X post, October 25, 2023, https://twitter.com/KatiePhang/status/1717270009624277079.; Andrew Solender, "House Democrats are wary of a Mike Johnson speakership," Axios, October 25, 2023, https://www.axios.com/2023/10/25/mike-johnson-house-speaker-democrats-jim-jordan.

475. Siobhan Hughes et al., “GOP Gets New Speaker Pick After Emmer,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 25, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/house-republicans-to-pick-new-speaker-nominee-after-weeks-of-false-starts-d7590cb6.

476. "U.S. House of Representatives House Session, Part 1," C-SPAN, October 25, 2023, https://www.c-span.org/video/?531374-1/house-session-part-1.; Congressional Record, Volume 169, Number 176, October 25, 2023, [House] H5047-48, https://www.congress.gov/118/crec/2023/10/25/169/176/CREC-2023-10-25- house.pdf.

477. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), H5048. 

478. Stefanik.

479. Ibid.

480. Ibid.

481. Ibid.

482. Pete Aguilar, H5048. 

483. Aguilar.

484. Ibid.

485. Ibid.

486. Ibid., H5048-49.

487. Ibid., H5049.

488. H5049.

489. H5049-50.

490. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), H5050.

491. Jeffries.

492. Ibid.

493. Ibid., H5050-51.

494. Ibid., H5051.

495. Ibid., H5051-52.

496. Ibid., H5052.

497. Mike Johnson, H5051.

498. Johnson.

499. Ibid.

500. Ibid.

501. Ibid.

502. Ibid.

503. Ibid.

504. Ibid., H5051-52.

505. Ibid., H5052.

506. Ibid.

507. Ibid.

508. Ibid.

509. Ibid.

510. Ibid.

511. Jake Sherman et al., "Is it Johnson’s time?," Punchbowl News, October 25, 2023, https://punchbowl.news/article/mike-johnson-gop-speaker-designate/.; Sarah Ferris, Burgess Everett, and Olivia Beavers, "How Mike Johnson’s main strength will become his biggest liability," Politico, October 25, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/25/how-mike-johnson-won-an-impossible-speakership-00123529. Eliza Collins, Siobhan Hughes, and Katy Stech Ferek, “Social Conservative, a Trump Ally, Takes Helm,” Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 26, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/new-speaker-mike-johnson-made-his-name-as-cultural-conservative-f1e51e78.

512. Collins, Hughes, and Stech Ferek, “Social Conservative, a Trump Ally, Takes Helm,” Wall Street Journal.

513. Lindsay Wise et al., "House Elects Speaker, Ends GOP Impasse," Wall Street Journal, (Newspaper, accessed October 26, 2023,) https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/house-set-to-vote-on-gop-speaker-nominee-mike-johnson-f1f92e33.; John Fund, "Mike Johnson lucked into speaker job — but he has talent to pull it off," New York Post, October 25, 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/10/25/opinion/mike-johnson-lucked-into-speaker-job-but-he-has-talent-to-pull-it-off/.; Elaina Plott Calabro, "The Accidental Speaker," The Atlantic, April 22, 2024, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/04/mike-johnson-speaker-ukraine-trump/678108/.

514. Wise et al., "House Elects Speaker, Ends GOP Impasse," Wall Street Journal.; Fund, "Mike Johnson lucked into speaker job — but he has talent to pull it off," New York Post. 

515. Joe Biden, “Statement from President Joe Biden on the Election of Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House,” The White House, October 25, 2023, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/25/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-the-election-of-mike-johnson-as-speaker-of-the-house/.

516. Catie Edmondson, “Republicans Have New Leader, but Problems Aren’t Any Different,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 26, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/26/us/politics/mike-johnson-shutdown-ukraine-israel.html.

517. Shane Goldmacher, “Brawl for the Speakership Reveals a Party Carefully Toeing the Trump Line,” New York Times, (Newspaper, accessed October 27, 2023,) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/us/politics/mike-johnson-house-speaker-trump.html.

518. Francis P. Sempa, “For the Secular Left, Mike Johnson Endangers the ‘Naked Public Square’," American Spectator, October 30, 2023, https://spectator.org/for-the-secular-left-mike-johnson-endangers-the-naked-public-square/.

519. Sempa, “For the Secular Left, Mike Johnson Endangers the ‘Naked Public Square’," American Spectator.

520. Sempa.

521. Catie Edmondson, "How Mike Johnson Got to ‘Yes’ on Aid to Ukraine," New York Times, April 21, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/21/us/politics/mike-johnson-house-foreign-aid.html.

522. Richard Cowan, Moira Warburton and Patricia Zengerle, "US House passes $95 billion Ukraine, Israel aid package, sends to Senate," Reuters, April 20, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-vote-long-awaited-95-billion-ukraine-israel-aid-package-2024-04-20/.; H.R. 8035, House Clerk, April 20, 2024, https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2024/roll151.xml.; Annie Grayer, Melanie Zanona and Manu Raju, "How Johnson came to embrace Ukraine aid and defy his right flank," CNN, April 21, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/21/politics/ukraine-aid-mike-johnson-house-speaker-israel-taiwan/index.html.; After passage House Democrats cheered while waving miniature Ukrainian flags, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) after being recognized by the Speaker pro tempore, said into the microphone, ‘Put those damn flags away!’

523. Ally Mutnick, "Mike Johnson embraces powerful McCarthy-aligned super PAC," Politico, October 30, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/30/mike-johnson-embraces-powerful-mccarthy-aligned-super-pac-00124186.; It remains to be seen if CLF may change its stance with a new Speaker.

524. Olivia Beavers, “Johnson announces $20 million-plus fundraising haul,” Politico, April 11, 2024, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/04/11/congress/johnsons-haul-fundraising-20-million-00151695.; Maeve Reston, Michael Scherer, and Clara Ence Morse, "Mike Johnson works to boost House GOP funding as ouster threat looms,” The Washington Post, April 30, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2024/04/30/mike-johnson-house-republican-fundraising/.; "Dems SAVE Mike Johnson From Speaker Ouster,” Breaking Points/Counter Points, May 1, 2024,

525. Zach Montellaro, "Matt Gaetz deposed Kevin McCarthy and the donations came pouring in," Politico, February 1, 2024, https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/01/matt-gaetz-donations-00139182#:~:text=Gaetz%20became%20the%20face%20of,over%20the%20next%20three%20months.; Caitlyn Byrd, "Nancy Mace got fundraising boost for booting Kevin McCarthy. And a credible primary challenger," Post and Courier, February 18, 2024, https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/trump-mace-templeton-sc-congress-money-analysis/article_93539d1c-c775-11ee-9159-e327f8045ae9.html.

526. Montellaro, "Matt Gaetz deposed Kevin McCarthy and the donations came pouring in," Politico.; It remains to be seen how electorally successful the Gang of Eight will become if any have primary challengers to run against.

527. Byrd, "Nancy Mace got fundraising boost for booting Kevin McCarthy. And a credible primary challenger," Post and Courier.

528. Byrd.