Tom Emmer drops bid to be Speaker: House Republicans back to square one

On Tuesday, the House Republican Conference met to decide who would be their next nominee to be the Speaker of the House. They chose House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota).

Emmer had the endorsement of ousted Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-California). It was the safe choice. Emmer had waited his turn behind McCarthy and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana), and he was respected on Capitol Hill.

It was also a doomed choice. Emmer won a narrow victory and excited no one in the conservative base that appears to want unprecedented influence on how the GOP actually governs and who it elects to the Speakership. Former President Donald Trump (R) criticized the selection, as did a number of conservative influences. Within a few hours of being elected as the nominee, Emmer admitted his cause was hopeless and withdrew from the race.

Emmer was criticized by conservatives for voting for the Respect for Marriage Act, voting to certify the 2020 election results, and for being the number three person on the leadership team that some conservatives felt had not represented them.

Alabama Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) withdrew from the Speaker’s race the morning before the Conference even voted.

“If withdrawing my name can help expedite that process even a little, then I will gladly step aside,” Palmer said in a statement. “The candidate forum and individual conversations have given me great hope for the future of the 118th Congress.”

In the vote of the Conference, Emmer narrowly beat Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Oklahoma) for the nomination. Hearn is back in the running for the spot to be the fourth nominee, as well as Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana).

Scalise had been the Conference’s first choice, but he could not get the support of the ultra-right Freedom Caucus members, so he withdrew without a floor vote. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) was the next nominee. Jordan had the support of Trump, but it was not enough. Despite bringing his case to the floor three separate times, Jordan could not win over GOP moderates who were angry at conservatives for having failed to support Scalise. Conservatives have now rejected Emmer as being too much of a moderate.

The Republicans control the chamber by a 221 to 212 margin. Democrats continue to vote for their candidate, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York).

The House Republican Conference is expected to meet on Wednesday to seek a new nominee. Election as Speaker requires a minimum of 217, so only a small faction of 5 or more Republicans is sufficient to sabotage any Republican nominee for the post. Long gone are the days when Republican Congressmen would carry out the will of the majority of their Conference and show no public divisions. This Caucus appears to be bitterly divided and is unashamed to make those divisions all too public.

To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.

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