With the government set to shut down next month and unrest brewing in the Middle East, House Republicans are facing growing calls to speed up the timetable for electing a new Speaker.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted last week by far-right detractors after working with Democrats to pass a short-term funding agreement, setting off a chaotic race to succeed him as the most powerful lawmaker on Capitol Hill. Republicans are hoping to have a new Speaker in place by the end of the week.
So far, there are two candidates running: Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan and Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Some say that the gavel should be given to former President Donald Trump (the Speaker is not required to be a sitting member of Congress), but he is ineligible to be nominated for Speaker due to his legal troubles.
Trump threw his support behind Jordan last week. While he has proven to be a kingmaker in Republican primaries, there are questions as to whether the former President’s endorsement carries any weight in a contest that will be decided on a secret ballot behind closed doors.
Remember, it took McCarthy 15 ballots to win the speakership on the House floor last January despite having Trump’s endorsement. There is no telling how many rounds of voting will be needed to decide this free-for-all race.
The Speaker contest is also dividing Georgia’s nine congressional Republicans. Only a handful have taken sides so far, and there is little to no consensus among them — a sign that any Speaker candidate might struggle to get 218 votes.
Here’s a look at who Georgia’s Republican congressmembers are supporting in the race for Speaker. An asterisk (*) specifies someone who is not officially a candidate.
Rep. Buddy Carter (Pooler): Scalise
Rep. Austin Scott (Tifton): Scalise
Rep. Drew Ferguson (West Point): Scalise
Rep. Andrew Clyde (Athens): Jordan
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Rome): Trump*