White House on GOP speaker drama: ‘Only they can help themselves’
The White House weighed in tonight on House Republicans’ inability to elect a new speaker.
“The House GOP is mired in seemingly endless finger-pointing and competitions to take the most extreme positions imaginable, whether it’s backing radical nationwide abortion bans, gutting Medicare and Social Security benefits, opposing the right to marry, or supporting dangerous conspiracy theories about the 2020 election,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.
He also noted the Nov. 17 deadline for Congress to pass legislation to fund the government.
“Now we’re 24 days from a House Republican shutdown,” Bates said. "It’s in the best interest of the country — and House Republicans themselves — to get their act together, instead of perpetuating a splitscreen in which they bicker while President Biden keeps lowering costs and leading on the world stage. But only they can help themselves.”
McCarthy floats partnership with Jim Jordan as assistant speaker
Amid the impasse, McCarthy is floating a plan that would reinstall him as speaker and make Jordan, a conservative Trump ally, the assistant speaker, according to three sources familiar with McCarthy’s pitch.
Asked why the idea — which lacks key details, like how it would be enacted and whether it could even gain enough traction to happen — was being floated now, a GOP lawmaker replied: “We’re desperate.”
While the idea might seem far-fetched and it has not been pitched broadly within the GOP Conference, it is being discussed among some Republicans after Emmer, the third GOP nominee, dropped his bid. A source briefed on the idea likened it to the Speaker Nancy Pelosi/Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark arrangement that the Democrats had.
“Kevin speaker, Jordan assistant speaker,” the source said.
Two GOP lawmakers described McCarthy as having melted down in conference meetings today because, they said, he is losing his ability to handpick a new speaker. He had two “outbursts” behind closed doors today, the sources say, that were about his objections to quickly moving to a nominating vote for Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., the runner-up to Emmer, the lawmakers said.
“This isn’t how you elect a speaker!” McCarthy said in the room, a lawmaker said.
A McCarthy spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
House adjourns; no floor vote on House speaker tonight
The House adjourned until noon tomorrow.
That means no votes expected tonight on a new speaker or anything else, and the earliest the House could hold a speaker vote is tomorrow afternoon.
"Additional information about the vote schedule will be announced as soon as it becomes available," a notice sent around by Democratic leadership said this evening.
Hern drops out of speaker's race ahead of 8 p.m. conference vote
Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., announced tonight that he has dropped out of the House speaker's race ahead of an 8 p.m. conference vote.
Hern endorsed Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La.
Elise Stefanik: There are now 6 declared candidates for speaker
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., tweeted tonight that six House Republicans have officially announced their bid for speaker.
She listed all six:
- Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida
- Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee
- Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee
- Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma
- Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana
- Rep. Roger Williams of Texas
Trump says he 'must have had an impact' on Emmer dropping out
Former President Donald Trump said today that his comments about Emmer “absolutely must have had an impact” on his decision to pull out of the speakership race.
“I wasn’t treated particularly well by him as you’ve heard. He wasn’t MAGA,” Trump told reporters in New York.
“I haven’t made a determination on anyone else, but we have some really great people,” Trump added.
Asked if he would support Rep. Byron Donalds for speaker, Trump said that he likes the Florida Republican “very much.”
“We have four or five that want it,” Trump said, without naming the other candidates he supports.
Marjorie Taylor Greene cites Emmer's voting record in voicing opposition
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., told reporters after Emmer dropped out that she couldn't get behind his voting record.
“He had voted against President Trump’s ban on transgender in the military. He voted for the Democrats' gay marriage bill," she said. "He was for the national popular vote at one time, and that’s not a movement I could support."
Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., also explained his opposition to Emmer's bid for speaker.
“I’m a conservative, he is not. I’m not going to vote to put someone who’s not a conservative in the speaker’s chair,” Banks told reporters earlier today.
House Republicans will hold another candidates forum at 6 p.m.
Republicans will hold another candidates forum at 6 p.m. ET, with applications for the speakership due in 30 minutes, multiple members said.
Several people have expressed interest in running, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., said, but he wouldn't give names.
Emmer believed Trump's post would lose him more votes, source says
A source familiar with the whip effort for Emmer tells NBC News the Trump Truth Social post slamming Emmer that landed just after the GOP meeting this morning made an uphill climb impossible.
Emmer knew if he held another vote he would lose even more people, which was part of why he decided to drop out instead of letting this drag out, the source said.
Hern and Johnson expected to appear on next secret speaker's ballot
With Emmer out of the speaker's race, Reps. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and Mike Johnson, R-La., are expected to appear again on the next secret ballot in the conference, according to two sources familiar with their plans.
If one wins a majority in the room, they'll earn the speaker designate title.