This week marks the fourth week of the Republican Party’s search for a House Speaker, with three rounds of failed votes and the fourth vote happening this week. The past three speakers have stepped down and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed earlier this month, Oct. 3. Republican representatives are now scrambling to elect a speaker in order to address the pressing issues at hand: the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Palestine conflict and the near government shutdown this country faced this month.
Kevin McCarthy was removed from his role as Speaker this month for a handful of reasons, one specifically was his tendency to remain neutral in situations that called for him to pick a side. From the Russia-Ukraine War to his opinions and stance on Trump, McCarthy effectively maintained a position that would avoid him upsetting either side publicly. However, as seen by his removal from Speaker, that neutrality was not sustainable or enough to maintain party support.
The disarray within the Republican Party has not just outsiders bashing on the party, but Republicans within the House doing so too. When speaking with NBC, the former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy noted that it was “embarrassing” explaining that it “wasn’t just embarrassing for the Republican Party, it was embarrassing for the whole nation.” Representative of Arkansas and Republican Party member Steve Womack compared the fighting to high schoolers only to rescind his statement and correct himself by noting, “That’s offensive to high schoolers, because it’s really junior high stuff.” Senator Lindsey Graham, a republican United States Senator, concluded that the lack of a republican House Speaker could put the U.S. in a position where it looks vulnerable to those watching all around the world.
Representative Eli Crane, one of a mere eight Republicans responsible for voting to remove McCarthy as speaker, spoke out against his own party. Crane highlighted his belief that many of those within his party had no interest in the American public’s interest or care for what the American people want. Crane went on to note that the Republican Party was failing horribly at an incredibly critical time, both domestically and abroad.
Fueling the chaos within the Republican Party is the Freedom Caucus (the House Freedom Caucus), a group of supporters or members of a specific movement or political party that consists of numerous Republicans within the House of Representatives. The Freedom Caucus has been referred to as one of the most ultra-conservative and far-right groups within the Republican Conference. The party’s inability to unite and elect a speaker prompted the Freedom Caucus to issue a demand that all Republicans remain in D.C. until a speaker is elected.
On Tuesday, Oct. 24, Tom Emmer was nominated by the GOP for Speaker of the House. Just a few hours later, Emmer dropped the bid and left Republicans stuck in the same position they were before; speakerless and divided. Although Emmer was able to win his party’s nomination, he was unable to maintain the support required to elect him as speaker. After 26 Republicans announced they wouldn’t vote for Emmer, the nominee removed his bid. Emmer, similarly to McCarthy, was criticized for his neutrality, moderacy and for his vote in calling for the 2020 election results to be certified, a move that was heavily criticized by many Republicans as it alluded to the possibility that the election results were illegitimate.
On Wednesday, Oct. 25, a fourth nominee for speaker of the house was elected. Republican Representative Mike Johnson was sworn in as Speaker this afternoon garnering 220 votes out of the 215 needed for a Speaker to be elected. The party may have united in order to elect a speaker but they need to remain united in order to get through the chaos the country and the world is currently in.
