Reuters reports:
U.S. House of Representatives Republicans on Tuesday chose Tom Emmer as their nominee for speaker, but struggled to line up enough votes to guarantee he could win the job and fill a leadership vacuum that has paralyzed the chamber for three weeks.
Emmer, who currently serves as the No. 3 Republican in the House, won the nomination by edging Representative Mike Johnson 117-97 in a fifth round of voting, lawmakers said.
In a follow-up vote in which he ran unopposed, lawmakers said Emmer fell more than 20 votes short of 217 of the chamber’s 221 Republicans, a high standard that the party has set to ensure it can elect a speaker on the floor if all 212 Democrats unite in opposition.
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IT’S OFFICIAL — Roll-call vote is over. 26 House Republicans said they would vote for someone else besides Tom Emmer for speaker on the floor.
A gigantic pool of nos.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 24, 2023
NEW: As Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) pursues his bid for House Speaker, new audio emerges of him questioning Trump: “I just don’t know that the guy in the White House is a very strong-minded guy.”
He made his comments post-Charlottesville at a Wright County GOP monthly meeting in 2017. pic.twitter.com/mU3qBiVFSV
— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) October 24, 2023
Raju: What is the option now? There are 26 Republicans against Emmer
McCarthy: Alright let’s not be so negative
Raju: You’ve gone three weeks without a Speaker! pic.twitter.com/QF2nOp6i1q
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) October 24, 2023
House Dems Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (CA) on Rep. Dean Phillips’ (D-MN) suggestion that he may vote “present,” or not be present, to lower the threshold when Rep. Tom Emmer’s (R-MN) Speaker vote reaches the full chamber:
“That isn’t a conversation that we’ve had.” pic.twitter.com/u2lqMGWKvP
— The Recount (@therecount) October 24, 2023
If Tom Emmer wins the speakers nomination, can he get 217 on the floor?
One member, Rick Allen, tells me here he’s a NO on Emmer over his vote to codify same-sex marriage.
Speaker nominee can only lose four GOP votes on floor if all members vote for candidate pic.twitter.com/uEvQl2VxvH— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 24, 2023
No one would believe you if you said the Democrats nominated someone for Speaker of the House who is opposed to gay marriage. With good reason–they would never do so. But today the Republicans nominated Tom Emmer to the post and he voted in favor of two guys marrying. Spineless.
— Catholic League (@CatholicLeague) October 24, 2023
