Staff Reports
In a stunning turn of events, the House Republican Conference has rejected a proposed rule change that would have raised the threshold to advance a nominee for House speaker out of conference from a simple majority to 217. The rule change, put forward by Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, was shot down, much to the disappointment of conservative House Freedom Caucus members.
Now, with the proposed rule change out of the way, the House could advance a candidate out of conference and bring them to the floor as early as today. All it will take is a simple majority vote, meaning that the speaker nominee could be decided upon without the need for a higher threshold.
#BREAKING: House GOP makes major decision that could boost one candidate ahead of speaker vote
DETAILS: https://t.co/G9YKnU8sfR https://t.co/G9YKnU8sfR
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 11, 2023
This outcome is a major win for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and his supporters, who were against the rule change and actively campaigned against it. They were successful in their efforts, as Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas made a motion to table the amendment, and it passed. On the other side of the aisle, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and his supporters were in favor of the rule change, but ultimately their efforts fell short.
Overall, this rejection of the rule change highlights the divisions within the Republican Party and the importance of maintaining a strong conservative majority in the House. By rejecting this potential obstacle, the GOP has paved the way for a smoother path to selecting the next House speaker.
