Speaker’s Race – House set to vote

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Tensions are high on the hill as we are still without a Speaker of the House.

Last week the front-runner, representative Steve Scalise dropped out when it was apparent he wouldn’t have the 217 votes needed to move forward.

The leading Republican candidate is Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan has a short record of passed legislation – he most recently served as chair of the House Judiciary committee. Jordan is also the chair of its controversial subcommittee which the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

Democrats remain united behind Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York but members don’t have to vote for either of them…in fact, they can vote for someone not even elected to the House.

The Speaker of the House controls what goes on the floor of the chamber and that means, right now, nothing can move forward until a new speaker is chosen.

Currently, house seats representing Rhode Island and Utah are vacant which reduces the total number of members from 435 to 433.

The majority needed to win the speaker’s chair right now is 217

The floor vote will proceed with the clerk reading out the names of each member in alphabetical order. The members will shout their preferred candidate in response.

The votes continue until someone gets the 217 majority.

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