Steve Scalise is one step closer to becoming House speaker. Here’s how he could approach a shutdown fight.

Fmr. congressman outlines race against time to select new Speaker

I mean, you've got some
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·Washington Correspondent

Thu, October 12, 2023 at 4:52 AM GMT+9·3 min read

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise won a significant victory in his quest to become speaker Wednesday as he gained the support of a majority of House Republicans and overcame a challenge from Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

Scalise’s quick victory in the GOP-only meeting means he now appears to be on the inside track to become speaker, although Wednesday’s developments are likely to set up a messy floor vote that could stretch for days.

The Louisiana politician received a bare majority of support, with lawmakers in the room reporting a final vote of 113 for Scalise to 99 for Jordan with 11 more lawmakers either supporting someone else or voting present.

The full floor vote to come will include Democrats, meaning just a few GOP lawmakers holding out could delay or perhaps even sink his final confirmation. Kevin McCarthy, operating under similar rules, required 15 votes before he secured the gavel in January.

On Wednesday afternoon, the House adjourned without a vote on Scalise's nomination as GOP leaders worked behind the scenes to try to line up the 217 votes that will be needed to push him over the finish line.

All this with less than 40 days until another government shutdown deadline.

"Obviously we still have work to do," Scalise told reporters following Wednesday’s meeting.

UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 11: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., R-Texas, is seen in the Capitol Visitor Center after an all members briefing on the attack on Israel on Wednesday, October 11, 2023. Scalise and the House Republican Conference were heading to the speaker of the house election in Longworth Building. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise at the US Capitol on Oct. 11. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Unlike his rival Jordan, Scalise prevailed without offering concrete plans of how he would keep the government open with a deadline looming next month. While Jordan made clear that border demands would be a nonnegotiable part of his position and floated a short-term idea for pushing the shutdown into next year, Scalise has been less detailed.

Like Jordan, Scalise has telegraphed the border would be a key focus but in less stark language. "We are going to have a conversation as Speaker Steve Scalise about securing America's border and what we've got to do to put in place real policies," he told Fox Business earlier this week while also arguing repeatedly in various forums that his main qualification for the job is what he says is his skill in bringing people together.