Steve Scalise Makes His Case, Sharing the Big Reason This Speaker Battle 'Needs to Be Resolved Soon'

Red State ^ | 10/06/2023 | Becca Lower

[SeekAndFind]

Screenshot credit: Fox News

If there is a story over the past few days that changed more than the one on the battle over choosing a new House Speaker, I don't know what it is. It's sometimes been like trying to navigate a raft on a rapidly churning river. I'll attempt here to bring you all up to date. We've had everything from candidates scurrying around, working on gathering potential "voters" in the Republican caucus, to even former President Donald Trump hinting that he might be willing to take on the role -- if he wasn't busy leading the Republican presidential primary field "by about 50 points."

Then there was word, late Thursday, that Trump would endorse Rep. Jim Jordan (R.-Ohio). But by first thing Friday, the candidate list appeared to narrow to just two: Jordan and  Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R.-La.), 

There was also a Speaker candidate debate set up by Fox News, which was scheduled for next Monday -- until it got canceled, as we reported Friday afternoon.

Rep. Scalise sat down on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" to make his case for the Speakership in the morning, though. He addressed the 800-pound elephant (pardon the pun) in the room -- Trump's endorsement of Jordan:

We [Trump and I] spoke, obviously. A lot of friendships in this race. A lot of folks that have been talking to other folks on the outside to bring into this race. There's a lot of interest in this race.

He talked about the "problems" that exist within the GOP conference, which he said won't be solved right away, until things are "back on track"::

The problems that we have internally, they don't go away with the new speaker. But the real question the members have is how do we get things back on track? And the reason I've been able to build such a strong base of support over these last few days that's been growing is that I've got a long proven record and somebody who knows how to unify Republicans to fight on the battles that matter for the families who gave us this majority.

Then Scalise checked off the battles Americans who elected them care about:

They want us to be fighting over border security, getting spending under control. It's driving inflation. The things that we came here to do are what we've got to get back on track doing. And that's the conversations we've been having these last few days. And we're going to continue having.

The final thing he made sure to stress was that the "real fight" is even more important for him and his congressional colleagues to win after the Speaker battle ends:

Republicans must unify and fight for the things we told Americans we’d do:
- Secure the border
- Cut spending
- End the Dems' weaponization of government against political rivals

I've built coalitions and unified Republicans to win battles before—and I'm ready to do it again. pic.twitter.com/tQvP1Dn7EE— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) October 6, 2023

Scalise said:

We got to get this resolved soon. That's going to get resolved Wednesday in our conference. But then we've got to go back fighting for those families who are struggling because that's what the real fight's about.

The fight continues, and we'll keep you posted on where it goes from here.

[drSteve78]

Straight up vote for either Jordan or Scalise, and be done with it. Fifteen minutes.

[Mr. N. Wolfe]

RINOs and establishmentarians love him because he’s one their own.

I hope Jim Jordan wins.

[ConservativeInPA]

Scalice is part of the problem. There’s no way I want to see him become speaker. He’s been part of the GOP House leadership, the same leadership that caved on the debt limit. He’s so damn good that there isn’t a debt a limit. It’s the same leadership that can’t read a calendar. Every year, they don’t know when October 1st is. Instead we get a CR, followed by an omnibus. I’m fairly certain it will happen again. There’s absolutely zero team work by the current GOP leadership. They are unable to work towards a common goal of writing 12 appropriation bills under regular order and do it in a timely manner.

I really don’t care about the ugly details of how they they get the entire Republican caucus to pass spending bills that actually cut spending, but it needs to be done. They can blackmail, threaten scandals or even death. I do not like politicians and I really do not care what happens to them. I do care about my children and grandchildren becoming debt slaves. $2 Trillion budget deficits that turn into an additional $2 Trillion of debt each year is not sustainable.

When people do not perform in private sector business, they get fired. Well, at least in non-woke business that happens. America needs to become a meritocracy again and that begins by a functioning Congress. The entire GOP House leadership needs to be fired. They have failed. Scalice is the second biggest failure, right behind McCarthy. He’s a do nothing, lazy ass that brings zero to the table.

[Colo9250]

That is a really good post! Thank you.

Jordan is the only chance we have to keep the House in 2024 and we have Mr. Matt Gaetz to thank for making that possible.
If he had not removed McCarthy the House would have continued it’s downward slide into disaster. Matt deserves to move up to a leadership position.

[ballplayer]

Jordan,he is against more money for Biden’s traitorous coverup in Ukraine,Scalise wants more money for Ukraine that should disqualify him

[chopperk]

If time is such an issue, why are all these clowns on vacation?

[nuconvert]

“I hope Jim Jordan wins.”

I don’t. I think he’s needed right where he is.

[MNJohnnie]

They are not on vacation. This was one of the regularly District Work Weeks. We want congresscritters to regularly go home where their voters can get at them, not hiding out in DC 24-7-365.

Despite the hysteria in the Fake News, this is not a crisis.

The Congress goes on a normal under a Speaker Pro Tem. They could not bother with a Speaker until Jan of the next Congress if they liked the Speaker Pro Tem. They only time they must elect a new Speaker is in January of a new Congress to swear in the members and set the rule
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[Kazan]

Scalise is nothing but McCarthy 2.0.

[TBP]

I agree with him on one thing — the sooner we can resolve this, the sooner we can get back to business.

[dfwgator]

Nah, I prefer Congress to do nothing.