Posted on 10/24/2023 9:24:36 AM PDT by JSM_Liberty
House Republicans nominated House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) for Speaker on Tuesday, making him the third GOP lawmaker who will attempt to get 217 votes to secure the gavel.
The conference selected Emmer — the No. 3 House Republican — for the position in a secret ballot during an internal election that lasted three hours, choosing him over six other candidates vying for the job. Two Republicans withdrew their names from the race before voting began.
Emmer, 62, will now take his nomination to the House floor, where he will have to muster enough votes to win the gavel — a heavy lift that the previous two GOP Speaker nominees failed to achieve. If all lawmakers are present and vote for a specific candidate, Emmer will need at least 217 votes.
It may also be a hard climb for Emmer, who has a less conservative voting record than some members would like.
He has voted in favor of codifying same-sex marriage; in favor of spending bills and a debt limit deal that outraged hardliners; and opposed votes on Jan. 6, 2021, objecting to 2020 election results.
Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) said he will not back Emmer for Speaker because of his vote in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which was passed by Congress last year and gives federal protections to same-sex marriages.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) on Tuesday said the conservative House Freedom Caucus is not committing to backing Emmer on the floor.
“We’ll see, all of them have different characters, different qualities and we’ll see how it goes,” he told reporters when asked if he would back Emmer.
“We want to sit down with whoever gets it as a Freedom Caucus and understand what their roles —what their roles will be, what they want to push and things like that,” he added.
Emmer’s nomination is the latest development in the long-winded Speaker saga, which has fractured the GOP conference and left the House at a standstill. The chamber is unable to conduct legislative business on the floor without installing a permanent Speaker or empowering Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), a reality that has prevented lawmakers from advancing key priorities like government funding and aid for Israel and Ukraine.
Tuesday marked exactly three weeks since eight Republicans banded with Democrats to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his post.
And for Emmer — the no-nonsense former collegiate hockey player — Tuesday marks the pinnacle of his career on Capitol Hill. The Minnesota Republican came to Congress in 2015 and served two stints as chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) before rising to majority whip.
Emmer led the House GOP’s campaign arm when Republicans regained the majority in 2022, winning a net-nine seats that delivered them their slim, five-seat majority. Since that victory, he has been instrumental in helping the GOP conference secure a list of legislative wins.
Even Freedom Caucus members have praised Emmer throughout the year for being an honest broker. His office has been a frequent gathering place for Republicans this year as they hashed out internal disagreements.
In a letter to colleagues announcing his candidacy, Emmer pledged to “always be honest and direct with all of you, even if we disagree.”
“I will never make a promise I cannot fulfill,” Emmer wrote. “I expect to be held accountable, and you can expect that we will also keep you to your word.”
The House GOP’s path to nominating Emmer was muddy.
Last week, House Republicans voted to drop Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as the conference’s nominee after he fell short of the gavel on three floor votes. Before that, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) withdrew his name from the race after Jordan backers said they would not support him on the House floor.
The floodgates then opened, with nine candidates throwing their hat in the ring as the conference’s next best chance to break the Speaker impasse.
Republican Reps. Dan Meuser (Pa.) and Gary Palmer (Ala.) withdrew their names before voting began, while Emmer, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), House Republican Conference Vice Chairman Mike Johnson (R-La.), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) remained in the running.
Emmer was seen as an early frontrunner in the crowded field to be the third Republican Speaker nominee because his rank in the GOP conference, his experience of running in leadership races and an early endorsement from McCarthy, who threw his support behind the Minnesotan even before he formally jumped in the race.
Emmer was also able to breathe a small sigh of relief after former President Trump made positive comments when asked about the Minnesota Republican — which followed negative remarks from Trump loyalists aimed at him.
Former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon, for example, called Emmer a “Trump hater.” And Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn, speaking on former Bannon’s “War Room” show Friday, knocked Emmer for not yet endorsing Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Emmer has said he does not plan to endorse any primary candidate.
But while in New Hampshire on Tuesday, when a reporter said Emmer had not always been Trump’s biggest fan, the former president said: “I think he’s my biggest fan now because he called me yesterday, and he told me, ‘I’m your biggest fan,’ so I don’t know about that.”
“I’ve always gotten along with him,” Trump added of Emmer.
The pair also spoke ahead of Tuesday’s internal election.
This is how the deep state stays in power. The Democrats AND the republicans ARE the deep state. They're playing you to keep out alternatives.
I got that when the Republican establishment teamed with Deep State to try and frame Trump for Russian collusion, when it rigged the 2020 election and was complicit in setting up the J6 protesters.
What you're not getting is that all isn't sustainable and won't be accepted.
He’s going to win because the Rats support him. Worst possible option and of course that is who the Repukes go for. They had to find someone that Dems support but Trump doesn’t.
We'd have politicians in it standing on principle and representing its base and would eventually put the Republican party out of business.
Gaetz just wanted some TV time and attention. He got that. He’s fine with the outcome, undoubtedly.
Agree, and we're talking BOTH democrat dems and republican dems.
If you want a Trump/MAGA/America First party then vote for such candidates in the Republican primaries.
If such a candidate can’t win a Republican primary there is little chance they could win a general election as a thrid party candidate.
Dear Holy Father, purge the corrupt from our congress, in the Name of Jesus.
Re: 66 - Will be interesting to see how Gaetz votes.
He can’t vote Present.
He HAS to vote No. Otherwise he looks like a... Gaetz.
Amen.
Trump has had near 8 years to built a political coalition of support. If he can’t win now that is his fault and no one else’s.
Not one more Dam* Dime for Ukraine.
And not one more dam* American good job supplying Europe with energy.
LOL. Some people reading that post, including party activists will get a cardiac.
If we have a third party for conservatives, then the democrats are going to win for the next 100 years, and it will be unlimited spending, and our children will be stolen and brainwashed, and political opponents will be prosecuted in kangaroo courts and we will lose our freedoms and we will have marxism e.t.c.
Master strategist Matt Gaetz will spring his well thought out plan any minute now and save us!!! I’ll bet it will involve joining with the Dhimmicrats to get a true conservative elected? /s
He is a Soros Acolyte, a very hard and emphatic NO!!!!!!
From the article:
“Though he would vote to certify the results on January 6, 2021,“
So he covered his ass by expressing some doubts and went on to certify. He is a rino cuck. Why do think Mitch and the boys are pushing Emmer?
He HAS to vote no - no choice.
FU and your uni-party check comment.
I wanted Jordan too - but it isn’t gonna happen.
We’re stuck with something less than all of us wanted.
Let’s get moving forward with at least showing the American voters that we’re not a bunch of feuding hillbillies, ideologues and spoiled teenagers.
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