A group of 45 supporters of former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is urging their Republican colleagues to implement "significant changes" that would increase the difficulty of removing
whoever may succeed him as speaker.
As the slender 221-212 Republican majority in the House of Representatives gears up to choose a new speaker, a one-page letter highlights the contentious atmosphere prevailing in the stalled chamber, particularly with a new government shutdown deadline approaching on November 17.
Primarily composed of centrists, this coalition is advocating for rule modifications that would ensure that only a few Republicans cannot join forces with House Democrats to unseat a speaker or obstruct party priorities.
They emphasized, "We cannot allow our majority to be influenced by the alliance between the disruptive caucus and the minority party, as this will only ensure the failure of our next speaker."
Many of these signatories have previously called for changes to a rule that permits a single lawmaker to trigger a vote to remove the speaker from their position.
Two Republican representatives, Steve Scalise, the second-in-line to McCarthy's leadership, and Jim Jordan, a vocal conservative who has spearheaded investigations into the Biden administration and secured former President Donald Trump's endorsement, are currently campaigning to replace McCarthy.
The Republicans are slated to vote for their nominee on Wednesday, with the possibility of another contender, Representative Kevin Hern, entering the race.
Jordan welcomed Trump's endorsement and stated that he was engaging with fellow lawmakers to garner support for his candidacy. He said, "We've received broad support across the board, and we'll continue our efforts."
McCarthy's removal from the top congressional post made him the first House speaker in U.S. history to face such an ouster, occurring shortly after he incurred the displeasure of his hardline critics by relying on Democratic votes to pass a temporary spending bill, averting a government shutdown.
Representative Matt Gaetz, who led the campaign to unseat McCarthy, now confronts calls for his removal from the party conference. Photo by US House Photography, Wikimedia commons.