The field to become the next speaker of the House swelled to nine Republican candidates Sunday as lawmakers looked to end weeks of chaotic intraparty squabbling.
House Republicans will meet privately on Monday to debate the candidates in a forum and choose a nominee on Tuesday by secret ballot.
The Republican conference voted privately not to put Rep. Jim Jordan forward again after three failed floor votes.
A USA Today/Suffolk University poll released Sunday showed that a majority of Americans, 67%, say the House should choose a speaker as soon as possible because of the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war and a government funding deadline drawing near.
The nine Republicans vying for speaker are Jack Bergman of Michigan, Byron Donalds of Florida, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Daniel Meuser of Pennsylvania, Gary Palmer of Alabama, Austin Scott of Georgia and Pete Sessions of Texas.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted on Oct. 3, has endorsed Mr. Emmer, the majority whip.
SEE ALSO: Emmer, Donalds among 9 Republicans vying to be House speaker
“He knows how to do the job across the street, at the same time, helping us win the majority,” Mr. McCarthy said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“He sets himself head and shoulders above all those others who want to run. We need to get him elected this week and move on and bring this not just party together but focus on what this country needs most,” he said.
The California Republican also criticized his party for its inability to coalesce around a single candidate after failed bids by Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Mr. Jordan of Ohio, chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
“I just know this is not a time to play games,” Mr. McCarthy said. “This is embarrassing for the Republican Party. It’s embarrassing for the nation, and we need to look at one another and solve the problem.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael T. McCaul, Texas Republican, also called the saga “embarrassing” but said he is undecided on whom he will support.
“I want a speaker in the chair so we can move forward and cover my issues, my committee of war and peace,” Mr. McCaul said on ABC’s “This Week.” “It’s too dangerous right now. The world’s on fire. This is so dangerous what we’re doing. And most importantly, it’s embarrassing because it empowers and emboldens our adversaries.”
SEE ALSO: Rep. Kevin McCarthy: Process for next House speaker is ‘embarrassing for the nation’
Moderate Republicans are pushing for a loyalty pledge among members to support the eventual nominee amid increased frustration with conservative hard-liners who ousted Mr. McCarthy and refused to back Mr. Scalise.
The Republican pushing that pledge, Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska, told The Washington Times over the weekend that he and others are “getting to the point now where the rank and file, the ones that are always on the team, are sick of it.”
“We want to see a change,” Mr. Flood said. “And when you lose the people that sit quietly and want to be on the team … and we’re sick of being tossed around like pinballs in this whole situation, then watch us vote ‘present.’”
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington of Texas revealed Sunday in a statement that he would not run for speaker.
Instead, he pitched a message of unity and vowed to back whichever candidate a plurality of the Republican Conference chooses.
“From my perspective, the real question for House Republicans isn’t ‘Who will lead us as our next speaker?’ but rather ‘Are we ready to be led as a team?’ The greatest threat to our conservative agenda isn’t the Democrats; it’s disunity,” Mr. Arrington said.
“The American people are weary of our dysfunction. At some point, we have to reunite as a conference, refocus on our common cause, and get back in the fight for the future of our country,” he said.
Former Rep. Liz Cheney, Wyoming Republican, blamed Mr. McCarthy for his demise as speaker and for empowering his opponents by not combating former President Donald Trump.
She said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Mr. McCarthy “[looked] the other way in the face of the kind of assault on our democracy that we have seen from Donald Trump and his allies in the House.”
Mr. Sessions pitched himself as a unifier and touted his credentials as former chairman of House Republicans’ campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee.
“When we work together, we’re very effective and we get our job done,” he said on Fox News. “We’re a little bit divided. It’s time to come together. I believe that I can do exactly that.”
Mr. Johnson, House Republican Conference vice chair, wrote in a letter to colleagues that the Republican majority is at a “critical juncture” and “must provide principled leadership.”
“It is our duty to chart a new path, and answer with clarity and conviction who we are, why we are here, and what we are fighting for,” he wrote.
Mr. Emmer also wrote to colleagues, saying the “Conference remains at a crossroads and the deck is stacked against us.
“We have no choice but to fight like hell to hold on to our House majority and deliver on our conservative agenda,” Mr. Emmer said.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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