AFPSteve Scalise
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 04:08
American politician Steve Scalise has withdrawn as a candidate for chairman of the House of Representatives. The Republican has failed to gain sufficient support from his fellow party members.
Scalise should succeed Kevin McCarthy, who was removed from office last week by a majority of the House of Representatives. In addition to all Democrats, radical members of the Republican party also voted for McCarthy’s departure.
It is not clear who is now in the picture to become chairman on behalf of the Republicans. Another candidate, Jim Jordan, supported by former President Trump, reported yesterday that he was no longer interested in the position. Yesterday, Scalise received 113 votes from his party colleagues, compared to 99 for Jordan. Many lawmakers who voted for Jordan are refusing to support Scalise, according to The New York Times.
Scalise needed a majority to become chairman. He was only allowed to receive four votes against this from his Republican party colleagues. However, according to CNN, there were twenty Republicans who did not want to vote for Scalise. He did not have to count on support from the Democrats anyway. They were all expected to vote for their group leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
US government on lockdown
The chaos within the Republican Party could have major consequences for the functioning of the American government. In mid-November, the federal government threatens to close down (a so-called shutdown) if the Republicans and Democrats cannot reach an agreement on the budget. In that case, civil servants are sent home en masse and public places such as parks and museums close.
Furthermore, it is expected that President Biden will ask the American Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate) for money for Israel, Ukraine and defense. A shutdown was prevented two weeks ago, thanks to a proposal from McCarthy. The agreement that McCarthy made with the Democrats ultimately led to his impeachment.
The Speaker of the House has an important position in the line of succession: if the President and Vice President fail, he or she will move into the White House.
2023-10-13 02:08:47
#Chaos #politics #continues #House #Representatives #leaderless
