House Republicans selected House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) to be the next Speaker of the House this week.
After the secret ballot vote was over, the final count was 113 votes for Scalise and 99 votes for Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), even though Trump backed Jordan this past week.
The vote took place in a meeting with locked doors and no cell phones permitted.
“It is imperative that we ensure that the House is communicating to people worldwide that it is operational and focused on addressing the needs of the people,” Scalise stated following the vote.
He also said, “There is a lot of important work to be done for people who are struggling not just in the United States but all over the world.”
He said, “We are going to give you that vision. Of course, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Scalise needs 217 votes, which is the number of votes needed for a simple majority if all of its members are present. This would make him Speaker of the House.
There were Republicans who didn’t want to bring Scalise forward before they made sure they had 217 votes from their own party.
In the House, Republicans hold a slim advantage over Democrats, 221-212.
Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY) said, “I don’t think it’s smart to bring this up quickly unless you’ve got 217 votes. It will be interesting.”
