Rep. Tom Emmer could be House majority leader; GOP continues search for next House speaker
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was nominated by his fellow Republicans Wednesday for house speaker following the unprecedented removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy last week.
The leadership vacuum in the House has left Congress unable to conduct business.
RELATED: House Republicans select Steve Scalise as nominee for next speaker
WCCO spoke Tuesday with Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips about the historic ouster. He says he doesn't regret his vote to remove McCarthy, and suggested his colleague — Republican Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer — as a replacement. He says Republicans should act quickly.
"Congress cannot do a single thing until my GOP friends choose a new Speaker of the House. And it is their choice. They're in the majority. It is their task, it's their job. We cannot do anything. What should we do? We have to support Israel. We have to support Ukraine. It's not just about nations and other countries around the world. This is about an existential threat to freedom and to democracy," Phillips said.
RELATED: Rep. Dean Phillips steps down from leadership role over stance on Biden's 2024 candidacy
But Emmer isn't eyeing that job. Right now he is in the number three spot in House leadership as majority whip, and has said he wants to be majority leader, a position that would be open if Scalise is approved by the full U.S. House to be Speaker.
CBS News reports that Rep. Scalise beat fellow Republican Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, by a 113-99 vote Wednesday.
In the interim, Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry is serving as speaker pro tempore.
