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Rep. Steve Scalise’s (R-LA) chances to win the House speakership were on the brink on Thursday as the GOP civil war sparked by the downfall of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) continued to rage.
Droves of House Republicans have vowed to defeat Scalise’s campaign for Speaker—just one day after a majority of lawmakers nominated him over Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) for the position in a private vote.
The refusal of a number of House Republicans to support Scalise as the nominee ensures that the House GOP’s longtime No. 2 is far from achieving the near-unanimous support needed to win the Speaker’s gavel in a full vote on the House floor.