US House of Representatives in turmoil as leading candidate suddenly withdraws from presidential race

"I just shared with my colleagues that I will be withdrawing my candidacy for speaker of the House... If you look at the last few weeks, if you look at where our party is, there is still work to be done... There are still some people who have their own agendas," Scalise told reporters on October 12, according to Reuters.

Congressman Steve Scalise

House Republicans held hours of closed-door talks on Oct. 12 but failed to resolve divisions that have stymied efforts to install Scalise as speaker, a position that has been vacant for nine days after Republican Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a revolt by far-right Republicans.

Mr. Scalise, the second-ranking Republican in the US House of Representatives, has been nominated by his party to replace Mr. McCarthy. Because the US House of Representatives is controlled by a slim majority of 221-212, the Republicans cannot afford to lose more than 4 votes within the party if they want Mr. Scalise to win a full vote in this legislative body.

Mr Scalise decided to withdraw after failing to secure the 217-vote minimum, as several Republicans said they would not support him.

Several House Republicans have said they will support Scalise’s opponent, Jim Jordan, who lost the party’s October 11 caucus to choose the nominee. Jordan has encouraged his supporters to vote for Scalise, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Republican infighting has prevented the US House of Representatives from acting to support Israel in its current conflict with Hamas and pass government spending bills before the temporary budget expires on November 17.

Republicans hope to avoid a repeat of January, when the party's far-right faction forced McCarthy to go through 15 rounds of voting over four days to win the speakership.

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