Who should succeed Kevin McCarthy?

The faction will discuss behind closed doors how the party can present a promising candidate this time to become the new Speaker of the House of Representatives. The issue appeared to be resolved earlier this week when House Republican Leader Steve Scalise narrowly won the nomination in a secret ballot.

Scalise won by 113 votes to 99 for his internal rival and Trump loyalist Jim Jordan. Because of this narrow outcome, according to many, Scalise had no chance when the entire House had to vote on his presidency. Therefore, he withdrew from the race on Thursday, one day after his candidacy.

The Republican caucus is deeply divided over the direction of the party, which is why Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy became the first House speaker to be fired. Eight Republicans voted alongside Democrats in favor of McCarthy’s exit.

No consensus

There are 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats in the House of Representatives. Given this narrow majority, faction unity is a prerequisite for fielding a candidate. But according to American media, the party is far from united. On Friday, the faction will examine whether the candidate could be selected in another way to speed up the process.

The Speaker of the House holds an important position in American politics. He or she is the second person in the line of presidential succession after the vice president. Without a speaker, new legislation cannot be passed in the House of Representatives, a problem as members must agree on the budget again in the middle of next month.

If Congress – which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate – fails to approve a new budget, the government will run out of money and so-called… close. After that, many government services are forced to close their doors and send their employees home on unpaid leave.