Could a Democrat become Speaker of the House?
With Republicans showing stark divisions within the caucus over who could become the next Speaker of the House, some wonder, could a Democrat be chosen?
After the historic ousting of Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as Speaker of the House last week and the brief recess that followed, members of Congress have returned to Washington.
The first vote to elect a new speaker came on Wednesday afternoon but quickly showed the stark divisions within the GOP caucus that will make agreeing on a new leader challenging.
However, until a new Speaker is elected, the chamber is paralyzed, with the possibility of a government shutdown looming. Shortly before Rep. McCarthy was vacated as Speaker, a government shutdown was averted, but the funding bill passed only kept the lights on for forty-five days.
During the first round of votes, the two candidates, Ohio Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA), each received 99 and 113 votes, respectively.
The Democrats have made clear that they are unwilling to support a Republican and that their candidate for Speaker in Representative and House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Could a Democrat be elected Speaker?
Yes. There are no rules that forbid the minority party from electing a Speaker from their party with support from the majority party. Based on the current spilt in the House, Rep. Jeffries would need eight GOP votes to take the gavel. Those eight votes would be tough to come by, but if the chaos with the GOP drags on, the likelihood that some moderate Republican members could ditch their party becomes more likely. Casting a vote for Rep. Jeffries would likely be the end of their career in Republican politics, but if they have other career aspirations, it could be a sacrifice worth making.