Kevin McCarthy, Other Republicans Call Stalemate 'Embarrassing' As House GOP Scrambles To Appoint Speaker: 'This Is So Dangerous'

The race for the Speaker of the House among Republicans is back to square one, leading to widespread embarrassment within the Grand Old Party.

What Happened: Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.), who was ousted from his position earlier this month, described the situation as “embarrassing for the Republican Party, embarrassing for the nation,” reported CNBC.

A number of Republican candidates have since expressed interest in the post, including Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who is currently seen as a frontrunner.

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The decision to seek a new nominee came after an internal vote among Republicans. “This is a lot like high school but even more so, so hopefully we’ll get past this,” said Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), emphasizing the need to resolve the stalemate quickly.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich criticized the delay, saying Republicans “shouldn’t bring anybody out until they have 217.” He also expressed a desire to see women in the running, noting the lack of female candidates among the current nine.

Here is the list of the Republican candidates running for House Speakership:

• Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.)
• Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.)
• Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.)
• Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.)
• Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA)
• Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)
• Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tx.)
• Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.)
• Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.)

Why It Matters: The deadlock occurs at a particularly challenging time, with global events like the Israel-Hamas war and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine requiring decisive action from the House.

The Republicans will reconvene on Monday to discuss potential candidates and aim for a floor vote on Tuesday.

"The world's on fire," Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said, adding, "This is so dangerous what we're doing and most importantly, it's embarrassing, because it empowers and emboldens our adversaries."

Photo by Consolidated News Photos on Shutterstock

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