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Could Stefanik be next Speaker of the House?

Oct 03, 2023 12:51 pm

Pablo Manríquez writes in The New Republic that Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik could become the Speaker of the House of Representatives. On Oct. 3, Rep. Matt Gaetz filed a “motion to vacate the chair,” against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. More than the five necessary Republicans have said they will vote to vacate the chair, and Republicans in the majority will need to choose a new leader. In January, it took Republicans multiple votes to approve McCarthy. In The New Republic Manríquez writes that Minnesota’s Tom Emmer, the majority whip, and conference chair Stefanik are the top contenders to replace McCarthy. But Manríquez writes, "Emmer is widely regarded as a joke within the House GOP conference for his inability to, well, whip votes. Just last month, Emmer twice failed to get the votes to pass a rule to fund the Pentagon, the congressional equivalent to a shooting guard flinging an open layup into the bleachers." That leaves Stefanik, who represents Rensselaer County and the rest of the 21st Congressional District. Read more about this story in The New Republic.