Republicans rudderless as Speaker mess consumes House

House Republicans are leaderless and rudderless as they go back to the drawing board to sketch a path out of the mess they’ve gotten themselves into.

Internal division and opposition led to Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) withdrawing his name from the Speaker’s race Thursday, just one day after he won the party’s nomination for the gavel.

Some members are rushing to rally support behind the runner-up in the internal election, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who said he would wait until Friday to announce his intentions. But even the founding member of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus appears to have an uphill battle to unite the fractious GOP conference.

As Republicans prepare to meet again Friday to game out a new path forward, many members are left wondering who — if anyone — could rally enough support to win the Speakership and resume legislative business in the House.

“I’m a freshman caught up in this maelstrom; we’re a ship that doesn’t have a rudder right now, and I’m thoroughly disappointed in the process,” Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.), who said he was surprised by Scalise’s announcement, told reporters following the GOP meeting.

Meanwhile, the House is paralyzed and unable to push through legislation as war breaks out in Israel and the clock ticks closer to a Nov. 17 government funding deadline, raising the stakes for the House lawmakers.