Will the American Congress finally have a speaker on Wednesday? Republicans are organizing a series of elections to end the historic chaos they have been wreaking for more than a week in one of the world’s most powerful legislatures.
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With the removal of Republican Kevin McCarthy from the House of Representatives by members of his own party on October 3, the main powers of this institution were abrogated.
It makes it impossible for Congress to provide additional aid to Israel, a historic ally of the United States, after Hamas’ surprise offensive on Saturday. Or a new envelope for Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia, which has been discussed for weeks.
The Conservatives met at 10:00 a.m. (2:00 p.m. GMT) in the hope of putting an end to this unprecedented vacancy.
Scalise vs. Jordan
Republicans have had the majority in the House of Representatives since January and are therefore responsible for choosing the speaker.
But the “speaker” who has been in office for nine months has fallen – the victim of extremely high tensions between moderate elected officials and Trumpists in the party.
Since then, Republicans have been unable to agree on a successor.
Two candidates are vying for the spot:
On one side is the group leader Steve Scalise, 58, a member of the extreme right who suffers from blood cancer.
“It’s really, really important that Congress gets back to work,” he said shortly before the meeting.
On the other side, the combative Jim Jordan, a year his senior, at the head of the House Judiciary Committee. This elected official is close to Donald Trump, whose sponsorship he has already won.
Neither of these two men currently has enough support to be elected leader of the House of Representatives. A series of votes will be organized on Wednesday to decide between them. But it’s not out of the question that another name will emerge in this process that promises to once again expose the divisions among Republicans.
Biden calls for action
After agreeing on a name internally – which can take a few hours or a few days – the candidacy of a potential “speaker” is subject to a plenary vote in the bedroom chamber.
Joe Biden’s party is in the minority in the House of Representatives and is therefore primarily a spectator of the chaotic negotiations in Congress.
The Democratic president called on Congress to take “urgent action” as soon as possible to “fund the national security needs of our partners.”
Without a “speaker,” the American Congress cannot vote on a new state budget. The latter expires in a few weeks and once again puts the world’s leading economic power in danger of a political and financial impasse.