In the chaotic search for a new speaker of the US House of Representatives, Republicans nominated the leader of their parliamentary group, Tom Emmer, as their candidate. The number three of the Republican faction prevailed today against seven other candidates in internal votes, the party announced. According to North American media, the conservative parliamentarian obtained 117 votes in the last round, while second place Mike Johnson obtained 97 votes.
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However, it is unclear whether Emmer will achieve the necessary 217-vote majority in the House of Representatives to be elected to the third-highest office in the United States.
Republicans currently have just a slim majority in the House of Congress, with 221 representatives, while President Joe Biden’s Democrats have 212 representatives. This means that a few dissenters among Republicans would be enough to make Emmer fail if Democrats voted unanimously against him.
The House of Representatives has been paralyzed for three weeks and is therefore unable to pass any laws or new military aid to Israel and Ukraine. The previous Republican “Speaker of the House”, Kevin McCarthy, was ousted on October 3 by a revolt by right-wing radicals within his own ranks. Weeks of chaos followed in the search for a successor.