House Republicans on Friday again rejected a proposal that their speaker candidate receive 217 votes in conference before holding a floor vote, Politico reported.
The GOP holds a slim 221-212 majority in the House, which has been without a speaker since Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was removed from the position Oct. 3.
The conference has failed to unite around one member to replace McCarthy.
Conservative Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and moderate Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., earlier this week led an effort for an amendment to "temporarily raise the threshold" for a nominee to the full 217 votes instead of simply requiring majority support within the Republican conference, Axios reported.
The GOP conference voted down the rule change on Wednesday morning, Roll Call reported.
Politico also reported the Republican conference on Friday rejected several other proposed changes to its internal rules, including a bid by Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., to require 80% support from within its ranks for any speaker candidate.
House Republicans returned to the Capitol on Friday morning prepared for a fifth straight day of closed-door meetings focused on finding the next speaker.
With Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., having dropped out of the race Thursday night after failing to secure the needed votes to win the speakership, much attention turned to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
Newsmax's John Gizzi reported Jordan again will put his name forward and likely will not be contested on the opening ballots. He lost 113-99 to Scalise in a closed-door Republican vote on Wednesday.
Jordan, the only declared candidate, remains short of the support needed to win on the floor, Politico reported.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a Jordan supporter said it would be difficult to unite 217 Republicans behind a candidate without a public vote.
"People have to say publicly therefore, otherwise, you don’t know who the holdouts are," Massie said, Roll Call reported. "Can we do that in our own conference without going to the floor? I’m not sure. Some people think we can."
House Republicans were expected to return to another round of private meetings later Friday afternoon, when Jordan was expected to address the conference.
Democrats remain united in support of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Politico said.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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