Republicans choose Tom Emmer as candidate for speaker of the House of Representatives | International

Republicans are trying to find a solution to the chaos in which they have plunged the House of Representatives with the impeachment of its president, Kevin McCarthy. Three weeks after his dismissal due to a motion of censure presented by the radical Matt Gaetz, the parliamentary group met this Tuesday behind closed doors in the Capitol to try to agree on a candidate. After successive rounds of voting, the chosen one was Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer. That, however, does not guarantee the support of all of his people in the plenary session, so the uncertainty continues.

After McCarthy's resignation, the first person chosen by the Republicans was Steve Scalise, but several members of his group made it clear that they would boycott his election, so he did not appear at the plenary session. Later, the parliamentary group proposed the extremist Jim Jordan, but then it was the moderates who stood down. After the third lost vote, the Republicans voted to withdraw his nomination and return to square one in search of an alternative.

Nine congressmen expressed their interest in running for the position, although one did not formalize his candidacy and another withdrew at the last minute. This Tuesday, the parliamentary group met behind closed doors and, after several rounds of voting in which the candidates with the least support were left out, the chosen one was Emmer, who obtained 117 votes among the 221 members of his group. . The finalist among the rest of the candidates was Mike Johnson, congressman from Louisiana, and electoral denier who refused to recognize Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential elections. In the last vote he achieved 97 supports.

With a narrow majority in which a candidate needs to achieve 217 votes in the plenary session, the Republicans can hardly afford any defections. The different candidates have signed a commitment to support the winner, but that commits only them personally and not the members of their respective political families. The Republican hardliners once again have veto power and it remains to be seen if they use it.

The Republican group was preparing to hold another secret vote after noon on Tuesday to check whether the congressmen are willing to close ranks. If it is seen that there is a sufficient majority, it is expected that this same Tuesday the plenary session will meet to vote again. If there are too many rebels who do not commit to supporting him, any vote may be delayed.

Tom Emmer, 62, was the Number Three of the parliamentary group behind McCarthy and Scalise. In this round he was the favorite of the previous House speaker. He is “far above everyone else who wants to run,” McCarthy said of him this Sunday in an interview on NBC. “We have to get him elected this week and move forward,” he added. Emmer, however, does not have Trump's support, as he voted in favor of certifying Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. He has a long history within the party and was chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Former President Donald Trump has indicated these days that he has tried to stay out of the vote, which is not true, since he even offered himself as a solution in case of need and then decisively supported Jim Jordan, who was defeated in the plenary session. This Monday, in a joking tone, he referred to how difficult it is to reach a consensus candidate: “There is only one person who can do it until the end. Do you know who he is? Jesus Christ,” he said in New Hampshire. “If Jesus came down and said, 'I want to be a spokesman,' he would do it. Other than that, I have not seen anyone who can guarantee it,” he concluded.

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