Republicans nominated Majority Whip Tom Emmer to replace the ousted US House speaker Tuesday, but his prospects for uniting the fractured party after weeks of chaos that have paralyzed Washington looked slim.
Congress has been at a standstill and unable to address multiple global crises, as well as the fast approaching threat of a government shutdown, since the historic dismissal of Kevin McCarthy in a right-wing rebellion on October 3.
Emmer emerged victorious from a series of secret ballots in a crowded field of potential replacements — but the House number three will still need to convince almost all of his fellow Republicans to back him in a vote on the House floor.
And the backlash against the 62-year-old establishment favorite began immediately, with as many as two dozen lawmakers — led by former president Donald Trump — indicating they would not support his bid for the gavel.
Emmer is very much the party’s Plan
D, with McCarthy still popular among the majority of House Republicans, and two potential replacements winning the nomination only to be humiliated as large sections of the party refused to back them in the House.
If he overcomes his critics, Emmer will be the least experienced speaker in more than a century, having never chaired a committee or held a senior leadership role for more than a few months.
And he could find himself presiding over a government shutdown unless he can cut a 2024 budget deal, favorable to his party, with much more seasoned negotiators, from Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to President Joe Biden.
He would also be expected to lead his deeply fractured conference through upcoming fights over funding for Ukraine and Israel in their conflicts with Russia and Hamas.
But he would have to win the job first, and with no vote scheduled the process remains deeply mired in uncertainty.
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