DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Speaker Mike Johnson’s historically narrow majority has shrunk even further
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Clare Foran | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

House Speaker Mike Johnson is overseeing one of the smallest House majorities in history as Congress confronts upcoming battles over government funding and contentious fights over immigration and impeachment. The razor-thin majority presents an enormous challenge for the speaker, leaving him with almost no room for error as he navigates demands from competing wings of his party. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s office has said that he will work remotely until returning to Washington in February as he recovers from a stem cell transplant. House Republicans were nearly evenly divided in the vote, a sign of the deep rift within the conference. The fate of these politically vulnerable members will be key to whether the GOP can hold onto its majority.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Bill Johnson, Kevin McCarthy’s, George Santos, Brian Higgins, Santos, Steve Scalise’s, Hal Rogers of, Johnson, McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden Organizations: Republicans, Ohio GOP, Youngstown State University, GOP Rep, Democratic, CNN, Republican, House Republican, House Republicans, GOP Locations: George Santos of New York, York, Washington, Hal Rogers of Kentucky

House Republicans unanimously voted to elect Rep. Mike Johnson as speaker on Wednesday in a stunning turnaround that came more than three weeks into a standoff that descended the chamber into a crisis of its own creation. Johnson, an unlikely candidate for speaker just weeks ago, was elected in 2016 and serves as the vice chairman of the House GOP conference. And by the evening, lawmakers spoke of a Johnson speakership as if it were all-but guaranteed. House Republicans sprung to their feet as House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik nominated Johnson for the speakership ahead of the vote on Wednesday, delivering a standing ovation as chants of “Mike” rang out. “Today is the day that House Republicans will humbly look in our hearts and elect Mike Johnson as speaker of the people’s House,” Stefanik said.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy’s gavel, Steve Scalise’s, Jim Jordan’s, Tom Emmer’s, Johnson, ” Johnson, he’s, Jordan, Donald Trump’s, –, He’s, Pete Aguilar, Donald Trump, ”, Emmer, didn’t, “, hasn’t, Elise Stefanik, Mike ”, ” Stefanik, Mike, Joe Biden, He’ll Organizations: Louisiana Republican, GOP, Republican, Democrats, Democratic, Republicans, Israel Locations: legislating, Ukraine, Gaza

CNN —As the House enters its third week without a speaker, nearly a dozen Republicans are vying to earn the support of their conference to wield the gavel, throwing the chamber into even more uncertainty. The chamber has been without a speaker since House Republicans ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy earlier this month. Nine House Republicans are running for the position, announced House GOP conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, including GOP Whip Tom Emmer, who is endorsed by McCarthy. Emmer has moved to lock in support across the ideological and geographic spectrum in the conference, giving him what many House Republicans believe is an advantage, according to GOP sources. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the vice chairman for the House Republican conference.

Persons: Jim Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, Elise Stefanik, Tom Emmer, McCarthy, Emmer, Donald Trump, Jack Bergman of, Byron Donalds of, Kevin Hern of, Mike Johnson of, Dan Meuser, Gary Palmer of, Austin Scott of Georgia, Jordan, Pete Sessions, Joe Biden, McCarthy’s, Steve Scalise’s speakership Organizations: CNN, Republicans, Nine, GOP, US Marines, Republican, Committee, House Republican, Texas Republican, Trump, White, Senate, Hamas Locations: Jack Bergman of Michigan, Byron Donalds of Florida, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Gary Palmer of Alabama, Ukraine, Israel

☆ House remains paralyzed with no end in sight for speakership battle after Jordan’s exit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Clare Foran | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —There is still no end in sight for the high-stakes speakership battle after House Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy more than two weeks ago. Frustrations and divisions have only intensified within the conference as Republicans search for a way to resolve the impasse. House Republicans are expected to hold a candidate forum Monday evening and more candidates are likely to throw their names into the running before then. Then, in the aftermath of McCarthy’s ouster, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s speakership nomination met a swift downfall when the conference failed to come together on his bid. The Ohio Republican fared worse in the vote than he had in previous failed rounds.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, McCarthy, McCarthy’s, Steve Scalise’s speakership, Jordan Organizations: CNN, Republicans, Ohio Republican

The anonymous text messages warned her husband – who has been a vocal holdout against Jordan – to back the Ohio Republican. Jordan on Wednesday condemned the death threats, saying “it’s just wrong.”“It should never happen,” Jordan said as he left his office Wednesday night. Womack derided what he called the “attack, attack, attack” tactics of Jordan allies against his Republican opponents. “Frankly, just based on what I’ve been through – I can only speak to myself and what my staff has been through over the last 24 or 48 hours – it is obvious what the strategy has been: Attack, attack, attack. There have also been pro-Jordan robocalls targeting voters in Rep. Carlos Gimenez’s district as well as other members’ district, according to the Florida Republican’s office.

Persons: Jim Jordan’s, Mariannette Miller, Meeks, Kay Granger, Nick LaLota, Steve Womack, Arkansas, there’s, Don Bacon’s, –, Jordan –, “, ”, won’t, ” Jordan, Kevin McCarthy’s, Jordan, “ it’s, “ It’s, It’s, Womack, Carlos Gimenez’s, Gimenez, McCarthy, Steve Scalise’s, Scalise Organizations: CNN, GOP, . New York Rep, ”, Nebraska Rep, Ohio Republican, House Republican, Wednesday, Republicans, Conservative, Republican, Rep Locations: Iowa, Jordan, ’, Florida

CNN —The House remains paralyzed with no end in sight to the Republican leadership crisis as GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio continues his bid for speaker despite facing stiff resistance. The House could hold a third vote for speaker as soon as Thursday afternoon, though no vote has been officially scheduled yet. Tensions are rising among House Republicans as pressure grows to find a way to resolve the standoff. Some of Jordan’s opponents have predicted that the Ohio Republican will lose even more support in Thursday’s speaker vote. There were four new Republican votes against Jordan and two that flipped into his column.

Persons: Jim Jordan of Ohio, Jordan, Wednesday’s, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Steve Scalise’s, Patrick McHenry of, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, Ohio Republican, Republicans, Caucus, Judiciary Committee Locations: Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Jordan

CNN —Rep. Jim Jordan’s speaker bid is in peril as the Ohio Republican confronts steep opposition from members of his own party, raising serious questions over whether he can flip enough holdouts to win the gavel. ET Wednesday in what could be a pivotal moment for Jordan’s candidacy that will show whether he is losing or gaining support. But it’s not clear if Jordan has a viable path forward in the race amid the deep divisions within the House GOP conference and the resistance he faces. Uncertainty over Jordan’s candidacy threatens to prolong the state of paralysis the House is currently stuck in. Scalise initially defeated Jordan inside the GOP conference to become the speaker nominee, but later dropped out of the race amid opposition to his candidacy.

Persons: Jim Jordan’s, Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, CNN’s Manu Raju, ”, Patrick McHenry of, didn't, CNN Jordan, Donald Trump, McCarthy, Steve Scalise’s, Scalise Organizations: CNN —, Ohio Republican, GOP, CNN, Caucus, Judiciary Committee, Republicans Locations: Ohio, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina

Lawmakers take to the House floor Tuesday to try to resolve their ongoing speaker standoff that has left the chamber without a leader for two weeks since Kevin McCarthy’s ouster. House Republicans nominated Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio for the post after their initial nominee bowed out of the race amid deep divisions within the conference. But the House Judiciary Committee chairman forged ahead anyway, as lawmakers grew impatient about the stalemate. Typically, some lawmakers pledge their vote in the first round as a good-faith show of support to their party’s speaker nominee. But it’s not clear that those votes will remain in place if the nominee does not prevail on an initial ballot.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy’s, Jim Jordan of, Jordan, Jordan’s, Steve Scalise’s, ” Jordan, “, Donald Trump, Trump’s, ” He’s, Trump, Jordan “, McCarthy Organizations: Republicans, Caucus, GOP Locations: Jim Jordan of Ohio, Manhattan, Jordan

Rep. Jim Jordan is the new GOP speaker nominee following Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s exit from the race. Jordan has the weekend to continue to make his case and attempt to flip holdouts, but he faces a steep uphill battle. But it soon became clear that Jordan also faces a stiff wall of resistance. That vote, which was cast by secret ballot, was 152 to 55, laying bare the major challenge Jordan faces in his bid for the gavel. Jordan or any other Republican speaker candidate can only afford to lose four GOP votes when the full House votes for speaker if all members are voting.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise’s, Jordan, Scalise, CNN’s Manu Raju, McCarthy, “, Feedback McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Chip Somodevilla, Austin Scott of Georgia –, Mike Garcia, ”, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, ” Gaetz, CNN’s Michael Smerconish, “ Jim Jordan, ” Jordan, Patrick McHenry of Organizations: CNN, Republicans, GOP, Rep, Ohio Republican, Hamas, CNN Republicans, Capitol, GOP Rep, Republican, Democrats, Caucus Locations: Ohio, Ukraine, Washington ,, Jordan, California, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina

As House Republicans struggle to govern, the party suffered another black eye Thursday evening when Majority Leader Steve Scalise abruptly withdrew from the speaker’s race amid hardened opposition from more than a dozen holdouts. Tensions are boiling over among House Republicans frustrated at the impasse and concerned over the path forward. The problem for me though is it’s not Jim’s fault so I’m just grappling with that,” he said. House Republicans control just a razor-thin majority and a speaker candidate can only afford to lose four defections and still win. We had a group that sabotaged Speaker McCarthy and now we’ve had a group that sabotaged Steve Scalise, both of them great people,” he said.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Mark Alford of, Jesus Christ, Jim Jordan, Scalise, Jordan, Don Bacon, CNN’s Manu Raju, that’s, Jim, Steve, ”, “ There’s, Austin Scott, Raju, “, ” “ We’ve, McCarthy, we’ve Organizations: CNN, Republicans, Hamas, GOP, House Republicans, Republican, Ohio Republican, Judiciary Locations: Mark Alford of Missouri, Ohio, Jordan

But not all Republicans want to see Jordan as speaker, second in line to the presidency. Overwhelmed and exhausted, anxious GOP lawmakers worry their House majority is being frittered away to countless rounds of infighting over rules, personalities and direction of the GOP. Handfuls of Republicans announced they were sticking with Jordan, McCarthy or someone other than Scalise — including Trump. The position as House speaker does not need to go to a member of Congress. Exasperated Democrats, who have been waiting for the Republican majority to recover from McCarthy’s ouster, urged them to figure it out.

Persons: Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, holdouts, Jordan, Jesus Christ, ”, Mark Alford, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, “, Jim Banks, ” Jordan, Richard Hudson, ” Hudson, Patrick McHenry, Hakeem Jeffries, Scalise, “ It’s, ” Scalise, McCarthy, Handfuls, Steve, ” Trump, Brian Kilmeade’s, Stephen Groves, Jill Colvin Organizations: WASHINGTON, GOP, Caucus, Republican, Ohio Republican, Republicans, New York Rep, Trump, Fox News, California Republican, Democrats, Associated Press Locations: Scalise, R, U.S, New York

And others, still, cited grievances with Scalise’s record or with maintaining the status quo by elevating the No. By Thursday afternoon, even lawmakers Scalise had previously flipped changed their minds, and his backing began deteriorating. And in a razor-thin GOP majority, Scalise needs the support of all but four of his conference to secure the gavel if every Democrat casts a ballot. “I love Steve Scalise,” Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee said heading into the conference meeting to determine the next steps. “I think we need to start voting.”Others said the disagreement should be fleshed out in private before proceeding to a floor vote.

Persons: Steve Scalise, “ We’re, Scalise, it’s, Jim Jordan of, Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, Max Miller of, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie of, Chip Roy, Nancy Mace, Carlos Gimenez, Lauren Boebert, Bob Good, Michael Cloud of, Barry Moore of, Lloyd Smucker, George Santos, George Santos of New York –, McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, speakership, Scalise’s speakership, ”, hasn’t, “ We’ve, Michael McCaul, “, Andy Ogles, I’m, Steve, ” Greene, Ralph Norman of, Donald Trump – Organizations: Louisiana Republican, Scalise, – Rep, Max Miller of Ohio, George Santos of New York, speakership, Rep, Republican, ” Locations: mended, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Colorado, Virginia, Michael Cloud of Texas, Barry Moore of Alabama, Pennsylvania, George Santos of, Florida, California, George Santos of New York, Israel, Tennessee, Ralph Norman of South Carolina

☆ Chaos in House GOP intensifies with Scalise’s speakership bid in peril
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

GOP lawmakers did select Steve Scalise as their nominee for the job that is second in the line of presidential succession on Wednesday. The worsening debacle in the House follows the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week by eight Republicans voting with Democrats. But some GOP leaders are irritated that the jockeying is distracting from the imperative to find a speaker. He was still well short of the 217 votes – a majority of the current House – needed to claim the speakership on the floor. “He has no path to 217,” one top House Republican said on condition of anonymity.

Persons: Steve Scalise, Scalise, CNN’s Manu Raju, Melanie Zanona, Steve, ”, Jim Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Tom Emmer, Kevin Hern, Byron Donalds of, ” Scalise, –, grandstanding, Donald Trump, Michael McCaul, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, “, Xi, Putin, Matt Gaetz, – it’s, holdouts, Joe Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene –, Trump, Jordan, Scalise –, ” Greene, Nancy Mace, David Duke, Mace, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Lauren Boebert, ” Boebert, …, Mike Lawler, Laura Blessing Organizations: CNN, The House Republican Party, Louisiana Republican, Republican, GOP, Ohio Republican, Texas, Foreign Affairs, Georgia, ” South Carolina Rep, Scalise, Ku Klux, ”, Republicans, New York Rep, Senate, Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute Locations: Wednesday’s, Washington, –, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Byron Donalds of Florida, Jordan, Israel, Florida, ”, Colorado

CNN —Rep. Steve Scalise announced he was dropping out of the speaker’s race Thursday after House Republicans failed to coalesce behind him in the aftermath of Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster. And Republicans scheduled a second members-only conference meeting for Thursday evening. But the opposition to Scalise as the next speaker only grew Thursday, with roughly 20 Republicans publicly opposing him. Scalise needs a majority of the House to be elected speaker, meaning he can only afford to lose four votes. The deadlock is leading to intensifying frustration as the House GOP looks no closer to coalescing around a speaker candidate.

Persons: Steve Scalise, Kevin McCarthy’s, “, ”, there’s, Scalise, I’m, Nicole Malliotakis, Jim Jordan of, Jordan, “ I’m, Andy Ogles, Kevin McCarthy, “ He’s, ” McCarthy, didn’t, Thursday’s, ” Scalise, It’s, Hakeem Jeffries, Paul Ryan, Thomas Massie, Dan Crenshaw, ” Jordan, Jordan didn’t, Steve, Donald Trump, ” Trump, that’s, –, Mark Green, Scalise can’t, Patrick McHenry of, Steve Womack, McHenry, Tom Cole of Oklahoma, can’t, Anna Paulina Luna, Joe Biden, Luna, don’t, Mario Diaz, Erin Houchin, Indiana Organizations: CNN —, Republicans, Louisiana Republican, GOP, New York Republican, Scalise, Fox, Republican, Kentucky Republican, CNN, Ohio Republican, Fox News Radio, Israel, Wednesday, Democrats, Republicans Democrats, Florida Republican, ”, ” Republican Locations: ”, Louisiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Tennessee, New York, Kentucky, Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Scalise, Israel, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Arkansas, “, Florida

An “American hero,” is how Republican colleagues describe Scalise after the 2017 shooting and on Wednesday, a narrow majority of them nominated him as their next House speaker following the unprecedented ouster of the former speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy rose to become Majority Leader, and Scalise the Majority Whip. One early morning three years later, Scalise and other Republican lawmakers gathered at a grassy park in the suburbs outside of Washington to practice for the upcoming congressional baseball game. When McCarthy seized the gavel in January once Republicans regained the majority, Scalise won the No. Late Wednesday, the speaker's office became a revolving door as holdout Republican lawmakers met with Scalise bringing their concerns, complaints and demands.

Persons: —, Steve Scalise, Kevin McCarthy, Scalise, we’ve, ”, Andy Barr, Ronald Reagan, McCarthy, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, Cantor, Donald Trump, ” Scalise, “, Scalise’s, Jennifer, ” Womack, Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jordan, David Duke, It’s, Boehner, Ryan, Trump, “ We’re, Chip Roy, Roy, Stephen Groves, Farnoush Amiri Organizations: WASHINGTON, Washington Nationals, Republican, Capitol, Republicans, House, eventual, Republican Party in Congress, U.S . Capitol Police, Capitol Police, Committee, Ku Klux Klan, Scalise, Freedom Caucus, Associated Press Locations: American, “, Washington, Scalise, Southern, Virginia, U.S, Louisiana “, people’s, Texas

House Republicans nominated Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana for speaker on Wednesday, in a major step toward electing a replacement to lead the chamber more than a week after Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster. 2 House Republican, with ample allies throughout the conference, an affable reputation and fundraising chops, was considered the favorite for the job. With the nomination, which required the support of a majority of Republicans, a chamber-wide vote on the House floor is expected to follow. Political Cartoons on Congress View All 254 ImagesWhether Jordan’s supporters are willing to back Scalise in a floor vote remains to be seen. But the added pressure on the House floor could also bolster Scalise’s path to victory.

Persons: Steve Scalise, Kevin McCarthy’s, Jim Jordan of, firebrand, Donald Trump, Jordan, McCarthy that’s, McCarthy, won’t Organizations: Republican, California Republican, Republicans, GOP Locations: Louisiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio, California

House Republicans are set to nominate a new speaker Wednesday, more than a week after the historic ouster of California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, as the chamber has been thrust into an unprecedented standstill. Two candidates have formally announced their bid for the speakership – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. But with a razor-thin GOP majority in the chamber, whether either can get the votes needed to secure the gavel remains to be seen. The rule change, sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican, appears to have strong support in the conference. Still, McCarthy told reporters Tuesday evening that he instructed members of his conference not to nominate him.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan of, McCarthy, Chip Roy, Scalise, who’s, ” Scalise, Jordan –, Donald Trump, Jordan Organizations: Republicans, Rep, GOP, Texas Republican, California Republican Locations: Louisiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Israel, Texas, California

☆ Opinion | Speaker McCarthy Is Feeling the Heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Michelle Cottle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Having sold his soul and torched his dignity to win his dream gig, the fledgling speaker of the House is struggling to find his groove. Even as the House gears back up after recess, Mr. McCarthy is having relationship troubles with key members of his own team. The speaker is said to have lost confidence in — and been privately dumping on — both men, The Times reported. (Mr. McCarthy has rejected that family fissures exist.) Some Capitol Hill denizens suspect Mr. McCarthy remains disgruntled about his messy speaker’s race, during which, The Times noted, Mr. Arrington reportedly floated Mr. Scalise’s name for the top job.

Search resuls for: "Scalise’s"

18 mentions found