Who will be the next speaker of the Republican House?
Republican Party chief Kevin McCarthy (California) has been the GOP choice for the speakership. But he suddenly has a challenger.
Hardline Republican lawmaker Representative Andy Biggs (Arizona) announced he will challenge McCarthy for the House speakership.
The challenge could lead to utter turmoil within the party when the House reconvenes in January under a Republican majority, according to CNN.
It could set off a messy floor fight and leave the Republicans without a candidate who can win the needed votes to become a speaker.
Biggs already mounted a failed bid for the House Republican speaker nomination last month. But despite losing the GOP nomination to be speaker, the hard-right representative says he is indeed a candidate.
McCarthy was nominated for the speakership over Biggs last month by 188 of his fellow Republicans. At the time, Republicans said Biggs received 31 votes.
Biggs announced his candidacy in an op-ed for the conservative Daily Caller, calling for his colleagues to “break the establishment.”
“We cannot let this all too rare opportunity to effectuate structural change pass us by because it is uncomfortable to challenge the Republican candidate who is a creature of the establishment status quo, or because the challenge is accompanied by some minimal risk,” Biggs wrote.
Biggs and other conservatives from the House Freedom Caucus have criticized McCarthy for not taking a harder line against Democrats on priorities including government funding, defense and border security, Axios reports.
House speakers are elected on the floor by the full 435-seat chamber, including Republicans and Democrats, with 218 votes needed for success.
To become elected speaker, McCarthy can only afford to lose four votes when the House reconvenes, Reuters reports.
The vote is scheduled for Jan. 3 when Republicans are due to take control with a 221-seat majority.
If McCarthy can’t win 218 votes on the first ballot, it will go to multiple ballots until someone does – something that hasn’t happened in about a century.
The move comes as the speakership fight has begun to completely overshadow their party’s plans in the majority.
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