The U.S. House remains at a standstill with Republicans still deciding who they want as the next speaker. A vote could be held this week after House Democrats and eight far-right Republicans in the Freedom Caucus voted last week to remove Republican Kevin McCarthy as speaker.
East-central Missouri Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, a Republican, said the Freedom Caucus could cause problems again that would potentially lead to House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries winning the vote.
“When you have the slim margins that we have and you have some folks who are not there to support our team, and support the country, and then therefore themselves. It’s a very, very dangerous situation,” Luetkemeyer told Missourinet affiliate KWIX in Moberly. “They get up on the House floor- raise all kinds of hell, throw all kinds of rocks, walk out the back door and out the back door of the chamber there is a bank of TV cameras and microphones and go right to those microphones and TV cameras to get themselves on TV and raise all kinds of heck.”
Luetkemeyer accused the Freedom Caucus of using the situation for selfish interests.
“In January, whenever this was all going on with Kevin’s speakership run, after two days they went to him and said, ‘Oh by the way you’re not gonna have any sort of retribution actions against us are you whenever you become speaker?’ Wait a minute and they went on after that for two more days. They already knew he was going to be speaker. They just did this for their own glorification and to raise money,” said Luetkemeyer.
Luetkemeyer, along with Missouri Republicans Ann Wagner and Sam Graves have come out in support of Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise as the next speaker. Former President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan for the job.
Missouri Congressmen Eric Burlison, Jason Smith, and Mark Alford have not announced who they plan to vote for speaker.
With no clear frontrunner, McCarthy said he is willing to be reinstated if he gets enough Republican support.
Story by J.B. Connoley of Missourinet affiliate KWIX in Moberly
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