US House Republicans struggle to agree on new leader By Reuters

By Moira Warburton and David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday prepared to pick another candidate to lead the chamber, though it was unclear whether any would be able to surmount the internal divisions that led heir apparent Steve Scalise to abandon his bid.

Republican infighting has left the House essentially paralyzed for 10 days straight, as lawmakers have deadlocked over a successor to Kevin McCarthy, who was forced out by a small group of Republican insurgents on Oct. 3.

Party lawmakers were due to hear from candidates Republicans at 1 p.m. ET (1700 GMT), with a possible closed-door nominating vote to follow.

Hardline conservative Jim Jordan said he would seek the gavel, after narrowly losing to Scalise in a nominating vote on Wednesday. But he faced skepticism from Scalise allies, who were angry that lawmakers had failed to unite behind his bid.

Other possible candidates include McCarthy, who has not discouraged talk of a comeback, Representative Patrick McHenry, who now holds the job on a temporary basis, and Representatives Kevin Hern and Tom Cole, lawmakers said.

A successful candidate would need to secure 217 votes from the splintered 221-212 Republican majority to win the job.

Republicans considered and rejected a rule that would require any nominee to lock up 217 of their votes before moving to a public vote on the House floor.

“We need to focus on the person that can get the votes and get the job done as quick as we can, get it done and move on,” Representative Roger Williams said.

That led some to suggest an alternative path: Expanding McHenry’s powers, which would enable the House to take up aid to Israel and other pressing matters.

“If we can’t solve this today, we need to expand Patrick McHenry’s authority,” Representative Dan Meuser said.

HOUSE PARALYZED

Without a speaker, the House is essentially paralyzed as war expands in the Middle East, Russia continues to pound Ukraine and the government faces a Nov. 17 partial shutdown deadline without additional funding from Congress.

Several Republicans suggested they may need to strike a deal with Democrats, who have joined with Republican leaders several times this year to avert a government shutdown in September and a debt default in June. But Democrats said they had not heard from Republicans about that possibility.

Republicans have been hoping to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing spectacle that occurred in January, when hardline conservatives forced McCarthy to endure 15 floor votes over four days before winning the gavel.

Tempers ran high after Scalise abandoned his leadership bid.

“Members have got to get it through their heads that they’re squandering a majority,” Representative Andy Barr told reporters after Scalise announced his withdrawal.

Representative Don Bacon, a Republican centrist, said he and other lawmakers would not support Jordan because his backers had refused to support Scalise when he won the party’s nomination on Wednesday.

“Many of us … feel that’s rewarding bad behavior if we do that,” he said.

While McCarthy was the first speaker in U.S. history ousted by a vote of the chamber, the last two Republicans to hold the job – John Boehner and Paul Ryan – also left under pressure from their right flanks.