Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) has filed to run for speaker against House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
“We legislate in Washington, and I want to lead a House that is in the best interests of the American people,” Scott wrote in X’s postthe platform was formerly known as Twitter.
Scott, a seventh-term congressman, has received little attention as a potential speaker contender. His late statement was an apparent protest against Jordan, as House Republicans are scheduled to hold a forum for speaker candidates on Friday afternoon.
“I don’t necessarily want to be the speaker of the House. I want the House to function properly, but the House is not functioning properly right now,” he said.
Scott told reporters this morning that he had “no intention” of running for speaker.
“I care more about the conference and how it’s doing our job than who the speaker is. I really do,” Scott said. “When I woke up this morning, I had no intention of doing that.”
“I believe that if we Republicans are going to be the majority, we have to do the right things in the right way. We are not doing that right now,” he later added.
Some lawmakers, including Scott, have pledged to stand firm against Jordan.
During a closed session Thursday night, Scott stood up and announced his opposition to Jordan, according to Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and another House Republican.
However, on Friday, Scott denied that his bid was an “anti-Jordan” move, telling reporters “Jim is a friend of mine.”
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told reporters Friday morning that there was nothing Jordan could do to gain his support. Before Scott’s announcement, Rogers said he planned to vote for McCarthy.
Ahead of a candidate forum on Friday, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was narrowly nominated by Republicans on Wednesday, abruptly dropped out of the race Thursday night as it became clear he couldn’t get what he needed to win the House. Republican support. ground.
But it’s unclear whether Scalise’s main rival, Jordan, can reach that goal.
“I think a large group of people working for Steve will probably start in Austin,” said Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), who endorsed Jordan.
Even before Scott entered the speaker’s race, Jordan faced an uphill climb to get a grip on the gavel.
At least two lawmakers — Scott and Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo. — told reporters Thursday night they would not support Jordan.
The Ohio Republican called to meet with holdouts Friday morning, according to a person familiar with the matter, and after the morning meeting — but before Scott officially entered the race — Jordan evoked concerns about his Confidence in the changes made to win the gavel.
“We had broad support throughout the conference; I feel good about where we are, but we have a candidate and members will ask you more questions and we’ll go from there,” he told The reporter, later adding, “I feel really good about voting.”
House Republicans are once again working to elect a speaker after eight Republicans joined Democrats in voting to oust then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) last week.
Scott mentioned McCarthy’s ouster when discussing his bid for speaker.
“A few days ago, eight Republicans, eight Republicans… joined with 208 Democrats to remove the speaker of the House. That was the wrong thing to do,” he said. “So we have to stop this kind of thing. If we’re going to be the majority party, we have to act like the majority party.”
Aris Folley contributed.Updated at 1:12 p.m.
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