CNN
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Majority Chief Steve Scalise is scrambling to lock down the votes to grow to be the following Home speaker, however protracted opposition to the Louisiana Republican contained in the GOP convention may in the end derail his bid.

Republicans are apprehensive that Scalise is dealing with grim prospects of changing into speaker, an deadlock that threatens to lengthen the GOP’s management disaster that has left the Home paralyzed and unable to maneuver on any laws.

Late Wednesday, members of the convention have been starting to weigh how they might deal with the potential collapse of his bid, with a number of GOP sources saying they imagine they’d have to think about a brand new candidate who has but to run for the speakership.

A number of senior Republicans see little path to 217 votes, after Scalise received simply 113 votes within the GOP convention, which incorporates three delegates who don’t have a vote on the Home flooring. Making up that deficit in only a matter of days is an especially tall order – plus quite a few hard-right Republicans say they’re dead-set towards Scalise, when he can solely afford to lose 4 GOP votes on the ground.

Scalise is dealing with greater than a dozen holdouts unwilling at this level to again him on the ground, in keeping with a number of GOP sources. Scalise spent Wednesday after the vote assembly individually with GOP members as he and his whip operation tried to persuade the holdouts to return round, the sources stated. He discovered some success within the outreach, but it surely’s not but clear whether or not he can win over sufficient Republicans to beat the razor-thin GOP Home majority.

Scalise or another Republican candidate for speaker wants 217 votes to win the speaker’s gavel, a majority of all the Home, which means they will solely afford to lose 4 Republicans if each member is voting.

The opposition to Scalise inside his celebration has thrown into doubt how Republicans will get out of their speaker conundrum that’s left them merely unable to control.

Whereas there was some perception on Capitol Hill that the brutal assault on Israel over the weekend would possibly immediate Republicans to rapidly choose a pacesetter – Home lawmakers got a labeled briefing on Israel Wednesday earlier than the convention vote for speaker – the deep divisions within the convention that led to Kevin McCarthy’s removing final week have now left the search for a brand new speaker at a standstill.

Anger contained in the convention is rising.

“These of us are destroying our convention and apparently wish to be within the minority,” stated Rep. Don Bacon, who represents a swing Nebraska district. “They don’t respect the customs of the Home which have gone on for over two centuries.”

The Home gavels again in at midday Thursday, however there’s no indication Republicans might be able to vote on a speaker.

Scalise is dealing with broad skepticism contained in the far-right Home Freedom Caucus, a key bloc of Republicans who largely supported the Trump-backed Jim Jordan for speaker, a number of sources instructed CNN, citing a common lack of belief with Republican management. Scalise has been in management years, though he’s extra conservative than McCarthy.

Jordan, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, threw his weight behind Scalise following Wednesday’s vote, saying he was encouraging his supporters to do the identical. “We’d like a speaker and Steve is the man for that. Like I stated, I’ve provided to offer a nominating speech for him,” the Ohio Republican instructed reporters Wednesday afternoon.

However there was a cohort of lawmakers who expressed staunch opposition to voting for Scalise on the Home flooring.

“Properly, Chief Scalise received, and it’s not over. I’m nonetheless throwing my help behind Jim Jordan for speaker. I’m not going to alter my vote now or any time quickly on the Home flooring,” stated GOP Rep. Max Miller of Ohio.

Scalise’s particular person outreach did peel off at the least one holdout. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who initially stated Wednesday that she would vote for Jordan on the ground, met with Scalise and stated afterward she felt “snug” sufficient to help his speaker nomination.

Whereas she stated he didn’t make particular commitments, he did guarantee her that he’ll enable her to “aggressively” do her job on the Oversight Committee, which is a part of the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

However Luna stated she would solely again Scalise for the speakership on the primary poll. If it went to a number of ballots, she stated, “we should discover a candidate” the convention can unite behind.

Nonetheless, quite a few Republicans don’t suppose that Jordan might be a viable different provided that he misplaced to Scalise within the nominating contest, and a few Republicans have been irritated when he didn’t instantly shut ranks behind Scalise.

“If Scalise have been to not make it, the following individual acquired much less votes,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida stated of Jordan. “And by the way in which, I believe, extra controversial. So that might not be an excellent factor for this place.”

Rep. Erin Houchin of Indiana stated she doesn’t know if “it is going to be Jordan or Scalise and even another person at this level. … I believe we’re in uncharted territory, and it’s gonna be very arduous to foretell.”

One other GOP member stated that it must be a brand new candidate altogether, one thing that might take longer to type out.

“Steve is nowhere close to 217,” stated the Republican member.

Leaving the ground and not using a vote Wednesday, interim Speaker Patrick McHenry tried to be optimistic the Home GOP convention would remedy the deadlock quickly.

Requested if there might be a flooring vote Thursday, the North Carolina Republican stated, “That’s the hope.”

May anybody get the 217 votes required? He had the identical response: “That’s the hope.”