Scalise Receives GOP Nomination For U.S. House Speaker, But Who Does TN’s Congressional Delegation Support?

Image Credit: Congressman Steve Scalise / Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

U.S. House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana reportedly received the backing of a majority of his fellow House Republicans for the speaker of the House nomination during a closed conference meeting Wednesday afternoon but Representatives from Tennessee are divided on who they support when it comes to the election, with a couple of members still undecided.

After former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) was evicted from the position, two new candidates began vying to fill the role of Speaker: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Former Speaker McCarthy was removed when eight Republicans voted with Democrats to remove him.

A Republican conference vote was to be held after Scalise and Jordan were scheduled to deliver their pitches to the House Republican Conference on Tuesday night during a closed-door meeting.

Scalise was the winner of the closed-door vote, but several Republicans stated publicly that they would not vote for him in the full House vote that was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. 

As of the publication of this article, Scalise has not garnered enough support to have the 218 votes needed to be elected speaker. While a few dozen members have proclaimed public endorsements, it is still not enough. Because the Republican party has a narrow majority in the House, a candidate will need to conference to be almost unanimously decided in order to win the seat. 

House business, including any new aid to Israel and aid to Ukraine, is dependent on the speaker election. Without a new speaker or a suspension of the rules, the House cannot advance legislation, including spending bills. 

Following is a rundown of where Tennessee’s representatives stand concerning the House speaker vote. 

Representative Mark Green (R-Clarksville) has endorsed Jordan. 

“The most important priority for our next Speaker of the House is to stand up to this President who is hellbent on destroying our country—through his intentional open-borders policies, reckless spending, and woke agenda that goes after every American family,” Green posted on social media. “@Jim_Jordan is the fighter we need. I’m honored to support him to be our next Speaker of the House.”

“I’ve seen Jim up close: He has stayed true to his convictions and remained loyal to the Constitution,” Green wrote. “He’s a proven leader, he’s battle-tested, and is a man of deep integrity.”

Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R- Ooltewah) has endorsed Scalise. 

GOP Representative Chuck Fleischmann of Chattanooga spoke out on social media saying “I’m very pleased to see House Republicans nominate my good friend and strong conservative @SteveScalise for Speaker of the House. I urge all my colleagues to come together to support Steve on the House Floor – we have important work to do for the American People.”

Representative David Kustoff (R-Germantown) will be supporting Scalise, as told by his communications director Samantha Cantrell. 

Representative John Rose (R-Cookeville)  issued a statement on social media stating that he voted for Chairman Jim Jordan but that he believes “it is a time for Republicans to come together to support Speaker Designate Scalise” since the Conference elected him.

Representative Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville) congratulated Scalise via a statement on social media for his nomination.

Representative Scott DesJarlais (R- South Pittsburg) posted on his Twitter/X account that he supported Jim Jordan for Speaker during the GOP conference meeting.

DesJarlais said that “Jim Jordan has called for unity in our caucus & I agree. We need to unify behind a Speaker ASAP in order to address critical issues.”

DesJarlais went on to state that “Steve Scalise has been an excellent leader for our party.”

U.S. Representatives who have yet to make a public endorsement or statement for the speaker race: 

• Representative Andy Ogles (R-Columbia)

• Representative Diana Harshburger (R-Johnson City)

Now, Scalise faces a vote of the full House for the vacant position possibly this week. Scalise needs the support of nearly all his Republican colleagues since Democrats will likely vote against his nomination.

The House adjourned late Wednesday without taking a vote. They’re scheduled to reconvene at noon Thursday.