Majority Leader Steve Scalise Faces Uphill Battle to Unite House Republicans Despite Recent Traumatic Events for TPM Writer’s Family

On Wednesday, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) won the majority of votes in the House GOP conference to become the new House Speaker. However, his prospects for getting enough Republicans to back him on the chamber floor quickly diminished due to a variety of reasons. These ranged from petty disputes to more esoteric disagreements, which could make it difficult for Scalise to unite the 217 Republicans necessary to vote for him.

This comes after previous Republican rebellions, such as the battles between then-Speaker John Boehner and the House Freedom Caucus. These disputes have caused a divide among Republicans and could make it difficult for Scalise to gain the support he needs to become the new House Speaker.

In other news, a traumatic event recently struck the immediate family of TPM writer, [Name]. In January 2022, their son was struck by a car while walking across the street in the crosswalk. This was the second traumatic event to strike the family in recent months, as they were involved in a sailing accident Monday. Both [Name] and their son broke their backs, but are expected to make full recoveries. [Name]’s daughter, a member of the ship’s crew, was not physically injured. [Name] has not yet composed themselves enough to write about the accident publicly.

The events of the past few months have been difficult for [Name]’s family, as well as for Majority Leader Steve Scalise as he attempts to gain the support he needs to become the new House Speaker. It remains to be seen how these events will unfold in the coming weeks.