House Republicans Seek to Unite Behind a Single Candidate for Speaker Amidst Global Turmoil

House Republicans are cautiously optimistic that they can move past the bitter divisions that have marked their search for a new House Speaker and coalesce around a single candidate. On Tuesday morning, the GOP will meet behind closed doors to narrow the field of eight candidates to one, who will be formally nominated on the House floor.

The search for a new House Speaker has been marked by unprecedented chaos, with two previous picks failing to secure the votes needed to win. This comes at a time when the government is facing a possible shutdown in less than a month, and wars are raging in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., emphasized the need for his colleagues to move on and coalesce around a new leader, noting that the world is watching and American leadership is necessary. He said, “The world is burning around us, and American leadership is necessary. We’re bigger than these grievances that have been going on for a while.”

The House of Representatives has been without a full complement of leadership since former Speaker John Boehner resigned in October. The process of finding a new Speaker has been further complicated by the fact that the GOP holds a majority in the House, but not a supermajority. This means that the chosen candidate must secure at least 217 votes in order to win.

The outcome of Tuesday’s meeting will be closely watched, as it will determine whether House Republicans can set aside their differences and move forward with their third attempt to fill the job.