Is there a speaker of the House yet? Updates on the speaker election and challenges for Steve Scalise

WASHINGTON - The House is still paralyzed without a speaker as House Republicans, consumed by infighting and disarray, struggle to coalesce behind a leader after the historic ouster of former speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

House Republicans formally nominated House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., to be speaker in a closed-door secret ballot vote Wednesday, but later that day, just after it appeared GOP lawmakers could rally behind a new leader, it became clear Scalise lacked the support he needed to be crowned speaker.

Most of Scalise's antagonists are attempting to elect his former rival in the leadership race, House Judiciary Committee chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as speaker. Jordan, however, has vowed to support Scalise as speaker after the GOP conference nominated the Louisiana Republican.

The chaos that has mired House Republicans is happening just weeks before a looming government shutdown in mid-November that could impact millions of Americans and aid to Israel, a key U.S. ally, hangs in the balance as the country fights a rapidly growing war with Hamas militants.

Here is what to know about Steve Scalise.

Who is Steve Scalise in Congress?

Scalise represents the first district of Louisiana and serves as the House Majority Republican leader, where he helps organize the legislative agenda and schedule legislative business.

Prior to that, he was the House Majority Whip from 2014 to 2018, where he mobilized Republicans to vote with leadership on major issues, and the House Minority Whip from 2019 to 2022, according to his website. 

Does Scalise support abortion and Ukraine funding?

Scalise has voted in favor of Ukraine funding, including $40 billion in aid last year and $300 million earlier this month that would provide Ukrainian troops with training and American-made weapons. The $300 million was later dropped from a temporary spending bill.

He has been vocal on opposing abortion and acknowledged the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in a press release.

"This historic ruling for life is a day to celebrate, and after we celebrate this victory, pro-life Americans across the country will continue our work in legislative bodies to encourage a culture that protects life,” he wrote.

What is the controversy with Steve Scalise, David Duke and white supremacy?

Duke is the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, which has been designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as the “oldest and most infamous of American hate groups” for promoting white supremacist values.

During his 1991 campaign to become governor of Louisiana, Scalise told political reporter Stephanie Grace that he was like “David Duke without the baggage.”

Grace told the New York Times that, “I think he meant he supported the same policy ideas as David Duke, but he wasn’t David Duke, that he didn’t have the same feelings about certain people as David Duke did.”

Scalise faced criticism after he attended a white supremacist conference in 2002 backed by Duke, according to the Guardian. He later apologized for attending.

The Louisiana Republican's attendance at the meeting is a "deal-breaker" for Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., one of the holdouts who is opposing Scalise and also one of the eight GOP lawmakers who voted to oust McCarthy.

Is Scalise a Trump supporter?

Scalise is a supporter of former President Donald Trump. He has criticized the Department of Justice’s role in the Trump indictments on X, formerly known as Twitter.

During a 2021 interview with ABC News, Scalise refused to say that the 2020 election wasn’t stolen - an allegation that Trump often brought up - though he did acknowledge President Joe Biden was president. He also evaded questions on Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and said that the former president “denounced” it.

However, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that he would endorse Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, another staunch Trump supporter, as speaker.

What are Steve Scalise’s health issues?

Scalise was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a treatable blood cancer, in August. He returned to the Capitol last month and said that he was three weeks into a treatment on chemotherapy at the time.

“We're making sure that I'm working with my doctor, as my doctor surely signed off on me coming back today. She was very encouraged about where we are, but obviously I've just got to stay focused on my health,” he said.

In 2017, Scalise was shot in the left hip during a practice for the Republican congressional baseball team and was hospitalized in critical condition. His return to the House floor after his recovery was marked with applause and hugs from his colleagues.

Scalise vs. Jordan

For some of the holdouts against Scalise, their main concern is the majority leader's health given he is currently battling blood cancer. Though his doctors have cleared him to run for speaker, some Republican lawmakers have still expressed concern about Scalise’s health.

"I like Steve Scalise, and I like him so much that I want to see him defeat cancer more than sacrifice his health in the most difficult position in Congress," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said on X.

Prior to backing Scalise, main concerns about Jordan's speakership candidacy was his ability to garner support within his own party and work with Democrats. With the government shutdown deadline only a few weeks away, Jordan’s stance against Ukraine aid would hurt the chances that spending bills are passed in a collaborative manner.

Jordan is also leading the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden by holding lengthy hearings with other colleagues.

Who voted for Jim Jordan?

House Republicans voted 113-99 to back Scalise over Jordan as the nominee for House speaker in an internal secret ballot vote, according to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

Those who voted for Jordan include Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, and Greene, among others. Boebert and Miller told reporters they would still vote for Jordan on the House floor.

What are the Jim Jordan allegations?

Four former Ohio State University wrestlers accused Jordan of failing to acknowledge that they were sexually abused by their team doctor back when Jordan was the team’s assistant coach at Ohio State in the mid-1990s.

One of the wrestlers criticized Jordan’s run for speaker earlier this week, telling NBC News, “Do you really want a guy in that job who chose not to stand up for his guys? Is that the kind of character trait you want for a House speaker?”

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is there a new speaker of the House yet? Why Steve Scalise challenged