Who Will Be the Next Speaker?
Everyone thought it would be Kevin McCarthy.
But the four-term congressman and second-ranking Republican in the House surprised everyone on Thursday by dropping out of the race to succeed John Boehner. The House Freedom Caucus, a group of the chamber’s conservative hard-liners, announced Wednesday it would support Representative Daniel Webster of Florida for speaker, casting doubt on whether McCarthy could get the 218 floor votes he would have needed to be elected later this month.
McCarthy, the immediate favorite for speaker, reportedly told members that he’s “not the right person” for the job.
So, who is?
Definitely not Paul Ryan. Maybe Jason Chaffetz, who, like Webster, was considered a long shot just days ago.
Thankfully, Twitter has ideas. They’re not all that far-fetched, either: The Constitution actually does not require the speaker to be a member of the House.
Joe Biden for House Speaker? Just sayin...
— Josh Lederman (@joshledermanAP) October 8, 2015
How about this @KevinMcCarthy for speaker instead? https://t.co/HAwL2D56xu
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 8, 2015
Tim Howard for House Speaker
— Leigh Munsil (@leighmunsil) October 8, 2015
This chair for House Speaker pic.twitter.com/vRP3ejaYxY
— Kate Oh (@kathoh) October 8, 2015
Donald Trump for House Speaker.
— Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) October 8, 2015
the only sensible choice for Speaker https://t.co/OK8nT9BcvS
— Spooky Name Roller (@emmaroller) October 8, 2015
Pizza rat for speaker. It's the only way to be sure. #memecollision
— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) October 8, 2015