WASHINGTON: The Republican nominee to lead the US House of Representatives struggled on Thursday for enough support to win a vote of the full chamber, underlining the challenge he faces to unite the fractured party.

House Republicans pick­ed Majority Leader Steve Scalise as their replacement for ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy in a secret ballot on Wednesday — but only by a narrow margin of 113-99 over hardline rival Jim Jordan.

With just a little over half of Republicans supporting Scalise, the party’s hopes for a moment of unity dissolved into more chaos and infighting, nine days after McCarthy’s unprecedented removal in a mutiny by right wing lawmakers.

If all members were present in the full House, Scalise would need 217 votes to prevail — but analysts say getting enough of his Republican detractors on board in time for a quick vote may be a tall order.

A second public tussle for the speakership — just nine months after McCar­thy’s marathon, 15-round battle to win the gavel — could hardly have come at a worse time for the Repu­blican-controlled lower chamber of Congress.

The leaderless House has been unable to pass any bills or approve White House requests for emergency aid.

Meanwhile lawmakers are staring at a looming government shutdown as they have only a month to agree on 2024 federal spending levels before the money runs out and have made no progress during the leadership crisis.

“Republicans need to rally around Steve Scalise so we can unite our team, take the field, and advance our conservative policies like reining in spending, securing the border, and supporting our ally, Israel,” House Budget Committee chairman Jodey Arrington said in a statement.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2023