Kevin McCarthy drops out of House speaker race

Webster, who arrived in Congress in 2010 after having served as majority leader of the Florida Senate and speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, certainly has the experience to be speaker.

“I have spent more time trying to talk him into running than I did my wife into marrying me”, Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina said. The Wisconsin Republican and former vice-presidential nominee has repeatedly begged off pleas to become speaker, citing his responsibility as the father to young children.

“Paul Ryan’s been meeting with everyone non-stop,” Issa said.

But Johnson said Ryan shouldn’t be forced to make a rash decision.

Westmoreland said “right now” Ryan is the only one who can get the votes needed to win.

But the Wisconsin father of three has said for years he doesn’t want to be speaker. “Ryan is in a position where he could become a consensus candidate”.

“You need a leader, someone they can rally people together … can get these seats reelected so they can hold on to the majority and set the tone and message for the presidential election to help whoever is running for president”, he said.

Scalise said he’s proud “of the team we assembled” in support of his candidacy for majority leader and that’s he’s been “busy thanking those members who were willing to stand with me”. But King was damning about the situation.

“As someone who has been targeted by completely false accusations and innuendo, I have been moved by the outpouring of support and prayers from my colleagues, constituents and friends”, Ellmers said in a statement after making similar comments during the Friday morning meeting. Sometimes we think he is wrong on both substantive and tactical matters, but we never doubt that he is wrong for the right reasons.

Can Ryan unite the caucus?

“Congressman Emmer looks forward to upcoming discussions within the GOP Conference prior to the endorsement of a Speaker who will unify the party and continue the work of the 114th Congress”, his spokeswoman Becky Alery said.

On Friday, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz told reporters he would drop out of the speaker’s race if Ryan chose to run. “I have always put this conference ahead of myself”.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy on Thursday abruptly took himself out of the race to succeed John A. Boehner as House speaker, apparently undone by the same forces that drove Boehner to resign. On Ryan’s other side was Peter Roskam, also a potential leadership candidate.

But he added that he’s let Ryan know that he’s ready for his leadership – and he hopes the Ways and Means chairman will see the light. At one point, he appeared to lean back and sigh with exasperation.

Admitting he was shocked by McCarthy’s sudden pullout, Boehner told Republicans he intended the speaker’s election to happen before the end of October.

“Kevin McCarthy is best person to lead the House, and so I’m disappointed in this decision”, Ryan said.

“It’s not helpful for one group of members to say they will only vote for this candidate on the floor”, Boehner said, in apparent reference to the conservative Freedom Caucus, which has about 40 members and is aligned with the small-government Tea Party movement.

“If he doesn’t run, I’ll ask him to reconsider”, Issa repeated twice while walking briskly past reporters.