Republicans search for House leader after front-runner quits race

Republicans met Friday morning to discuss their next move, and even before that session several potential candidates for the top post surfaced. A minority of House Republicans thinks the Republican leaders have been too timid, refusing to let the government shut down in order to fight President Barack Obama’s immigration orders, or taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. He’s talking to people.

Trump, who has drawn fire over his remarks about Hispanics, got support from a woman who he pulled up on stage, Myriam Witcher.

Ryan has insisted he’s not interested in the post, preferring to focus on his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee.

Ryan, however, rejects the idea – for now.

“I would not run against Paul Ryan”, Chaffetz said when asked if he’d drop out should Ryan enters the race.

Frustration with the lack of progress in legislating is among the topics that have come to the forefront as congressional Republicans try to elect a new speaker.

The House No. 3 Republican leader, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, also said he’d like to see Ryan as the next speaker.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who had launched a long shot bid challenging McCarthy for the speakership, told reporters that he would take himself out of the running if Ryan were to get in.

“Washington is broken, and I’ve said many times that the biggest divide we have is not between Democrats and Republicans”, Cruz continued. He announced last month that he would not run again for the Congress, an office he has held since 2003.

“My guess is, even as speaker, Paul would be able to exert a fair amount of influence in terms of policy”, Johnson continued.

In the conference meeting Friday morning, Boehner, who had been hounded by the far-right flank of his party for almost his entire time as speaker, reassured rank-and-file lawmakers that he would remain until a new speaker was chosen.

Taking over the gavel could be political no-win for Ryan, who would inherit the same dysfunction fueled by a rebellious conservative minority within the GOP that often vexed Boehner’s ability to lead and doomed McCarthy’s bid to replace him. But Republican lawmakers later said they were still urging him on. “They don’t have to be mutually exclusive, but I just think given the threats out there, the high threat environment, that’s going to be an important issue”. Webster has the backing the House Freedom Caucus, a group of about 40 members aligned with the Tea Party movement that calls for lower taxes, less federal spending and reduction of the national debt and budget deficit.

In a hint that the freedom caucus would consider uniting with the conference behind a Ryan candidacy, he added: “There are a number of personalities out there”. Dent says, “It’s very easy to be against something, but when you’re in the majority and you’ve been given this great honor and opportunity and responsibility to govern you have to actually advance an agenda”.