Who is House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Vying for Speaker's Gavel?
© AFP 2023 / SAUL LOEB
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The race against time to elect a House speaker has been on ever since US Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted from the job over two weeks ago after fellow Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a motion to vacate the position. Since then, the speakership battle has raged, with Rep. Jim Jordan the latest to drop out of the fray on Friday.
GOP House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., has become the latest gavel hopeful after Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, exited the speakership battle on Friday. The Judiciary Committee chairman was the first Republican to throw his hat in the ring, hoping to take over the post vacated after US Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted. However, Jordan failed to secure enough votes to become speaker after three floor votes. Before that, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) announced that he would be withdrawing from the race, just one day after being officially nominated for the post by his party.
House Republicans hold a narrow 221-212 majority in the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with a candidate requiring 217 votes to win the speakership. The House of Representatives is unable to conduct normal legislative business until it elects a new speaker or empowers temporary Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry. Furthermore, the US Congress must pass legislation to fund the federal government before November 17, to avoid a government shutdown.
Back in January, it took 15 rounds of voting to get Rep. Kevin McCarthy elected as House speaker. At the time, McCarthy made several concessions to hardline Republicans who opposed his appointment, including a rule allowing a single lawmaker to call for a vote to vacate the speaker position. Ironically, it was that rule that came in handy to remove McCarthy less than a year later.
Sputnik takes a closer look at Tom Emmer, a member of Congress who, among other candidates, is on the speakership quest.
Republican Chair Ronna McDaniel (L) and Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) clap as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) (C) arrives to speak at his election night watch party after the midterm elections, early on November 9, 2022, in Washington, DC.
© AFP 2023 / BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI
Speaker Hopeful Tom Emmer
Tom Emmer, 62, was elected to Congress in 2014, and sits on the House Financial Services Committee. Before that, Emmer did a stint of three terms - from 2005 to 2011 - as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. During his career in state office, the politician served on the Finance, Health Care, and Human Services Policy and Oversight, and the State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections Committees.
After announcing in 2009 that he would run for governor of Minnesota, Emmer ultimately lost to Democratic opponent Mark Dayton. After Republicans were able to secure control of the House in the wake of the 2022 midterm elections, Emmer ran for the House majority whip, and was successful.
Endorsements for Speaker Bid
Tom Emmer appears to have secured an endorsement from the ex-speaker, with McCarthy calling him "the right person for the job." Minnesota Congressman Brad Finstad similarly announced that he would support Emmer. Earlier in the month, Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips also appeared to back Tom Emmer for the position of speaker, while Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado repeatedly voted for Emmer during the most recent votes for speaker.
5 October 2023, 02:15 GMT
When announcing his bid for the gavel, Emmer wrote in a letter to congressional Republicans that, "Our Conference remains at a crossroads, and the deck is stacked against us. We have no choice but to fight like hell to hold on to our House majority and deliver on our conservative agenda."
He has also gone on X to underscore that he is running in order to ostansibly "bring our conference together and get back to work.”
Screenshot of X post by US GOP House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.
© Photo : GOPMajorityWhip/X
"The American people elected us to deliver on a conservative agenda that secures our border, stops reckless spending, and holds Joe Biden accountable. We cannot afford to fail them," said Emmer.
Screenshot of X post by US GOP House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.
© Photo : GOPMajorityWhip/X
Months of discontent over former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's deal with Democrats to avert a government shutdown culminated in the determination of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to remove him from the speaker position. Since then, a battle for the speakership has unfolded against the backdrop of a potential government shutdown, concerns regarding supplementary support for Ukraine and Israel, extending current government funding until January 11, and considering House appropriation bills for Fiscal Year 2024.
Emmer, lawyer, father of seven, and one-time hockey coach, said earlier that the position of majority whip was “the best coaching job I’ve ever had.”
20 October 2023, 18:35 GMT
Tom Emmer on Ukraine
To date, Tom Emmer has voted in favor of every Ukraine funding provision and against every provision intended to cut back on that funding. In March 2022, he encouraged companies in his district to donate ammunition to Ukraine.
Potential Roadblock
Something that could throw a spanner in the nomination process for Tom Emmer could reportedly be opposition from former President Donald Trump. Trump had endorsed Jordan for speaker. After Jordan exited the race, there have been reports that Trump has privately indicated to allies on Friday that we would not throw his support behind the House majority whip.
Appearing on the “War Room” podcast on Friday, a top Trump adviser, Boris Epshteyn, did not have much in the way of praise for Emmer, who, he underscored, had yet to endorse Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary.
“If somebody is so out of step with where the Republican electorate is, where the MAGA movement is, how can they even be in the conversation? We need a MAGA speaker. That’s what it comes down to. Because if you look at the numbers, if you look at the energy, if you look at the heat, this is the Trump party, this is the MAGA party. It is no longer the old-school khaki establishment Republican Party,” Epshteyn said.
While one adviser was cited in media reports as saying that Tom Emmer “has no relationship with Trump,” Casey Nelson, communications director in Emmer’s Whip office, dismissed the claims.
“As NRCC Chair, Whip Emmer worked hand in hand with President Trump to help House Republicans fire Nancy Pelosi and retake the majority. If he becomes Speaker, Whip Emmer looks forward to continuing that productive relationship,” Casey Nelson was cited as saying.
20 October 2023, 04:05 GMT
