3 Louisiana Congressmen Mentioned as Possible House Speaker

Quite a chaotic day in Washington D.C. as the House Speaker is booted from that post.

Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz led the charge to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy from that post. 8 Republicans voted with all of the Democrats to remove McCarthy.

Who Are Possible Speaker Replacements?

There are several names being mentioned. But three Louisiana Congressmen are among the contenders. Louisiana Congressmen Mike Johnson. Garrett Graves and Steve Scalise are listed as possible replacements for Speaker of the House.

Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz pushed a measure to oust Kevin McCarthy from the Speaker’s seat. He says “Kevin McCarthy is a creature of the swamp. He has risen to power by collecting special interest money and redistributing that money in exchange for favors. We are breaking the fever now and we should elect a Speaker who does.” Gaetz was questioned about who should replace McCarthy. Gaetz says “I think the world of Steve Scalise and I think he’d make a phenomenal Speaker.”

But Gaetz also tossed out some other names when he was questioned by reporters on the steps of the Capitol. He mentioned Scalise as a possible Speaker. But says he wants to hear from Scalise before deciding if he will move in that direction. But Gaetz also said “I could see myself supporting Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Jodey Arrington of Texas or Kevin Hern of Oklahoma.”

Where Do We Go From Here?

Gaetz says “we have to assemble a governing coalition. We have to build from a place of trust. The reason Kevin McCarthy went down today is because people don’t trust Kevin McCarthy. The conservative agenda was being paralyzed by Kevin McCarthy. Gaetz says he is not interested in being Speaker.

 The Conference Committee is meeting to try to determine how to proceed. The 8 who voted against McCarthy will likely play a role in this meeting. But we don't know yet when a vote will happen on a new Speaker.