The House Republican conference elected Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) on Wednesday to serve as their majority leader when the next session of Congress begins in January.
Scalise was uncontested for the position, and the move would keep him as the No. 2 to current Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), assuming he becomes speaker of the House. McCarthy is facing a challenge from the more conservative wing of the GOP.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS MAKE LEADERSHIP PITCHES AHEAD OF CONFERENCE ELECTIONS
“We’re ready to go to work day one, and we want to go fight for those hardworking families who are struggling and who are watching a Washington today that doesn’t care about them,” Scalise told the Washington Examiner about his plans for the majority earlier this month. “Democrats control the House, Senate, and White House, and they will not even bring bills to the floor to lower energy costs or to deal with inflation, or to secure the border because they want that far-left approach, even though it’s hurting regular people.”
In his pitch to the conference Monday, Scalise was greeted warmly by the gathered party members. Among his priorities, he pledged the House would investigate Hunter Biden’s laptop.
“We must be relentless in our oversight of this Administration,” he said in a letter to members announcing his candidacy. “From the politicization of the Justice Department to the job crushing regulations coming from every agency, we need to shine a bright light on the actions and policy failures of this administration.”
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While the races for majority whip and speaker have been dramatic, Scalise did not face a leadership challenge. Though not all midterm races have been called, his majority will likely be razor-thin and prove difficult to manage as leadership navigates the different factions within the GOP conference.
