In the first secret ballot of the night to nominate their new candidate for speaker, 30 House Republicans voted for a candidate who was not among the five who formally declared for the race, signally the eventual speaker nominee might face a sizable contingent of Republicans not willing to support them on the floor. The House remains effectively frozen - a dire situation as Congress faces a funding deadline in November and as crisis unfolds abroad in Ukraine and with Israel’s war against Hamas. Chamber in limbo: House Republicans face intensifying pressure to elect a new speaker three weeks after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted.A potential unity ticket: A Kevin McCarthy-Jim Jordan unity ticket, with the former House speaker back in his role and Jordan as McCarthy’s deputy, was under active discussion between allies of each representative as a solution for the fractured GOP conference.Lawmakers will head to the House floor on Wednesday to vote. What happens now: Mike Johnson clinched a key vote Tuesday night that moved him a step closer to the speakership.Tom Emmer dropped out of the race earlier in the day - just hours after he was selected as the GOP’s third nominee. Mike Johnson as their next speaker nominee in a secret-ballot vote Tuesday night after Rep. GOP has new speaker nominee: House Republicans selected Rep.
