House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called for Republicans to “get their act together” and elect the next Speaker while slamming the “extremists” within their party.
Jeffries joined PBS NewsHour from inside the Capitol on Thursday night after Speaker-designate Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) withdrew his name from consideration for the role.
Scalise was chosen as the Republican nominee in a secret ballot Wednesday but faced pushback from several members. It later became apparent that he would struggle to earn the 217 votes necessary on the House floor.
“That’s why it’s so urgently necessary that the Republicans get their act together and elect the Speaker from within their own ranks, as it is the responsibility of the majority party to do so, or have traditional Republicans break with the extremists within the House Republican Conference and partner with Democrats on a bipartisan path forward,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries said Democrats are ready, willing and able to move forward on a bipartisan agreement on who would become the next Speaker, they just await Republican support.
“I know there are traditional Republicans who are good women and men who want to see government function, but they are unable to do it within the ranks of their own conference, which is dominated by the extremist wing,” Jeffries said.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calls for "traditional Republicans to break with the extremists" https://t.co/2vJmHtCv4w
— The Hill (@thehill) October 13, 2023
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