In a letter to his colleagues that pitches his bona fides to become Speaker of the House, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) says that “under the failed leadership of President Biden, our country is being pushed to the brink.” The conservative Congressman asserts common ground among Republican lawmakers, saying that they “all came here to stop the country from being taken down a dangerous path of destruction.“
Scalise leans heavily on the idea of the GOP conference as a family (note: families argue) and on how that political family carried him through when he was shot on the baseball field in 2017. (Scalise was shot once in the hip by a lone gunman in an assault that wounded four people during preparation for a congressional baseball game.)
Scalise says it was the “prayers from all of you” that carried us through, us in this case being Scalise’s immediate family, not his political one. The House Majority Leader, former Minority Leader and Whip says of his currently fractured and divided party that “we cannot lose sight of our shared goals.”
Scalise claims a “proven track record of bring together the diverse array of viewpoints within our Conference to build consensus where others thought it was impossible.” With the idea now a commonplace that Republican consensus is impossible, Scalise’s pitch represents a swing for the fences. He is said to be a favorite for the job.
Scalise makes it official asking for support as speaker https://t.co/FeAYta4Zjt pic.twitter.com/5j3HOhABO9
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 4, 2023
Another presumed frontrunner for the position, Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH), is also seeking the Speaker’s position. Jordan pitched himself with a Dear Colleague letter, too, in which he promised similar communion: “We are at a critical crossroad in our nation’s history. Now is the time for our Republican conference to come together to keep our promises to Americans” Jordan wrote.
.jpg){kind=link}