Barry Moore apparently not backing McCarthy ârubber stampâ Steve Scalise for Speaker of the House
Alabama U.S. Rep. Barry Moore appears to be among a group of Republicans in Congress opposed to Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., becoming the next Speaker of the House.
Scalise secured the GOP nomination on Wednesday over Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy with a 113-99 internal party ballot.
On Thursday, the House will open at midday in anticipation of floor action to elect the speaker, The Associated Press reported. It was not clear if Scalise had enough GOP backing to replace McCarthy.
Typically, the majority needed would be 218 votes, but there are currently two vacant seats, dropping the threshold to 217, according to AP.
“I just don’t think Steve’s got the votes,” Moore said as he left the GOP nomination election, according to Politico.
Moore said he planned to support Jordan — who he had backed for Speaker after McCarthy’s ouster — after hearing other conservatives argue that Scalise was a “rubber stamp for McCarthy,” Politico reported.
Efforts by AL.com to reach Moore’s office for comment early Thursday morning were not immediately successful.
“I thought I might go with Scalise if everybody was gonna get behind Scalise, that was fine, but it’s just not that way,” Moore told Fox News after meeting with the House Freedom Caucus. “There’s just people that are not on his team.”
Other Republicans who say they will instead continue to support Jordan include Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Michael Cloud and Chip Roy of Texas, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Max Miller of Ohio, and Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania, according to States Newsroom.
No other members of the Alabama House delegation have publicly voiced plans to back Jordan over Scalise in a floor vote.
Jordan last week tweeted that he backed Jordan after former President Donald Trump endorsed him for Speaker.
“I believe we should listen to the leader of our party. I know Chairman Jordan will help us get real wins for the American people, and I fully support him for Speaker of the House,” Moore tweeted.