Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Newsmax Thursday that he's not naming names as to whom he'd like to see as the next speaker of the House because doing so would immediately cost the person a large share of support.
"Let me tell you why I'm hedging here," Biggs said during an appearance on Newsmax's "The Chris Salcedo Show." "I am now one of the most hated men in our conference. And if I come out and support somebody, they will immediately lose about 150 votes.
"So what I have chosen to do is not commit to anybody privately or publicly, but just to say this: I need a conservative who is willing to use every tool to fight this administration, which is trying to emasculate this great country of ours, and they can get 218 votes."
"You give me that person," he continued, "and if they're honest and they'll keep the rules in place that need to stay in place — including the motion to vacate — then that's the person I'm going to support."
Biggs was 1 of the 8 Republicans who voted with Democrats to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from the speakership on Tuesday after McCarthy's chief rival, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., forced a vote on the motion to vacate, which he filed.
McCarthy is the first speaker in U.S. history to be voted out of the job and next steps are uncertain with no precedent to go by.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, became the first member to announce a run for speaker, followed by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., is also a potential candidate, as well as Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., who was reportedly prayerfully considering it.
When asked why Republican House leadership sent members home for a week after McCarthy was removed, Biggs said he didn't know.
"I'm still in Washington, D.C.; many of my colleagues stayed on," he said. "We could have been getting this stuff done together — sorted out what the speaker's race is going to look like. Maybe we could have even come together between now and the end of the weekend and said this is who we're going to go forward with, get this done, and get right back to the work of the people through appropriations."
"But instead, they sent us home. And then they say it's those eight people's fault — my fault and seven others' fault — that we're not going to get the 12 bills done on time," he continued.
"Well, friends, they didn't get the 12 bills done on time because they were due to get those out, by law, at the end of June.
"I think we're going to get this together pretty quickly next week, and then we can go right back into finishing these and still get them over to the Senate in time so they'll have a couple of weeks to do their business, which they haven't done."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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