Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., told Newsmax on Thursday that the House needs “a cooling off period” following the vote to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and before they can elect his replacement.
Huizenga said on “Wake Up America,” when asked why many members of Congress are going home for the weekend and scheduling a vote on the next speaker for next week: “I'm in my Washington office. I think there are more people here than getting reported … because of those conversations and what needs to happen” to elect a new speaker.
He added: “So, yes, there are some people that headed home. There’s a lot of us that stayed around because we're trying to figure this out and have the conversations.”
Huizenga did note that “there was absolutely a need for a cooling off period” after the vote to oust McCarthy.
“It was extremely tense,” he said, “extremely heated, [and] people were very, very frustrated.”
The congressman went on to say: “Let’s get back here Monday, have that forum, and start voting on Tuesday. I hope that's what's going to be. That's what I've last heard is going to be happening.”
Huizenga added: “Here’s the simple fact: We’ve got to get together and have some consensus. What I’m not sure of is that we’re going to be able to do this at any time quickly.”
He said the vote on McCarthy's removal caused “so much damage” to “trust and relationships right now” on both sides of the aisle.
When asked if he thinks there will be a repeat of the multiple votes it took to elect McCarthy as speaker last January, Huizenga said: “I'm praying not. I really, really am hoping not but I have not seen the coalescing behind any one particular candidate,” including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., or Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, two of the leading candidates for the position.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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