The last time they kicked the can down the road I didn't like the outcome. Somehow we need the FC less influential, people who understand compromise need more influence, and I agree with 1pg that raising taxes. Your guess isas good as mine as to who ends up where, but we need the extremists out.

Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff
Reporter covering national breaking news

With no official candidates yet announced for speaker, some House members have begun to float their ideas.

That includes Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who wrote on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that he wanted Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for speaker.

Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, on Monday night said he was open to supporting Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the current No. 2 House Republican and a longtime McCarthy rival who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for blood cancer.

'I am not going to pass over Steve Scalise just because he has blood cancer,' Mr. Gaetz told a horde of reporters as he left the Capitol on Monday night.

Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3 Republican in the House who serves as the majority whip, has also been mentioned by some of his colleagues as a viable option. Mr. Emmer, who has hosted many late night sessions in his office with various factions of the Republican conference, trying to help the group find common ground, has gained the trust of the far-right members. But they don't view him as a particularly strong leader.

'He's a good sounding board. He's got some nice conference rooms. He doesn't lie to us,' Mr. Gaetz said of Mr. Emmer in an earlier interview. 'We know he can't make anything happen.'

Another logical person to turn to would be Representative Patrick McHenry, the longtime North Carolina congressman who is close with Mr. McCarthy and has previously served in leadership. But Mr. McHenry would most likely resist any attempt to draft him into the role. He chose not to run for a leadership role last year, opting instead to lead the powerful financial services committee.

In a scramble, Representative Elise Stefanik, the top woman in leadership whose role means she works closely with all members of the conference, could emerge as another potential alternative. Serving as conference chair and overseeing messaging for all House Republicans, she is widely seen as someone with big political ambitions outside of the House ' like potentially serving in a future Trump administration.

Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, one of the longest serving Republicans in the House who leads the Rules Committee, is also respected by both Republicans and Democrats alike.