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We Have a Speaker

After more than three weeks without a leader, the House finally elected its new Speaker a few minutes ago.  Unlike the last three Speaker designees, Mike Johnson of Louisiana received the support of every Republican today.  The final vote was 220 to 209.

Read more about the developments here and here

Nominee to Head NIH Clears Committee

Earlier this morning, the nomination of Monica Bertagnolli to head the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee by a bipartisan vote of 15 to 6.  Bertagnolli, the current director of the National Cancer Institute, was nominated by President Biden earlier this year to take over the NIH, which has not had a permanent head since the retirement of Francis Collins.

Uh, Take Four?

After Tom Emmer’s candidacy for Speaker sank earlier in the day, House Republicans convened again last evening to see if they could find someone else to fill that role.  Emerging from several rounds of voting, the most recent Speaker designee is Mike Johnson of Louisiana.  The House is currently scheduled to vote on the nomination at approximately Noon ET today.  It remains to be seen whether he actually has enough votes from the House and whether the vote will even occur today.

Read more about the developments here, here, and here.

And Emmer Bows Out…

Only hours after becoming the Republican Speaker-designate earlier today, Tom Emmer of Minnesota has dropped his bid.  Emmer, the Republican whip normally responsible for counting and gathering votes for the party, could not convince enough of his fellow Republicans to reach the threshold of 217 votes before going to the floor.

Read more about the developments herehere, and here.

Next Contestant: Tom Emmer

After a series of votes earlier today, Tom Emmer of Minnesota emerged as the Speaker designee.  In a contest with Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Emmer won 117 – 97.  However, like other Speaker designees before him, the question now turns to whether he has the support of at least 217 members of his party.  Following his initial victory, the Republican conference conducted a roll call vote to see if he had enough votes before going to the floor for a full House vote, and he was well short.

Conversations are taking place among House Republicans to see if Emmer can get to the magic number.