Duval Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman John Rutherford (FL-05) has expressed his disappointment and concerns regarding the ongoing Speaker race in the House of Representatives. In a statement released today, Rutherford highlighted the need for unity and a leader who can bring the Republican Conference together.

Rutherford began by acknowledging the actions taken two weeks ago, when eight Republicans joined House Democrats to vacate the Speaker of the House position. He expressed his disappointment with the process to replace Speaker McCarthy, stating, "I am very disappointed by the way this process to replace Speaker McCarthy has gone."

The Congressman then focused his attention on the recent developments in the race, particularly the candidacy of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA). Rutherford observed that Rep. Jordan ran as the speaker designee despite coming second in a fair and free election against Rep. Scalise. Rutherford noted, "I witnessed Rep. Jordan withhold his support for Rep. Scalise, despite the fact that Rep. Scalise received the backing from the majority of the Republican Conference, ultimately pushing Rep. Scalise out of the running."

Rutherford emphasized that this behavior was not in line with the qualities of a leader, stating, "This is not befitting the character of a leader, and in my eyes, this disqualified him from receiving my support." He further emphasized the importance of adhering to majority rule, highlighting his own commitment to enforcing rules and holding lawbreakers accountable. Rutherford stated, "We follow majority rule or we don't. I've spent my whole life enforcing the law, enforcing rules, and holding law breakers and rule breakers accountable. I take the same mindset to Congress, but some of my colleagues were willing to break from the majority to support their guy. I will not. Elections are won by majority. Every member elected to this body got into office by majority rule."

The Congressman also addressed the results of the House floor votes, explaining that it became evident that Rep. Jordan would not receive the necessary 217 votes. As a result, the House Conference came together to decide if Rep. Jordan would remain the speaker designee. Rutherford stated, "After three rounds of votes on the House floor, it became more and more clear that Rep. Jordan did not and would not ever receive the 217 votes he would need. The House Conference then came together, once again, to decide if Rep. Jordan was our speaker designee, and after seeing his failed leadership and strongarm tactics used to force support over the last week, the majority in our Republican Conference voted not to extend his designation as our speaker designee."

Looking ahead, Rutherford expressed his hope for a quick resolution to the speaker race, emphasizing the need to focus on important matters at hand. He highlighted issues such as the growing conflict in the Middle East, the ongoing border crisis, and the impending expiration of government funding. Rutherford concluded, "It is my hope that we will select a speaker designee quickly so that we can get back to doing the work we were elected to do - and that we were in the process of completing when this coup began. We have a growing war in the Middle East, a border crisis at home, and our government funding expires in less than a month. It's well past time to get down to business and select a consensus speaker designee who can bring the Republican Conference together and focus on the truly serious matters before us."

Congressman Rutherford's statement sheds light on the current state of the Speaker race in the House of Representatives. His disappointment with the process and concerns about the candidates' behavior reflect the need for unity within the Republican Conference. The Congressman's focus on majority rule and the urgency to address critical issues facing the nation further emphasize the need for a consensus speaker designee who can effectively lead the House and address the pressing matters at hand.

Click this link to access more information: https://rutherford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rutherford-releases-statement-status-speaker-race