Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) has dropped out of the speaker’s race.
Meuser reportedly made the announcement after his speech at the House GOP conference forum on Monday. Sources told CNN that the conference gave Meuser a standing ovation for his decision.
“I felt that it was in the best interest in the end,” he told CNN of his decision to drop out. “I came in late, I have other commitments that I want to adhere to. Largely, leading President Trump’s campaign in Pennsylvania. We have great candidates, and I wrote up a plan of how to improve the speaker’s office making it a members-first office, which in the end is a people’s-first office — and a few of the candidates up there have adopted some of my ideas.”
There are still eight other Republicans running for the position of speaker. They are: Reps. Jack Bergman (MI), Byron Donalds (FL), Tom Emmer (MN), Kevin Hern (OK), Mike Johnson (LA), Gary Palmer (AL), Austin Scott (GA), and Pete Sessions (TX).
The House has been without a speaker for three weeks after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) led a successful effort to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from the position.
Republicans will vote Tuesday to select their nominee. There is no time or date scheduled for a floor vote as yet, but some Republicans are already worried that whomever ends up winning the nomination will not be able to get to 217 on the House floor.
