GOP under pressure to quickly elect House speaker to avoid election certification delays
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., on the race to elect a House speaker quickly, the 'terrible challenge' of uniting the GOP and cutting out federal government waste.
President-elect Donald Trump is being urged to step in as House Republicans face pressure to elect the next speaker quickly despite a handful of party members posing a threat to the razor-thin majority, leaving House Speaker Mike Johnson's, R-La., control of the gavel – and potentially the fate of the election certification – hanging in the balance.
"It's a terrible challenge. We've seen it play out over the past two years. It was very difficult for Kevin McCarthy. It's been very difficult for Mike Johnson. It would be very difficult for whomever would be elected speaker of our conference," Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News on Sunday.
"But at the end of the day, the difference between the 119th Congress and the 118th Congress is we'll have a Republican president, a strong Republican president who's very popular with Republican congressmen, constituents back home, and that's Donald Trump," he continued.
JOHNSON ALLIES URGE TRUMP TO INTERVENE AS MESSY SPEAKER BATTLE THREATENS TO DELAY 2024 CERTIFICATION
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump looks on during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 22, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
But the math is daunting for Johnson, especially if a few of his fellow Republicans decide to vote for someone else, preventing him from reaching the magic number of 218.
As Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram put it, the holdup "paralyzes the House," preventing them from swearing in members, forming committees and even certifying the results of the 2024 election, if the issue extends to Jan. 6.
Then, the most senior member of the majority party in the Senate, the president pro tempore could assume the role of "acting president" if the House is still sorting through its speakership issue on Jan. 20, when Trump is slated to take office.
That means Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, could "likely" assume the role, according to Pergram.
House Oversight and Accountability committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) speaks during a hearing with Commissioner of the FDA Dr. Robert Califf in the Rayburn House Office Building on April 11, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Comer, acknowledging the potential challenge, continued, "I strongly encourage Donald Trump to get on the phone with those five or six members who won't commit to voting for Mike Johnson because all this is going to do is delay us.
"It's going to delay the certification of President Trump's election. It's going to delay the start of his first 100 days in office, which is the most important timeframe of his whole presidency. That's when you get the most done historically, so I strongly encourage President Trump to get on the phone and try to get everyone united so we can work together as a team and make America great again."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.