Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) revealed to CNN on Wednesday that preliminary talks are “underway” to potentially pick a “consensus candidate” should Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) be unable to secure enough votes to become Speaker of the House.
McCarthy failed to reach the needed threshold to be elected to the position three times on Tuesday, with more than a dozen Republican lawmakers refusing to concede and support him. CNN’s Jim Sciutto asked Bacon on Wednesday, ahead of even more voting, about the lawmaker’s suggestion that Republicans may need to work with Democrats to get this Speaker vote done.
Bacon revealed there are talks underway for a “consensus candidate,” but he insisted he is still supporting McCarthy and will do so until the Republican takes his name out of the race...
...Bacon also suggested McCarthy himself negotiate with Democrats on committee ratios and office space to possibly get some Democratic votes or for Democrats to simply vote present to lower McCarthy’s threshold.
Sciutto asked if Republicans working with Democrats in such a way is “defying Republican voters,” but Bacon declared, “we have to be Americans first.”
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/moderate-gop-rep-says-preliminary-talks-are-underway-with-dems-on-a-consensus-speaker-candidate/