The office of speaker of the house of the United States house of the United States house of the United StatesHouse Of Representatives is hereby declared vacant. Mccarthys cardinal sin, say his critics, was working with President Biden and the democrats on a last minute Budget Agreement to avoid a Goernment Shutdown last weekend. Lets take a closer look at the lawmakers who want to take his place. Jim jordan of ohio was first elected to congress in 2007. On friday morning, his bid got a major boost. Former President Donald Trump wrote on truth social jordan is one of trumps biggest congressional allies, receiving the president ial medal of freedom from trump in a closed door ceremonyjust days afterjanuary sixth capitol riot in 2021. Jordan currently chairs the housejudiciary committee, where he launched several investigations into President Biden, his son hunter and the fbi. He is also a founder and former chairman of the ultraconservative House Freedom caucus and was among more than 100 republicans who voted against 300 million in aid for ukraine. Then theres Steve Scalise of louisiana. As majority leader, hes the number two ranking republican in the House Of Representatives, elected to congress in 2008. The 57 year old announced in august. He was undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. And in 2017, scalise was gravely wounded during a shooting targeting republican members during a Baseball Practice in virginia. On ukraine, scalise joined more than 300 other members of Congress Voting to approve 300 million in aid to ukraine last week. Joining me now is congressional reporterfor politco, anthony adragna. Hes here to help us break down this very busy week and presumably another busy week to come. Weve been hearing about the top two candidates, jim jordan and Steve Scalise. Do you have a sense of which one might have the most support among republicans in the house . I think certainly, as you were alluding to, the fact that President Trump has weighed in on behalf of congressman jordan, its going to be a major boon for his candidacy, but i think the challenge right now for any candidates for speaker is trying to get to 18. Still at this point we dont see anyone with a clear path to get the support they will need to win over the entirety of the republican conference, let alone enough to win a vote on the house floor so this race remains very fluid and there is nobody who will have sufficient support locked up at this point. Support locked up at this oint. � , support locked up at this oint, � ,. , support locked up at this oint. � ,. , point. As we saw on tuesday ust a point. As we saw on tuesday just a small point. As we saw on tuesday just a small group point. As we saw on tuesday just a small group of just a small group of republicans to oust the last speaker. When comes on top of this race, how vulnerable do you think they might to something similar happening in terms of a challenge to their power . I5 terms of a challenge to their ower . ,. ,. , terms of a challenge to their ower . ,. ,. ,. , power . Is a great question and one of the power . Is a great question and one of the main power . Is a great question and one of the main ones power . Is a great question and one of the main ones we power . Is a great question and one of the main ones we will. One of the main ones we will have to see answer before anyone emerges from this contest. There are a number of members of the republican conference who feel really raw emotions from what happened on tuesday, they think Kevin Mccarthy was poorly treated by having this mechanism in place which allows anyone member to force a vote to expel the speaker. Obviously Congressman Matt Gates lead that pushed successfully this week, and there are dozens of republicans that want to see changed to that want to see changed to that threshold to make it at least more than one person. Many would like to see a majority of republican conference needed to trigger a similar boat in the future, so i think thats one of the key questions we will have to see answered by the republicans before they will pick the person that will lead them. Internally, what sort of changes need to be made to make whoever comes next less vulnerable to a lot of these challenges. Vulnerable to a lot of these challenges. Some observers think this challenges. Some observers think this could challenges. Some observers think this could be challenges. Some observers think this could be a challenges. Some observers think this could be a very i think this could be a very drawnout contest here to decide who the next speaker of the house might be. How without delay affects all the business, that the house means to get done . The Ukraine Funding bill, several different bills that would be needed to keep the government open beyond mid november . Government open beyond midnovember . Government open beyond midnovember . Another great. Uestion midnovember . Another great question and midnovember . Another great question and it midnovember . Another great question and it all midnovember . Another great question and it all depends midnovember . Another great question and it all depends on | question and it all depends on how long this process takes, there are many people who think it could take the better part of a month, congressjust passed a short term resolution that extended funding into mid november but if the speaker takes a protracted period of time, it could be harderfor the house to command and weigh in as they want on how to keep the government funded. Ukraine is obviously a big part of that as well. I think there is no question that Speaker Mccarthy being booted earlier this week will make it harder and harder, it was probably already difficult to get additional Ukraine Funding approved this year, there is no question in my mind that that action this week will make it all the more difficult to get additional funding approved. The House Republican conference is not super amenable right now to proving additional aid, certainly without major conditions, and the fact that there is so much uncertainty around the leadership right now i think only adds to that sense of uncertainty moving forward with regards regards to ukraine in particular. With regards regards to ukraine in particular. What about the ukraine in particular. What about the democrats, ukraine in particular. What. About the democrats, funding for ukraine are something high on their agenda. Could they be making kingmaker here . We saw the entire caucus line up to oust Kevin Mccarthy. Other any candidates that the democrats might support . 5 candidates that the democrats might support . Might support . 5 democrats have been might support . 5 democrats have been united might support . 5 democrats have been united so might support . 5 democrats have been united so far might support . 5 democrats have been united so far in have been united so far in voting to send Speaker Mccarthy out of the speakership, they have been united around jefferies, their leader, i would not expect that to change here. They may try to exact certain concessions from the republican speaker candidate in exchange for votes, they may try, i dont think there will be successful in that regard. I think both parties are pretty dug in here, and certainly polarisation in washington has never been greater, the fact that you are seeing such a narrowly divided house, having booted a speaker that had the support of more than 95 of the conference is pretty indicative of that, and so i dont expect, for worse or better, the bipartisanship to open up anytime soon. It bipartisanship to open up anytime soon. Bipartisanship to open up anytime soon. Bipartisanship to open up an imesoon. ,. , anytime soon. It should be an interesting anytime soon. It should be an interesting week. Anytime soon. It should be an interesting week. Thank anytime soon. It should be an interesting week. Thank you | anytime soon. It should be an. Interesting week. Thank you so much for your time. Before we go much further, lets lay out what exactly the speaker does, and why thejob is so important. The speaker runs the House Of Representatives and its 435 members. That means overseeing the daily business of the chamber and setting the voting agenda. Traditionally, they are the leader of the Largest Party in the house. Currently, the republicans have more seats than the democrats by a count of 221 to 212, with two seats vacant. And the speaker is second in line to the presidency, after the vice president. So, its hardly a symbolic post it wields real power. One of those who will have a say in selecting the next speaker of the house is mike lawler, republican congressman from new york. I spoke with him a short time ago. Congressman, thank you so much for being here. I want to start with the former President Donald Trump, we are hearing now he has endorsed jim jordan in this speaker � s race. What is your reaction to that and how might his endorsement affect this race . Affect this race . Ultimately this will be affect this race . Ultimately this will be a affect this race . Ultimately this will be a decision affect this race . Ultimately| this will be a decision made affect this race . Ultimately i this will be a decision made by the conference, and the conference alone, the former president is certainly entitled to offer his opinion on it, but i think the conference is going to be getting together on monday for what is going to be i think a rather long and blunt discussion about how we move forward, and then obviously the focus will turn to the speakers race, and selecting a candidate who can receive 218 votes on the house floor. You voted of votes on the house floor. You voted of course votes on the house floor. You voted of course to votes on the house floor. You voted of course to support former speaker Kevin Mccarthy. Will you now votes to support either of these two top candidates, eitherjimjordan candidates, eitherjim jordan or steve candidates, eitherjimjordan or Steve Scalise . I candidates, eitherjim jordan or Steve Scalise . Or Steve Scalise . I have not decided who or Steve Scalise . I have not decided who i or Steve Scalise . I have not decided who i will or Steve Scalise . I have not decided who i will be decided who i will be supporting. Im looking forward to the discussion, i think theres a lot of questions that need to be answered for whoever the next speaker is, and in large part how we are going to effectively govern as a majority. What happened last week was disgusting, it was unnecessary and torpedoed our very majority and put a lot of it in jeopardy very majority and put a lot of it injeopardy going very majority and put a lot of it in jeopardy going forward, frankly, and so i think there needs to be a real reckoning within the conference, and a discussion, and so i have not made any decisions yet as to who i will or wont support, but i think the conversation is necessary to make that determination. Has necessary to make that determination. Necessary to make that determination. As it stands ri. Ht determination. As it stands right now determination. As it stands right now one determination. As it stands right now one of determination. As it stands right now one of the determination. As it stands right now one of the top. Right now one of the top candidates for speaker, jim jordan has voted against nearly every ukrainian aid bill that has been brought to the floor since the invasion by russia began. How important is it to you that the next speaker of the house supports a new aid package for ukraine . I the house supports a new aid package for ukraine . Package for ukraine . I think obviously package for ukraine . I think obviously you package for ukraine . I think obviously you have package for ukraine . I think obviously you have the package for ukraine . I think| obviously you have the white house and the senate aligned on increasing aid to ukraine. The majority of the house in recent votes supported aids to ukraine, so it is clear that this is an issue that will need to be addressed, and whoever the next speaker is is going to have to work with the white house, with the senate and with the house to come to an agreement on the next steps. There is no question that needs to be accountability and transparency, as many of my colleagues has called for, and the white house has to put forth a plan to congress, and identify what the goals and the objectives are and frankly, what the endgame is ultimately, because this is not something obviously that we can continue in perpetuity, but certainly, i have supported and will continue to support aids to ukraine, ithink continue to support aids to ukraine, i think its imperative that we hold Vladimir Putin accountable for his conduct, and i think there are real consequences if ukraine falls, especially in the indo pacific, so theres a lot at stake here, theres a lot at stake here, theres a lot that goes into this and i obviously its going to require a thorough discussion with whoever the next speaker is. Beyond just funding for ukraine, theres lots of work that does need to get out of the house, several Appropriations Bills that needs to be passed, there is only finding for the government through mid november. How concerned are you that are drawn out progress to select the new speaker could lead to another government shutdown, bring you up to the brink once again . Bring you up to the brink once auain . ~ bring you up to the brink once aaain . ,. , bring you up to the brink once auain . ,. , again . We obviously avoided the otential again . We obviously avoided the potential of again . We obviously avoided the potential of the again . We obviously avoided the potential of the shutdown again . We obviously avoided the potential of the shutdown with l potential of the shutdown with an agreement last saturday, that put a 45 day crm places. The objective is to choose a speaker as quickly as possible so we can get back to focusing On The Issues that matter to the American People, starting with obviously our spending, and the Appropriations Process as well as securing our southern border and dealing with the migrant crisis that has impacted communities all across this country, including in my home state of new york, and so, its imperative that we have the time and the ability to deal with these issues before november 17, and certainly try to get through the Appropriations Process. If we run up against the clock, as i said repeatedly, we cannot shut the government down and we would need to consider another cr, but it is imperative that we get back to work and focused On The Issues that matter to the American People. Thank you for takin the American People. Thank you for taking the the American People. Thank you for taking the time the American People. Thank you for taking the time to the American People. Thank you for taking the time to speak the American People. Thank you for taking the time to speak to l for taking the time to speak to us. So, thats the republican view. Lets switch to the democrats now. For that, my colleague Sumi Somaskanda spoke earlier with congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi from illinois. Congressman, great to have you back on bbc news. It is not yet clear when there will be a vote for the speaker of the house, possibly wednesday, but from what youre hearing and seeing from your republican colleagues across the aisle what do you expect to see next week . I dont know, sumi. I always think that i know is going to happen and then, im surprised when things unfold the way they do. On wednesday, i expect we will actually see the balloting and elections, and as some of your viewers might recall, it was a very interesting affair. Interesting affair the last time this happened injanuary, i hope its not as chaotic and its not the circus that it was back then. So, what do you make of the former president reportedly visiting the capitol on tuesday . I honestly dont know. Some people say he is merely going to help unify people ahead of their elections on wednesday, other people think that hes actually thinking about serving as a candidate. And he i think he put out on truth social that he is supporting jimjordan but he also said, im open to being a unifying candidate. Short answer is wherever there is a tv camera and in this case, whenever there is nojudge presiding on a courtroom i think donald trump will want to be there, and i suspect he might appear at the capitol. Congressman, you mentioned the namejimjordan. He seems to be, at the moment, the favourite to be the next speaker at least from the republican side. Would you democrats consider supporting him . Im not sure about that, sumi. Jimjordan is basically Donald Trumps lieutenant in congress. My my big concern is thatjim jordan is potentially going to pursue an agenda to help Donald Trumps presi