Will there finally be a speaker in the US House of Representatives? That looks increasingly unlikely as Republicans have yet to resolve a fratricidal row within their party that has paralyzed the establishment for more than a week, AFP reports.

Steve Scalise of Louisiana, nominated by a majority of his colleagues in an informal mid-afternoon vote, has yet to convince enough Trump supporters to support him in office, leading to a crisis in Congress.

Aid to Israel blocked…

The vast majority of that institution’s powers were suspended by the surprise impeachment on Oct. 3 of Kevin McCarthy, the victim of a rift in the Republican Party between moderates and Trump supporters.

As a result, the House of Representatives is currently unable to vote on any legislation that would prevent any further aid to Israel, a longtime US ally, following a surprise attack by Hamas on Saturday.

Or a new package for Russia-occupied Ukraine that has been discussed for weeks.

A Republican Party marked by divisions

Republicans have been unable to agree on a possible successor to Kevin McCarthy for more than a week.

They met behind closed doors on Wednesday in hopes of ending this unprecedented crisis. The leader of the group, 58-year-old Steve Scalise, won an informal election against a candidate supported by Donald Trump.

Scalise is widely known for being seriously injured in an attack on a baseball field in 2017.

But to be elected speaker of the House, the 50-year-old cancer survivor needs the support of 217 elected representatives in a full vote — arguably the most difficult part of the process.

This vote has not yet been scheduled. It can be a matter of hours or days…

Trump’s influence

Several elected officials from Trump’s caucus have already publicly opposed his candidacy, citing his budget positions or health to justify their choice.

“I love Steve Scalise, and I love him so much that I would rather see him beat cancer than sacrifice my health for the hardest job in Congress,” said Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, who is very close to to Donald Trump. .

Joe Biden’s Democratic Party is in the minority in the House of Representatives and therefore largely oversees the chaotic negotiations in Congress.

However, the US president urged Congress to take “immediate action” as soon as it is able to “fund the national security imperatives of our partners.”

In the absence of the president, the US Congress cannot vote on a new federal budget. The current budget expires in a few weeks, once again putting the world’s top economic power at risk of paralyzing governance.