Summary

  • US House of Representatives Republicans pick Steve Scalise as the chamber's next Speaker

  • Next comes a vote for all members of the House and 217 votes are required

  • The Speaker runs the chamber and is second in line for the presidency, behind the vice-president

  • The last Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, was ousted in a right-wing revolt from within his own party

  • The Republican party controls the House but has been plagued by infighting and unable to agree on a new leader

  • The new leader of the lower chamber of Congress will face a considerable challenge to unite his party and control the House

Live Reporting

Edited by Marianna Brady

  1. Busy morning on Capitol Hill

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    BBC News, on Capitol Hill

    It's been a busy morning for House Republicans in Washington DC.

    For most of the morning, they met behind closed doors at the Longworth House Office building, just across the street from the US Capitol.

    Information on what's been said has been hard to come by.

    No press was allowed and members were reportedly prevented from having their phones on them to prevent leaks.

    We're waiting to hear the result of the secret vote.

  2. Welcome

    Republicans are meeting behind closed doors to pick their nominee for Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    The Speaker is one of the most important posts on Capitol Hill and leads the lower chamber of Congress.

    Republicans are believed to be close to holding a secret vote to nominate Jim Jordan or Steve Scalise.

    So, how did we get here? You'll remember that last week Kevin McCarthy was ousted as Speaker after right-wing party members revolted and removed him, a move unprecedented in US politics.

    The Republican Party has been plagued by infighting in recent weeks and unable to come to an agreement on McCarthy's replacement.

    Stay tuned as we bring you the latest from Capitol Hill.