Rep. Dean Phillips weighs in on House speaker vote
DFL Rep. Dean Phillips poses for a portrait in Minnetonka, Minn., on Tuesday.
Mark Zdechlik | MPR News
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Republicans in Washington are trying to decide if Majority Leader Steve Scalise has the votes to become speaker of the House. Right now, it isn’t looking like he has the support from the 217 House members he needs.
The House is entering week two without a speaker, and they have essentially been unable to function. But the path to find one is getting messier. Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer has been floated as someone with leadership possibility. So if Scalise can’t get the votes, where does that put him?
MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Representative Dean Phillips Thursday morning and asked him to share his perspective on the situation.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
CATHY WURZER: Also developing right now, Republicans in Washington are trying to decide if Majority Leader Steve Scalise has the votes to become speaker of the House. Right now, it's not looking like he has the support from the 217 House members he needs. The House is entering week two without a speaker. And they have essentially been unable to function. But the path to find a speaker is getting messier.
Minnesota Republican Representative Tom Emmer has been floated as someone with leadership possibilities. So if Scalise can't get the votes, where does that put him? I talked earlier today to DFL Representative Dean Phillips, asked him to share his perspective on the situation.
DEAN PHILLIPS: We are facing a circumstance in which we have no speaker, which means we have no Congress. The House of Representatives cannot meet and conduct business. We cannot have hearings, debates, deliberations and get anything done. And it's clearly a dereliction of duty, absent a speaker.
And that's why I hope my GOP friends can select their leader in the next number of hours, bring that to the floor, and get our business underway because it is greatly consequential as it relates to, of course, the tragedies in Israel and Ukraine. Not to mention, we are still facing the lack of a budget. We're just 30-some days away from another shutdown, which is going to be tragic for the United States if we do not get our act together. And the dysfunction in the House, yes, has great implications and consequences, both here and abroad.
CATHY WURZER: Who would you support for House speaker, and why?
DEAN PHILLIPS: Well, I would love to see Hakeem Jeffries. He's an extraordinary leader, a man of principle and character and competency. But Democrats don't have the votes to make that happen. I've been inviting just five Republicans-- that's all we need-- five Republicans to join us and get the House operations underway with a man of great character.
But politics gets in the way of everything in Washington. And the reality is that it's most likely going to be a Republican speaker. And with that, I've made it quite clear, especially in times of great consequence like now, Cathy, I would support a principled Republican if he or she would make some concessions to Democrats around issues of importance to us and, most importantly, ensure that the House of Representatives can operate in the manner that our founders intended.
I think we've got to set aside politics, put forward principle, and get to work. And it could be a historic opportunity if and only if there's a Republican willing to work with Democrats. I think that's a responsibility, not an option.
CATHY WURZER: Given what we're hearing in your contacts in the House, if Steve Scalise is elected speaker, are we looking at a potential sequel, possibly, to Kevin McCarthy's fight to win the gavel in January?
DEAN PHILLIPS: Well, first of all, Cathy, I think it is very unlikely that Steve Scalise can reach the 217-vote threshold he needs. There are probably 20 Republicans right now who consider themselves Never Scalisers, if you will.
And as they go through these machinations, we sit and wait, literally sitting in Washington DC waiting for them to meet. They've only had a couple meetings so far. Jim Jordan has taken himself out of the running right now. But it appears that Mr. Scalise is many, many votes shy of reaching that number.
And as of yet, we Democrats, who have offered to put together a bipartisan solution, have yet not been approached. And sadly, Mr. McCarthy had that same opportunity and chose not to work with Democrats. You know, I think our country-- I know our country is tired of this nonsense, this unwillingness to cooperate, and this team sport that puts the competition over the United States of America. And I, among many, are getting really sick and tired of this, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: One more question about leadership in the House. What are your thoughts on Congressman Emmer's evolving position?
DEAN PHILLIPS: Well, I think that Mr. Emmer-- well, let me say this. I would love to see a Minnesota speaker of the House. If Mr. Jeffries is not going to be that person, I think Mr. Emmer could be one of those. That could be the bipartisan bridge to the future.
And should he be elevated to that opportunity, I, for one, would be very pleased to speak with him, make the case for compromise, and most importantly, make sure the House operates in a way that it must. As of now, none of us have received outreach from him or others. But should that occur, I'll be first in line to have that conversation because the alternative, which is no speaker, is far worse for Democrats, Republicans, and the United States of America.
CATHY WURZER: That is DFL Representative Dean Phillips. I also asked him about mulling a presidential bid. He's been talking about it and then seemed to back off. Well, this morning, Dean Phillips told me that he will make a decision on running against President Joe Biden in the next few weeks.
Minnesota Republican Representative Tom Emmer has been floated as someone with leadership possibilities. So if Scalise can't get the votes, where does that put him? I talked earlier today to DFL Representative Dean Phillips, asked him to share his perspective on the situation.
DEAN PHILLIPS: We are facing a circumstance in which we have no speaker, which means we have no Congress. The House of Representatives cannot meet and conduct business. We cannot have hearings, debates, deliberations and get anything done. And it's clearly a dereliction of duty, absent a speaker.
And that's why I hope my GOP friends can select their leader in the next number of hours, bring that to the floor, and get our business underway because it is greatly consequential as it relates to, of course, the tragedies in Israel and Ukraine. Not to mention, we are still facing the lack of a budget. We're just 30-some days away from another shutdown, which is going to be tragic for the United States if we do not get our act together. And the dysfunction in the House, yes, has great implications and consequences, both here and abroad.
CATHY WURZER: Who would you support for House speaker, and why?
DEAN PHILLIPS: Well, I would love to see Hakeem Jeffries. He's an extraordinary leader, a man of principle and character and competency. But Democrats don't have the votes to make that happen. I've been inviting just five Republicans-- that's all we need-- five Republicans to join us and get the House operations underway with a man of great character.
But politics gets in the way of everything in Washington. And the reality is that it's most likely going to be a Republican speaker. And with that, I've made it quite clear, especially in times of great consequence like now, Cathy, I would support a principled Republican if he or she would make some concessions to Democrats around issues of importance to us and, most importantly, ensure that the House of Representatives can operate in the manner that our founders intended.
I think we've got to set aside politics, put forward principle, and get to work. And it could be a historic opportunity if and only if there's a Republican willing to work with Democrats. I think that's a responsibility, not an option.
CATHY WURZER: Given what we're hearing in your contacts in the House, if Steve Scalise is elected speaker, are we looking at a potential sequel, possibly, to Kevin McCarthy's fight to win the gavel in January?
DEAN PHILLIPS: Well, first of all, Cathy, I think it is very unlikely that Steve Scalise can reach the 217-vote threshold he needs. There are probably 20 Republicans right now who consider themselves Never Scalisers, if you will.
And as they go through these machinations, we sit and wait, literally sitting in Washington DC waiting for them to meet. They've only had a couple meetings so far. Jim Jordan has taken himself out of the running right now. But it appears that Mr. Scalise is many, many votes shy of reaching that number.
And as of yet, we Democrats, who have offered to put together a bipartisan solution, have yet not been approached. And sadly, Mr. McCarthy had that same opportunity and chose not to work with Democrats. You know, I think our country-- I know our country is tired of this nonsense, this unwillingness to cooperate, and this team sport that puts the competition over the United States of America. And I, among many, are getting really sick and tired of this, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: One more question about leadership in the House. What are your thoughts on Congressman Emmer's evolving position?
DEAN PHILLIPS: Well, I think that Mr. Emmer-- well, let me say this. I would love to see a Minnesota speaker of the House. If Mr. Jeffries is not going to be that person, I think Mr. Emmer could be one of those. That could be the bipartisan bridge to the future.
And should he be elevated to that opportunity, I, for one, would be very pleased to speak with him, make the case for compromise, and most importantly, make sure the House operates in a way that it must. As of now, none of us have received outreach from him or others. But should that occur, I'll be first in line to have that conversation because the alternative, which is no speaker, is far worse for Democrats, Republicans, and the United States of America.
CATHY WURZER: That is DFL Representative Dean Phillips. I also asked him about mulling a presidential bid. He's been talking about it and then seemed to back off. Well, this morning, Dean Phillips told me that he will make a decision on running against President Joe Biden in the next few weeks.
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