Nebraska's 1st District Representative Mike Flood being sworn into office. July of 2022. (Courtesy: Office of Mike Flood)
Since the less-than-ceremonious ousting of California Rep. Kevin McCarthy from his position as U.S. House Speaker on Oct. 3rd, a historic dog-and-pony show has unfolded in the people’s house, and Nebraska’s 1st District Representative is playing wrangler.
Friday, U.S. Congressman Mike Flood unveiled a Unity Pledge to rally members of the House Republican caucus to pledge unified support for the conference’s eventual Speaker Designate, who is expected to be elected early next week.
“This is ridiculous,” Flood said on Fox News, “We have to support the nominee of our conference because a majority party is only a majority party when it votes as a majority. I’m sick of sitting in a room listening to everybody talk about their feelings.”
The text of the Unity Pledge reads as follows:
House Republicans need to elect a Speaker as soon as possible in order to return to work on behalf of the American people. It is time to put politics and personalities aside and unite behind the next Republican Conference choice for Speaker.
I, _______ , hereby pledge to support the Speaker Designate duly elected by the House Republican Conference—regardless of who that candidate is—when their election proceeds to the House Floor. Further, I pledge to vote for the Speaker Designate on the House Floor for as long as they remain the Speaker Designate.
Rep. Flood’s signed copy can be viewed here.
A growing number of candidates for Speaker of the House, and additional representatives, have signed on to Rep. Flood’s Unity Pledge. So far:
- Rep. Don Bacon (Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district)
- Rep. Adrian Smith (Nebraska’s 3rd congressional district)
- Rep. Bergman*
- Rep. Donalds*
-
Rep. Meuser*
- Rep. Emmer*
- Rep. Hern*
- Rep. Johnson*
- Rep. Scott*
- Rep. Sessions*
- Rep. Alford
-
Rep. Pfluger
*Intends to seek conference’s nomination for House Speaker position