Mark Meadows to FBN: I am not running for House Speaker
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows will not pursue the House Speaker position that’s currently occupied by Paul Ryan.
“I am not. That’s a definitive no. You heard it here on FOX Business,” Meadows said during an exclusive interview on “After the Bell.”
The conservative Republican from North Carolina and Ryan, the Wisconsin congressman and House Speaker, were caught in a heated debate over two immigration bills that drew national attention.
“I was advocating on the House floor is the way that I like to put it,” Meadows said.
The immigration overhaul bill failed to pass in the House in a 231-193 vote on Thursday as GOP leaders postponed another key vote amid divisions within the party. The so-called compromise bill is scheduled for a Friday vote.
“As we started to look at that original bill, there’s been a full-court press in the last 48 hours on the compromise bill,” Meadows said. “Perhaps, if we had done that on the first bill, we would have gotten to that sweet spot of 218 votes.”
Meadows also weighed in on President Trump’s executive order that allows children who have been separated from their parents after crossing the U.S. border illegally to remain together.
“We’ve got to address the issue. There’s no doubt about it,” he said. “The executive order is a very temporary fix.”