We got to hear from Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale (R-MT02) in his own words on Thursday's Montana Talks statewide radio show. It was a quick update just before Rosendale walked to the floor of the US House for another round of voting.

I started off the chat by asking if progress had been made in the debate over who would be elected to serve as Speaker of the US House of Representatives. I mentioned seeing a headline that former Speaker Newt Gingrich was predicting that a Speaker would have been named later in the day.

Rep. Rosendale: He (Gingrich) needs to stay in the academia world teaching history and stay away from the oddsmakers because he would lose his money.

As we enter Friday morning, another round of voting for Speaker of the House will continue. So far, Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) continues to secure over 200 votes from fellow Republicans, but is still short of the 218 needed to be elected speaker.

Representative-elect Rosendale is one of the 20 or so GOP holdouts who has been voting against McCarthy. Rosendale represents Montana's Eastern District. Representative-elect Ryan Zinke (R-MT01) represents Montana's Western District and is one of the 200-plus Republicans backing McCarthy.

 

Rep. Rosendale: To this point, people have been have been dug in pretty hard. But basically, I want to break it down real quick for you here. We've got two major areas of concentration that that keep us from putting Kevin McCarthy in as the speaker. First, leadership skills. Secondly, the roles that we have been working on to try and restore, not radically amend, restore functions on the House of Representatives.

When I spoke with Rosendale back in November at the start of this Speaker battle, and again in December he said his opposition to Kevin McCarthy was solely focused on changing the rules. It's now clear that the 20 GOP holdouts are raising more concerns than just the rules changes.

Rep. Rosendale: Everybody that voted for me in Montana said we are sick and tired of all the go along to get along. They did not send me up here to rubber stamp policies by the establishment Republican Party. They set me up here to fight and give them a voice again. And if we do not change the rules and if we do not change the leadership that gives us the ability to implement those rules, that we will not have change. And guess what, then you can send any mouthpiece up here that's willing to go along and push a green button for leadership. And that's not what I was sent up here to do.

Full audio of our quick update from Rep. Rosendale on Thursday morning:

ICYMI: Here's our chat earlier in the week with Rep. Zinke as well.

After Two Days Of Failing To Elect A Speaker, House Continues To Hold Votes
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After Two Days Of Failing To Elect A Speaker, House Continues To Hold Votes
(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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