Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, 44, is another name being tossed around as the possible next speaker.
The second-term Floridian congressman, who earned as many as 20 votes in three rounds of voting during the last speaker’s race, which ultimately put McCarthy on top, earned an A rating from the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America as someone who has “voted consistently to defend the lives of the unborn and infants.”
One of the bills Donalds voted against was the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have enshrined abortion as a human right in law. The law failed to pass in 2022 but was reintroduced in 2023.
Donalds was outspoken against mandates forcing vaccination against COVID-19 and co-authored a letter to the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard critical of the military branch for denying religious exemptions in “nearly every single case.”
In February, Donalds introduced the Denying Earnings to the Military Oligarchy in Cuba and Restricting Activities of the Cuban Intelligence Apparatus, or the DEMOCRACIA Act.
The legislation “provides for asset- and visa-blocking sanctions for conduct relating to Cuba,” a nation that is one of the top 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution for their faith, according to the advocacy organization OpenDoors.
“The president must sanction foreign persons that provide financial support to specified Cuban government sectors (e.g., the defense sector) or any other government sector that the president certifies is involved in human rights abuses or terrorism,” the act says.
Rep. Patrick McHenry — North Carolina
Rep. Patrick McHenry, 47, a North Carolina Republican in office since 2005, is currently the acting speaker of the House, having been designated by McCarthy before his removal.
A Catholic, McHenry attended undergrad at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina, included in the Newman Guide’s list of faithful Catholic universities.
Before becoming the temporary speaker of the House, McHenry was serving as chair of the House Financial Services Committee.
He earned an A rating on Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s scorecard and has supported pro-life legislation including the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. He has opposed Democrat efforts to enshrine abortion into federal law.
In 2013, McHenry, a 10th-term congressman, co-sponsored the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, which prohibits the federal government from discriminating against someone who holds traditional views on the sanctity of marriage.
Following the Supreme Court’s 2005 ruling prohibiting displays of the Ten Commandments in two Kentucky courthouses, McHenry said: “Our religious liberties are being attacked.”
“The federal courts have laid out a full frontal assault on our liberties,” he said at the time.
A critic of the abuses of the Chinese Communist Party, McHenry co-penned an op-ed in 2022 calling for supporting an American supply chain that doesn’t support the “abhorrent human rights abuses sanctioned by the Chinese government.”
Rep. Tom Emmer — Minnesota
Minnesota Republican Rep. Tom Emmer, 62, has said he will be running for the position of majority leader and will not be running for House speaker. However, his name continues to be raised as a possible candidate.
In office since 2015, Emmer is the current House majority whip.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s scorecard rated him A+ for his pro-life legislative efforts. He was an advocate of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, fighting for its passage while Democrats held it up in the House for years. He has also opposed efforts to codify Roe v. Wade by enshrining abortion into federal law.
Former President Donald Trump
Former President Donald Trump, 77, who is the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 presidential race, has been named by certain members of Congress to be the next speaker of the House.
Though Trump is not a member of the House, the Constitution does not specify that this is a necessary prerequisite to becoming speaker. So, though unlikely, Trump could theoretically be made speaker of the House if voted in by the members.
In response to questions from reporters, Trump didn’t outright deny that he would accept the spot if elected but said that he was focused on his presidential campaign.
“We’ll do whatever is best for the country and for the Republican Party,” he said.
Trump’s pro-life record during his first term in 2016 was bolstered by his appointment of three justices to the Supreme Court, which was a major factor in the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark case that legalized abortion nationwide.
During Trump’s time in office, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America referred to him, a nondenominational Christian, as the “most pro-life president ever.”
In addition to signing an executive order protecting infants born alive in a failed abortion attempt, Trump was the first president of the United States to speak at the human rights demonstration the March for Life.
Despite his pro-life record, Trump has come under fire from pro-life groups in recent months for comments criticizing early protection of the unborn. The former president has refused to clarify whether he would support a federal abortion ban.
On religious freedom, Trump was praised when he brought sanctions against Chinese officials but was called upon to be more aggressive in applying the same level of pressure against religious freedom persecutors in other parts of the globe.
Trump signed an executive order to further international religious freedom in countries of particular concern through the allocation of $50 million for programs promoting and protecting the freedom to worship.
The administration issued guidance that faith-based groups must have equal access to public grant programs and created an advocate in the executive office of the president for faith-based communities.
Joseph Bukuras is a journalist at the Catholic News Agency. Joe has prior experience working in state and federal government, in non-profits, and Catholic education. He has contributed to an array of publications and his reporting has been cited by leading news sources, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the Catholic University of America. He is based out of the Boston area.
Peter Pinedo is a DC Correspondent for CNA. A graduate of Franciscan University, Peter previously worked for Texas Right to Life. He is a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve.
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