Palmer Drops out of House Speaker Battle
The battle for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives continues in our nation's capital but it will do so without 6th District Republican Rep. Gary Palmer. The man who has represented Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson and Shelby counties since 2015 announced his exit on social media and his congressional website this morning.
“Congress and the American people needed a Republican Speaker three weeks ago. If withdrawing my name can help expedite that process even a little, then I will gladly step aside,” said Rep. Palmer. “The candidate forum and individual conversations have given me great hope for the future of the 118th Congress. All the candidates are committed to ideas similar to the principles I laid out last night. We must bring stability back to the House of Representatives, and we do that by passing our spending bills on time, providing real spending cuts, not passing short term CRs, allowing members time to read legislation, and uniting the conference before going to the House floor. These principles will truly transform how this place works and ensure it works for the benefit of the American people.”
Rep. Palmer continued, “I will work with the next speaker on the ideas I have laid out so Congress can come together and do the job the American people sent us here to do. With this in mind, I am withdrawing my name from consideration for Speaker.”
Palmer is the 5th highest-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives. He has a bachelor's degree in operations management from the University of Alabama.
Palmer announced he was entering the crowded field on Sunday, but sources say he felt his candidacy was not gaining any traction.