The Republican Party needs to grand ol’ prioritize right now.

The Internet exploded with rumors last week buzzing that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) would be the GOP’s preferred candidate for speaker. This idea began to circulate shortly after Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) dropped out of the race, which was allegedly caused by a fabricated report that he and Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) were having an affair.

Meanwhile, there have been a series of hearings regarding the investigation of Planned Parenthood, in addition to continued discussion of the activities of the Select Committee on Benghazi.

It’s clear that there’s a lot going on in Congress right now. But what Republican members might not realize is that if they select a strong leader into the speakership, they will be able to tackle all of these issues in a timely, organized and professional manner. Having a resilient party leader is essential for the GOP at this time, as talks of them going into turmoil have been dominating headlines.

Party leaders have been divided on who the next speaker should be, which does not help the cause at all. The House Freedom Caucus, which is comprised of some 40 far-right winged members, formally endorsed Rep. Daniel Webster (R-WV) rather than backing the then-preferred candidate, McCarthy.

Although members have a right to believe whatever they want and to partake in congressional membership organizations, factions such as the Freedom Caucus need to learn how to compromise in order to mend tensions within the party.

It’s understood that this caucus, along with many far-right citizens, did not want McCarthy to be the preferred candidate; however, electing a far-right Speaker of the House is not feasible.

Back in the 113th congressional session, there was a special election for majority leader, and far-right interest groups and citizens were pushing for Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) to replace then-incumbent Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.). Moderate candidate McCarthy ended up winning the position, and more than one year later, the far right is playing the same games, and is still losing.

Despite Ryan stating that he would not be seeking the speakership, it was rumored that incumbent Speaker Boehner personally asked him to step up to the task. While the former vice presidential hopeful has proven capable of leading his party, he’s not the only person qualified for the job.

Rising GOP star House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) has proven that she is capable of leading with her push to incorporate modern ideas into the party’s agenda, as seen in her blog post “How technology can change the way congress approaches policymaking.” If the party is seeking a leader that understands the needs of the people, and the party, McMorris Rodgers may be that candidate.

It’s bad enough the party is already failing in the public relations department at the moment, thanks to presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Ben Carson, but now the party looks absolutely dazed and confused.

Members of Congress have many jobs and tasks to uphold during their tenure in office, but it is important that they prioritize said duties. In working to elect a strong speaker, the party can successfully work through uniting this ultra-polarized group of leaders. They have the ability to make a positive impact on their country and can only do so if they work together, as a unified GOP.

Vanessa Salman is a junior political science major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at vksalman@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @VanessaSalman.

Published on October 13, 2015 at 11:37 pm