The Republican Congressman Steve Scalise dropped out of the race to be Speaker of the House just one day after his party nominated him.

Scalise, 58, had struggled to gain enough votes to win an overall majority.

Republican members of the House of Representatives made the announcement on Thursday after a last-minute meeting.

The party has not yet announced its nominee for the position.

“We have to put everybody’s agendas to the side and focus on what this country needs,” Mr Scalise told reporters following the meeting.

“We need a Speaker and we need to open up the House again, but not everyone is there, and there are still schisms to resolve,” he said.

Mr Scalise faced growing dissension from rank-and-file Republicans even after defeating right-wing rival Jim Jordan on Wednesday.

On Thursday, he failed to sway them enough to gain the 217 votes he needed to become Speaker.

During his remarks Thursday night, Mr Scalise acknowledged that “it didn’t look like it would happen”.

People who told me they liked me three days ago were moving the goalposts and making up reasons that had nothing to do with anything.” he said. It was a game being played, so I said I wouldn’t participate.”

In spite of this, he told reporters that he loved his position as majority leader.