U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) speaks to reporters as he leaves the Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on October 16, 2023, in Washington, DC.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
of US House of Representatives is voting Tuesday on whether Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will become the next speaker.
The meeting came just two weeks after a faction of hardline Republicans ousted then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy and threw the House into chaos.
The Judiciary Committee chairman can afford to lose four of the 221 Republicans and still win the gavel. But as of Tuesday morning, there remained at least six Republicans who openly opposed Jordan, and several who had not yet revealed how they would vote.
“We are at a time when all of America is facing great crisis, our Capitol itself is under historic challenge, and we are witnessing a heinous act of terrorism and evil attacks against our great ally Israel. We are in a period where the act is being committed,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik (R). Y. formally nominated Jordan on the floor. “Jim Jordan will be America’s speaker at a time like this,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party nominated Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) as its own speaker candidate.
Rep. Pete Aguilar of California mentioned Jordan in his speech nominating Jeffries, saying, “A vote for the gentleman from Ohio is a vote against national security.” “This is a vote to turn our backs on a bipartisan path to funding the government and avoiding a government shutdown, and that can only happen if we reject his nomination.”
The deeply divided Republican conference has so far failed to unite around a candidate for speaker after McCarthy’s ouster. House Minority Leader Steve Scalise was originally a candidate to replace Mr. McCarthy, but he was forced to abandon his bid last week after failing to secure votes.
McCarthy himself went through 15 votes before winning the gavel in January. Mr. Jordan has said he wants Tuesday’s vote to continue until the House chooses a speaker, suggesting he intends to go after his opponents in the House.
The House has been leaderless for two weeks now, after a faction of eight Republicans led by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz ousted McCarthy in an unprecedented no-confidence vote.
Democrats refused to rescue Mr. McCarthy’s chairmanship, leading to his ouster. Nor is there any incentive to favor Jordan, a far-right Republican from Ohio and a close ally of Donald Trump who is leading the impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.
This means Jordan must rely entirely on his party’s narrow majority. Democrats are backing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
A leadership vacuum in the House of Representatives has left Congress paralyzed and unable to move forward with critical national security legislation at a time of rising tensions and escalating conflicts around the world.
Biden and Republican national security hawks like House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (Texas) have warned that a leadership vacuum in the House is dangerous.
The president called on Congress to pass emergency security assistance to Israel in the wake of devastating Hamas terrorist attacks and to Ukraine, where Kiev is running out of time to push back Russia before weather complicates military operations. He called for the passage of emergency security assistance.
This is a developing story. Please check back for the latest information.
