Jim Jordan, a Republican, will try to become Speaker of the House again, but his critics are weighing his options
WASHINGTON (AP) — After losing the first vote to become Speaker of the House, Rep. Jim Jordan He will try again for a crucial second ballot that will test whether the hardline ally of Donald Trump can win over naysayers or whether his bid for the gavel collapses, which critics deny.
previous to Voting Wednesday morningJordan made an unexpected plea for party unity, with the combative Judiciary Committee chairman telling colleagues on social media: “We must stop attacking each other and come together.”
But a surprisingly large and politically diverse group 20 Republicans rejected Jordan’s nominationMany are resistant to tough tactics to force support, seeing the Ohio congressman as too extreme for the powerful job of Speaker of the House, second in line for the presidency.
Additional votes were postponed Tuesday with the House deadlocked while Jordan worked to shore up support from fellow Republicans for the job that will replace the ousted Kevin McCarthy.
“We will continue to work,” Jordan said late Tuesday at the Capitol.
It has been two weeks of angry Republican infighting since McCarthy’s surprise ouster by hardliners, who are now within reach of the central seat of American power. Voting for Speaker of the House, previously a formality in Congress, has been transformed into a vote Another bitter encounter with the hammer.
This tally, in which 200 Republicans voted for Jordan and 212 for Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries from New York, did not leave any candidate with a clear majority, as the 20 Republicans voted for someone else. With Republicans holding the majority 221-212, Jordan must pick off most of his GOP opponents to win.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York speaks to reporters on the steps of the Capitol after Republicans failed in their first attempt to elect Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a top ally of Donald Trump, to be the new Speaker of the House, at the convention. The Capitol Building in Washington, Tuesday, October 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Jeffries quickly intervened, declaring that it was time for Republicans to partner with Democrats to reopen the House — in what could be a move Exceptional, if not unprecedented A moment in congressional history
Bipartisan groups of lawmakers have been pitching ways to run the House through it Give more power To the interim speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R.N.C., or another interim speaker. The House of Representatives has never ousted a speaker before McCarthy, and lawmakers rarely face a test.
“Republicans are unable to act right now,” Jeffries said. He said talks would “accelerate” between Democrats and Republicans on alternative plans.
Late Tuesday, the new concept had the endorsement of two surprising prominent Republicans: Newt Gingrich, the former Republican House Speaker, said that although he likes Jordan, he has “no confidence” in the candidate’s ability to get beyond 200 votes he got. In the first vote.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, stands and speaks with Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., as they discuss the tally of the first round of voting, in which the House votes for a new speaker, at the Capitol. In Washington, Tuesday, October 17, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
“We cannot sit idly by and hope the world waits for House Republicans to get their act together,” Gingrich told Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity on his show.
John Boehner, another former GOP spokesman, retweeted Gingrich’s views, saying “I agree” on social media.
Both men have deep experience on the subject. Both were forced into early retirement due to threats from right-wing rebels to overthrow them Like those who ousted McCarthy.
But with public pressure on lawmakers from Trump allies, including Hannity, it is unclear how long the pushback against Jordan can continue. Indeed, some lawmakers said their first vote was merely a protest, and they will be with Jordan in the coming rounds.
“Jim Jordan will be a great speaker,” the former president said outside the Manhattan courtroom, where he is facing off. Accusations of commercial fraud. He added: “I think he will get the votes soon, if not today, then in the next day or two.”
The opponents flexing their independence are a mix of pragmatists — from seasoned lawmakers and committee chairs concerned about governance, to new lawmakers from districts where voters back home prefer President Joe Biden over Trump.
Some Republicans resent being pressured by Jordan’s allies and say they are being threatened by key opponents if they do not support him as president. Others are simply dissatisfied with the way the whole process has proceeded.
As the dreary appeal process unfolded Tuesday, with each lawmaker announcing his or her selection, naysayers quickly emerged.
Republican Representative from Nebraska Don Bacon, a leader of the centrists, voted for McCarthy, the ousted former Speaker of Parliament. The murmurs rippled across the room. Others voted for Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was the party’s first nominee to replace McCarthy before hardliners also rejected him last week.
One of them, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., a veteran, later said he would not be “pressured or intimidated” about his vote. “That millisecond that someone tries to intimidate me is the moment I no longer have resilience.”
Another opponent, Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, said Jordan’s role in the run-up to the election January 6, 2021 attack At the Capitol and his refusal to acknowledge that Biden, a Democrat, won the 2020 election has remained a problem.
Jordan was a prominent ally of Trump, especially during that period Capitol attack on January 6 By supporters of the former president who were trying to overturn the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden. Days later, Trump granted Jordan Medal of Freedom.
The political rise has been steep for Jordan, the combative chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a founding member of the right-wing Freedom Rally. He is known more as an agent of chaos than a skilled legislator, raising questions about how he will lead. Congress faces enormous challenges and risks Federal shutdown At home if it fails to fund the government and meet Biden’s requests for aid Ukraine And Israel In foreign wars.
Immediately after the vote, Jordan consulted with McCarthy, who had performed almost as poorly in January, having lost by roughly the same number of votes in the first of what would become a historic 15 ballots. For hammer.
Jordan was first elected in 2006, and has only had a handful of bills to his name since his time in office. He also faces questions about his past. Several years ago in Jordan He denied the allegations of former wrestlers during his time as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University who accused him of knowing about allegations that they were inappropriately touched by an Ohio State doctor. Jordan said he was not aware of any abuse at all.
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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on apnews.com
