Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will hold a press conference Friday morning after his candidacy for House speaker lost some support among Republicans in a second ballot on Wednesday.
“[Mr. Jordan] will hold a press conference tomorrow morning, Friday, October 20, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. ET in the Rayburn Room of the U.S. Capitol,” read a statement shared on X by the House Judiciary GOP on Thursday night.
On Thursday afternoon, the speaker designate had said he was “still running” but wanted to speak with the 22 GOP members who voted against him in a crucial second ballot “so that we can move forward and begin to work a plan to go to the floor.”
Mr. Jordan reportedly met with the holdouts on Thursday afternoon, reported CNN.
On Wednesday, the number of votes against his bid grew by two from 20 since the first round of voting the day before.
Mr. Jordan did not initially tell reporters on the Hill on Thursday afternoon when Republicans would take the vote to the floor. Mr. Jordan’s spokesperson, Russell Dye, late Thursday confirmed that a third speaker vote will be held 10 a.m. ET Friday, reported Reuters.
On Thursday, the Republican majority considered a plan to temporarily empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) to conduct House business for the next several months.
Mr. Jordan described the pitch as a way “to lower the temperature and get back to work.”
The measure would have extended Mr. McHenry’s role as speaker pro tempore until a new speaker is elected, or either Nov. 17 or January 2024, whichever comes first.
However, the proposed plan appeared to be faltering on Thursday.
“We decided that wasn’t where we’re going to go,” said Mr. Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman and founder of the hardline House Freedom Caucus.
During Thursday’s meeting, tensions flared as Republican factions pointed fingers at each other for causing turmoil within their majority, according to lawmakers.
At one point, Mr. McCarthy told Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who led the motion to oust the former speaker, that it wasn’t his turn to speak.
“We’re shaking up Washington, D.C. We’re breaking the fever. And, you know what, it’s messy,” Mr. Gaetz said later.
The ongoing stalemate could keep the House closed for an extended period after Mr. McCarthy’s unprecedented removal as speaker.
Mr. McHenry, who is well-liked by his colleagues, has also rejected the idea that his temporary role be made more permanent. The move would be unprecedented.
“I did not ask for additional powers,” said Mr. McHenry. “My duty is to get the next speaker elected. That’s my focus.”
The speaker pro tempore rule was established after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to guarantee government continuity in the event of a speaker vacancy.
Some Republicans see Mr. Jordan as too hardline for the speaker role. Others have expressed dislike for the aggressive tactics employed by Mr. Jordan’s supporters to secure their votes. One lawmaker said that she had received death threats.
On Wednesday, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) said in a statement that she “cannot stomach or support” a bully. She said she had received “credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls.”
She had voted against Mr. Jordan on the second ballot.
The holdouts against Mr. Jordan’s speakership bid range from seasoned legislators and committee chairs worried about governing, to newer lawmakers from districts where voters prefer President Joe Biden to former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Jordan’s refusal to concede appears to have emboldened some of the Republicans.
“The way out is that Jim Jordan has got to pull his name,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who voted twice against him. “He’s going to have to call it quits.”
Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) said, “It’s not going to happen.”
Mr. Jordan is an ally of former President Donald Trump, who is running a 2024 presidential campaign, and who endorsed his speakership candidacy.
Looks like the So-called Republican holdouts will get not the Red badge of Courage, but the red districts badge of disgrace, for allowing the Next speaker by the name of Hakeem to get elevated into power during an attack on the USA by many Muslims of the same name and distorted socialist deceptive democrat ideology. This will not go down well in Anglo-Saxon or Jewish majority Congressional vote districts, which will change party affiliations for the empowerment of more Hakeem Congressional new majority power. Those who cannot lead, refuse to follow need to just get out of the way before the people take them out of the way at the ballot box.
“Those who cannot lead, refuse to follow need to just get out of the way before the people take them out of the way at the ballot box.”
These destructive Republicans and RINOs, should be kicked out of the Republican Party by the voters.
They are but self-righteous whiners, serving themselves NOT the People who put them in office!
PROB IS< their voters are the ones who KEEP SADDLING US with these cretins.
The more I hear of Jordan the more I would rather have Scalise as speaker! But to get the House functioning again [and by extension the rest of government too] we need a speaker. It is more difficult to elect Jordan than it would have been to elect Scalise if Jordan dropped out. Maybe we can give the temporary speaker permanent speaker status as a COMPROMISE [that totally pleases none] to get the government working!
I can’t agree with what you are saying. First, it has always been the conservatives who have “compromised” (or more correctly “gave in”). I understand your preference for Scalise, but that wasn’t going to happen for a number of reasons. I think the notion of wanting to get this settled in order to “get the government working” is itself the problem. The manner in which the government has been working for the past months is exactly the problem.
Exactly.. THE LEFT ALWAYS talks about ‘compromise’, but only WE THE RIGHT EVER GIVES UP ANYTHING, in any of those compromises.. THE LEFT doesn’t.
Scalise is a good man in so many ways, but in times of war you pick the guy with the strength, the will and the courage to take on and confront the enemy from strength to wrestle him down to the ground for a pin, not the guy who got taken down on the playing field Hamas style, and can only fight from a hospital bed or a posture of resistance in restricted crippled recovery. I felt the same about John McCain, who had his good qualities but became so much damaged goods by the enemy in Hanoi and the liberal ideology at home that others left with the strength to get the job done should have been given the keys to the race car, who could have smoked “Lets go Brandon” Biden in his aged corvette out of control driven by his overaged delirious brain. Like Leo Derocher said, “Nice guys finish last” and nice guys like Ernie Banks can provide a lot of entertainment, but in war can get a lot of people killed. We need leaders who can slide into the enemy with spikes up high enough to take out the ankles, of those who stand against America, not grinning idiots that just want another clear day to go out on the field and play two more as the grandstands get bombed out of existence about you.
YOU should. BUT the fact, he initially started out at having 18 hold outs saying no / someone else, THEN INCREASED THAT to 22, for the 2nd vote, and in this recent 3rd one, GOT 25 saying “other”, exactly how many MORE TIMES should he try to get the nod, when he keeps LOSING MORE AND MORE VOTES each time?!
I’m a Nebraska native and I am disappointed with the representatives from the state. It seems they always provide the means to plug up the works to go forward for some illogical or simplistic reason. First Ben Sasse now Don Bacon, at it again.
Elect more honorable representatives. These representative are suppose to represent the will of the people NOT their private desires!
When you have a House full of pinhead Democrats standing in your way to victory, you need a Republican leader with a proven ability to wrestle with and pin them to the mats, not just create opposing crime families that can only “go to the matresses” as a way to fight for the right, but end up just relecting the disoriented losing left.
:”Quis Superabit – Who shall excel them?
It’s time for a Republican Charge of the Light Brigade,,,,where is our Errol FLynn to lead the charge? The enemy on the Heights of Balaklava are before us, which also happens to be in Crimea, and like the American House of Representatives is heavily populated and now controlled by the foreign opposing party enemy of America. Those who are not with us are against us and with the Hakeems, Tlaibs, and Omars of the Democrat party
“Quis Separabit” Who shal separate us from the love of Christ, and Republican unity?
Unlike Democrats, Republicans have always been independent thinkers and are motivated more by their own vision of conservatism than adopting a herd mentality. While that might be somewhat laudable, at some point the party needs to build a solid platform and require members to adhere to those concepts. Absent a unified purpose the Republicans will continue to be fractured and groping in the dark looking for a leader. While Democrats promote their party at the sacrifice of good governance, Republicans sacrifice the party for what they independently see as good governance.
Agreed. AS long as the GOP continues to be individuals, VICE A PARTY, i fear we will continue to see the dems get their way, as the GOP can’t FIGHT BACK since they are not united.