The House is approaching two weeks without a leader after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) became the first speaker in history to be removed, setting up a divisive fight for his replacement that has stalled legislative business and raised the possibility for several long-shot alternatives, including a power-sharing agreement with Democrats or the potential for an alternative candidate to emerge.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) returns to a House Republican caucus meeting at the Longworth House Office ... [+]
The House is scheduled to vote for a new speaker Tuesday, but the election could be postponed if members believe Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican nominee, does not have enough votes to win the election, a scenario that risks showcasing Republican divisions on national TV through a process with no end in sight.
Without a speaker, the House is effectively at a standstill: Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) has limited powers when it comes to bringing legislation to the floor, though four Democratic lawmakers have called to expand McHenry’s authority, in 15-day increments, to allow the House to vote only on legislation surrounding the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war and a new budget ahead of a November 17 deadline to avert a government shutdown.
Jordan, who was nominated by the GOP conference Friday after Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) dropped out of the race, needs 217 votes to win the contest, meaning he can only afford four Republicans voting against him in a House floor vote if all Democrats also oppose him (55 Republicans said they would not support him in an internal vote taken Friday).
Jordan was still recruiting additional votes Monday, including the backing of one of his staunchest holdouts, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), who announced he decided to support Jordan after two days of “cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations,” and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), who also announced Monday he would back Jordan.
Jordan could also follow suit with Scalise and drop out of the race if it becomes more apparent he will fail on the House floor—or, a new, more moderate Republican candidate could emerge before Tuesday’s election.
While the 212 Democrats are expected to vote together to back their nominee, Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), they could seek concessions from Republicans in exchange for their votes, including rules changes that would give the party more say in what legislation comes to the floor for a vote, as Jeffries and other members have suggested publicly, but it’s unlikely the GOP would ever agree to the proposal.
“What happens when Jordan forces us to the floor to try to pressure us and all of a sudden we don’t show up and Hakeem Jeffries is speaker cause he wanted to be a bully?” an unnamed House Republican told Politico, warning that if enough GOP members sit out Tuesday’s vote in protest of Jordan, it could propel Jeffries to win the speakership.
“We will go the floor tomorrow,” Jordan told reporters Monday. “It's not about pressuring anybody, just about we got to have a speaker. You can’t open the House and do the work of the American people and help our dearest and closest friend Israel.”
The House has been without a speaker for nearly two weeks, after it voted October 3 to remove McCarthy as its leader amid a right-wing revolt led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). Scalise beat out Jordan last week in the first GOP nominating contest, which serves as a precursor to a formal election conducted by the full House, but he dropped out of the race after failing to gain traction. Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) lost the nomination to Jordan in Friday’s vote, though he only launched his campaign shortly before the vote and was widely viewed as entering the race solely to serve as an anti-Jordan candidate. Jordan, a fervent supporter of former President Donald Trump and a founder of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, is viewed by some members as a speaker candidate who can wrangle the right-wing members who forced McCarthy’s ouster and have created deep divisions within the GOP conference. But some moderates who represent districts President Joe Biden won risk angering voters by supporting him.
Jordan’s GOP detractors have vowed to nominate an alternative candidate, Politico reported Monday, though they have yet to coalesce behind a specific candidate.
GOP Planning House Speaker Vote In 2 Days—As Jim Jordan Tries To Win Over Holdouts (Forbes)
Jim Jordan Wins GOP Speaker Nomination (Forbes)
High-Ranking House Republican Wants Democrats’ Help Electing A Speaker (Forbes)