House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan failed yet again to win the speaker’s nomination in a third floor vote on Friday, signaling his speaker’s bid is losing momentum as the Ohio Republican refuses to back down.
Twenty-five House Republicans joined a united Democratic caucus in opposing Jordan’s bid on Friday. The GOP opposition to Jordan’s bid has steadily grown with each successive ballot: 2o members of the caucus voted against him on the first ballot and 22 voted against him the second time around.
GOP opposition shows no signs of abating as Jordan’s supporters continue to put immense pressure on the holdouts to get in line and relieve the legislative paralysis that’s gripped the chamber since ex-speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted from his post more than two weeks ago.
“We’ll just talk to the conference some more, listen some more, figure out how we can get a speaker,” Jordan told reporters after the vote. “All I know is we need to get a speaker of the House and the fastest way to do that is a guy who has between 195 and 200 votes.”
But those who oppose him are digging in their heels, even as Jordan and his surrogates continue to plead with them behind closed doors to get in line. Many detractors released statements earlier this week saying the grassroots pressure campaign to support Jordan has resulted in death threats against members and their families. Others say there are no concessions Jordan can make to change their minds.
“We have a principled stance,” Representative Carlos Giménez told National Review on Friday after casting his third floor vote in opposition to Jordan to date. “There’s nothing we want. So there’s nothing he can offer us.”
The eight House Republicans who voted with Democrats on October 3 to oust McCarthy released a letter Friday saying they are “prepared to accept censure, suspension or removal” to accomplish the objective of electing Jordan as speaker. Adding to the confusion, Representative Ken Buck (R., Colo.) — who supported McCarthy’s ouster but does not support Jordan’s bid— told Politico his signature on the letter was a “misunderstanding” because he “helped draft a letter during the last speaker vote.”
“I have not signed the letter. I’m not going to sign the letter. I am not in favor of electing Jim Jordan speaker,” Buck added.