House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said "informal" discussions with House Republicans about Democratic support for the next speaker are "underway" as the House enters its second week without a leader.
"When we get back to Washington tomorrow, it's important to begin to formalize those discussions," Jeffries said Sunday in an interview on NBC News's Meet the Press.
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"House Republicans have been focused on fighting each other. It's time to end the Republican civil war so we can get back to doing the business of the American people," Jeffries continued. "And we as House Democrats are committed to finding that bipartisan path forward in a meaningful way."
House GOP members selected Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, as its nominee for the speakership. The vote is expected to head to the floor on Tuesday, exactly two weeks after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted from the speaker's chair by eight Republicans and all present Democrats.
To have a governing coalition, around five House Democrats would need to support a Republican speaker. However, Jeffries said the Democratic caucus has not found a candidate worthy of support at this time.
"We have not identified any candidate on the other side of the aisle because our focus is not on the individual," Jeffries said. "It's on the institution of Congress and the best interests of the American people, which is why what we've suggested is that we reevaluate the rules that are currently in place to facilitate bipartisan cooperation and to eliminate division."
Jordan is the second Republican nominee to be put forward for speaker after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) withdrew his name when he could not get enough support to secure the speakership when it went to the floor. Scalise was selected over Jordan during House Republican's first vote.
Neither Scalise nor Jordan received 217 votes in the nomination process, making the path to securing the speaker's gavel an uphill battle. House Republicans voted 124-81 in a closed-door meeting Friday to select Jordan, who defeated a new challenger, Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA), who entered the race that day. A second secret ballot vote on Friday asked members if they would support Jordan on the House floor as the nominee, and Jordan fell short of 217 again.
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This is the first time in American history that the House is without a speaker.
Multiple GOP members are floating Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as an interested candidate if Jordan is short the 217 votes needed to secure the speakership. Johnson, the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, said on Friday that he’ll support Jordan for the top job.