Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) garnered 124 votes for Speaker in Tuesday’s House GOP’s secret ballot.
As reporters pursued Jim Jordan along a corridor shortly before yesterday’s vote, he declared himself “confident” of becoming Speaker.
He refused to reveal if he had enough votes or how many rounds of voting he was willing to go through.
His assurance was insufficient. Jordan lost the first round even thohis opponents being identify a protest candidate to run.
Losing by that margin – he could only afford three defectors – was quite a feat for the Judiciary Committee chairman, who had only received 124 votes in the GOP’s secret ballot, far shy of the critical number of 217. Because a couple of the converts had promised never to support Jordan again, his ability to win over members was highlighted.
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His most compelling argument is that, with the speakership vacant for nearly two weeks following Kevin McCarthy’s dismissal, the House remains paralyzed, unable to vote on even the most pressing concerns, such as military aid to Israel.
Still, Jordan’s proximity to the speakership speaks much about the Republican Party’s orientation. He is an aggressive politician who can dominate sessions, a staunch conservative, and the man in charge of the impeachment investigation of President Biden. He was considered on the GOP’s periphery a few years ago but is now closer to the center of gravity.
Jordan, whom Donald Trump backs, was particularly active in attempting to prevent Biden’s Electoral College certification before and after the Capitol incident. Ken Buck, a Jordan opponent, said he couldn’t support someone who doesn’t regard Biden’s victory as legitimate.
More horse trading must now be taking place. The former wrestling coach would have to overcome 17 of the 20 no-votes cast against him, which appears to be a complex order. McCarthy was defeated in less than nine months, with only eight Republicans voting against him.
Remember that some GOP Republican moderates do not want Jordan to become the party’s face, particularly in Biden-won areas.
Face it, this system is unpredictable To achieve unity, whoever receives the most votes in the closed-door caucus should receive all of the party’s votes. But, after defeating Jordan, Majority Leader Steve Scalise would have been the Speaker. Instead, he withdrew from the race. But the concession that let any member seek to dismiss McCarthy is also absurd.
What would happen if Jordan became a speaker in practise? McCarthy was a member of the hard-right faction that refused to compromise with Democrats on the debt ceiling debate or the impending government shutdown, and by avoiding both, McCarthy lost his job.
As the next leader, Jordan would almost certainly have to agree to a stopgap funding measure. That is the distinction between leading and protesting: you are responsible to the institution. Many on the Hill believe the rebels have no desire to govern.
Following the first round, there was some dealmaking and nasty language. Jordan supporters have warned potential supporters that if they don’t jump on board, they will face a primary challenge from the right, which is every Republican’s worst nightmare. Representative Byron Donalds told Fox News that the pressure tactics may have backfired.
Jordan is allegedly pitching to moderates that, as a verified right-winger, he can provide them cover to vote on specific issues without being called out by conservative media. It’s debatable if that would work in practice.
Jordan had planned to hold a second-round vote late yesterday but postponed it until today, indicating that he lacks the votes.
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, and no one can win this unpleasant job.
