Jordan’s Chances Dim in Speaker Race After Turbulent Week for House GOP

On Oct 14, 2023

TL/DR –

The Republicans are struggling to elect a new House speaker following Kevin McCarthy’s ouster by a faction of hardline conservatives. The new GOP speaker nominee, Rep. Jim Jordan faces resistance, lacking the 217 votes needed for a win. The House remains frozen without a speaker, leading to frustration and uncertainty within the GOP ranks.

GOP Struggling to Elect New House Speaker Amid Internal Divisions

After various setbacks, the Republicans find themselves with no progress in electing a new speaker. Deep internal divisions have paralyzed the House and left the GOP struggling to govern.

Internal chaos within the House Republicans amplified as attempts to find a successor for Kevin McCarthy failed after his unexpected ouster by hardline conservatives.

Rep. Jim Jordan emerged as the GOP speaker nominee after Majority Leader Steve Scalise withdrew from the race. Yet, like Scalise, Jordan lacks the 217 votes needed for a full House win, illustrating the division within the party.

Jordan is working tirelessly to convince holdouts but is facing significant obstacles. The GOP conference was stunned when Scalise initially won the speaker nomination, only to withdraw due to strong opposition. The week ended with another vote to name Jordan as the nominee, but he also faces vigorous resistance.

With no speaker, the House remains frozen. This is a critical situation as Congress approaches a government funding deadline in mid-November and confronts crises such as in Ukraine and Israel’s war against Hamas.

When asked how this saga reflects on the GOP, McCarthy termed it as “terrible”. Doubts are arising whether anyone can achieve the required 217 votes as frustration grows due to the inability to unify around a candidate.

Friday saw Jordan winning the speaker nomination against Rep. Austin Scott in a 124 to 81 vote, but still short of 217. He then staged the second vote asking for floor support. The secret ballot result was 152 to 55, highlighting the major challenge Jordan faces.

Jordan can afford to lose only four GOP votes when the full House votes for the speaker. Republican Rep. Mike Garcia has expressed confidence in Jordan’s bid, stating that Jordan will use the weekend to understand the reasons for the opposition and gain more support.

While Jordan’s nomination is celebrated by some hardliners, his polarizing nature could deter moderate members. Jordan, a conservative agitator and key figure in House GOP investigations, has been chair of the Judiciary Committee and helped found the hardline House Freedom Caucus.

As the GOP leadership crisis continues, the idea of granting more power to interim speaker Patrick McHenry has been proposed, although it is unclear how much support this would garner.