Republican Congressman Jim Jordan faced his third consecutive defeat in his bid for the position of US House Speaker as Republican opposition to his candidacy grew, reaching 25 members who voted against him on Friday. Consequently, the GOP decided to hold closed-door discussions to select a new nominee for the position, despite a bipartisan effort by Democrats to retain pro tempore Patrick McHenry.
Jordan, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump and a founding member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, struggled to gain the necessary support to overcome a growing opposition within his own party. Some of the Republican holdouts claimed to have received death threats for their stance against his candidacy.
As the US House of Representatives remained without a speaker for the 18th consecutive day, Jordan received 194 votes, falling short of the 217 votes required to be elected as the speaker.
The number of Republican holdouts opposing Jordan increased from 20 on Thursday to 25 on Friday, indicating a significant challenge for his candidacy. After the third vote, Republicans were planning to regroup behind closed doors to select an alternative nominee.
In contrast, all Democrats stood united behind their party's leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who received 210 votes, up from 200 votes in the previous round.
Egged on by his supporters, Jordan expressed his willingness to endure several more rounds of voting, taking inspiration from his predecessor, former Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who required 15 rounds to secure the gavel.
Following the third vote, Republicans were set to deliberate privately to determine their next steps and nominate a new candidate.
Ousted speaker McCarthy, who initially nominated Jordan as his successor, acknowledged the turmoil within House Republicans. He urged his former colleagues to set aside their objections and grievances and vote for Jordan, emphasizing that he was ready for the role.
Congresswoman Kathleen Clark, the No. 2 House Democrat, nominated Jeffries for the speakership and warned that Jordan posed a "true threat to our democracy and our constitution," advocating for a bipartisan path to reopen the House.
For the past two weeks, the speaker's chair remained unoccupied after a group of hard-line Republicans removed McCarthy from the position in early October, marking a historical first in American politics. This vacancy has left the House virtually paralyzed, unable to conduct legislative business amid ongoing international conflicts and the President's proposed $100 billion bill to fund Israel and Ukraine.
Moreover, a government shutdown is looming on November 17 when the 45-day extension to government funding, granted by ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy, is set to expire in another 30 days.
On Friday, the White House sent a comprehensive package to Congress, requesting over $105 billion in funding to support various initiatives, including aid to Ukraine and Israel and addressing the influx of unauthorized migrants at the US-Mexico border.
Jordan made an effort to rally his Republican colleagues by positioning his bid for the speakership as an opportunity to serve the American people effectively, stating, "The fastest way to get to work for the American people is to elect a speaker so the House can be open and we can get things done."
With three failed votes and growing opposition, additional rounds of balloting were unlikely to break the impasse. Several holdout Republicans expressed their concerns over the aggressive tactics employed by Jordan's allies to secure their votes, which included harassment and even death threats against lawmakers and their families.
Worries about a Jordan speakership were multifaceted, with some fearing that his confrontational style of politics might hinder the Republicans' ability to maintain their House majority in the 2024 elections, while others believed that the immense challenges facing the nation and the world made it unwise to entrust the gavel to a lawmaker characterized as a "legislative terrorist" by a former Republican speaker.
Also read | Jim Jordan likely to lose 3rd bid for House Speaker
