WASHINGTON (CN) — The House is gearing up to vote for the third time on who should fill the chamber’s vacant speakership after Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan on Wednesday failed once again to secure the votes necessary to land the job — this time by an even larger margin.
Jordan’s second attempt to clinch the speakership garnered the support of just 197 of the Republican caucus’s 221-seat majority in the lower chamber. Twenty-two GOP members voted for lawmakers other than Jordan, including one ballot cast for former Ohio Congressman John Boehner, who retired from Congress in 2015 and once called Jordan a “legislative terrorist.”
During the first vote on Tuesday, only 20 Republican lawmakers opted against Jordan, whose bid for the speakership appears to be headed in the wrong direction despite attempts from his supporters to bring skeptics into the fold.
On both occasions, all 212 House Democrats cast their votes for House Minority Leader and New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.
With Jordan down two votes, the House seems to be headed for a third round of voting, a process that could continue indefinitely until a speaker is elected. In January, the newly-minted Republican majority took 15 rounds to approve former Speaker Kevin McCarthy — who would be removed from the position by his own caucus just nine months later.
Facing an arduous speaker election process, some lawmakers have suggested that the House could expand the authority of North Carolina Congressman Patrick McHenry, who is currently serving as the lower chamber’s temporary speaker. Such a move would require the support of House Democrats, who have so far appeared open to the prospect.
Even Jordan, speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, acknowledged the possibility of empowering McHenry, though the Ohio congressman has expressed reticence to work with Democrats to solve the House’s leadership crisis.
As of Wednesday afternoon, lawmakers had not determined when to reconvene for another speaker vote. A formal resolution to empower McHenry has yet to be introduced.
Chaos in the Republican caucus kicked into gear earlier this month, when an angry minority of right wing lawmakers used a procedural tool to vacate the speakership and remove California Congressman Kevin McCarthy from the role.
The lawmakers accused McCarthy of refusing to follow through on a number of conservative policy objectives he promised to pursue when whipping votes for his ascent to the speakership. The last straw, however, came at the end of September when the then-speaker negotiated a short-term spending bill with House Democrats aimed at averting a government shutdown.
Republicans have since struggled to reach a consensus about who should replace the ousted McCarthy. The caucus first tapped Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise for the job, but he backed away from the speaker’s race after his support evaporated. Now, Jordan, who stepped in after Scalise, is facing a similar dilemma but has shown no signs that he will back down.
While the House is missing a speaker, it cannot undertake any business on the chamber floor, meaning lawmakers can’t vote on most bills and resolutions. The deadlock is stalling federal budget negotiations even as the fiscal clock ticks towards yet another possible shutdown in mid-November. The lack of a speaker is also preventing Congress from reacting to global events, blocking the path for military aid for Israel and Ukraine.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Follow @BenjaminSWeiss
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.
Additional Reads
-
-
GOP sues Nevada over late mail-in ballots May 3, 2024