WASHINGTON (CN) — It’s Throwback Tuesday in Washington, as the Republican-led House failed for the second time in nine months to elect a speaker on its first try.
Congressional Republicans had hoped to install Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan as the lower chamber’s top lawmaker during a voting session Tuesday afternoon, but in the hours before members began casting their ballots it was unclear whether the GOP’s speaker candidate had the 218 votes he needed to clinch the position.
Those concerns, it turns out, were well-founded, as 20 Republicans broke ranks with their colleagues and cast their votes for lawmakers other than Jordan. The Ohio congressman ultimately received just 200 votes — a performance even outshined by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democrats’ speaker candidate who secured his caucus’ full complement of 212 votes.
The House speaker must be elected by a majority of the lower chamber, meaning that neither Jordan nor Jeffries had the mandate to assume control of the House gavel.
After an afternoon recess, the House will convene again for a second speaker vote. If no winner is declared, lawmakers will continue to vote until the chamber has a speaker.
It wouldn’t even be the first time this year that Congress has taken several rounds of voting to elect its top lawmaker. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy weathered 15 separate votes, slowly chipping away at opposition, before he was able to clinch the speakership.
McCarthy was ousted from his position this month by right-wing members of the Republican caucus who claimed he had reneged on promises he made to lawmakers in January while seeking support for his ascent to the speakership.
In the three weeks since, the GOP has struggled to find a replacement — first landing on House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and moving to Jordan after the Louisiana Republican failed to garner the necessary votes.
Without a speaker, the House cannot conduct any floor business, meaning it cannot vote on major legislation such as budget bills needed to avert a government shutdown in less than a month.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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