Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) declared on Friday his intention to stay in the hunt for the Speaker of the House. He said he discussed his candidacy with the 22 Republicans who voted against him holding the gavel.
He indicated the conference may not adjourn until the crucial issue of the next Speaker is decided. “Our plan this weekend is to get a Speaker elected to the House of Representatives as soon as possible so we can help the American people.”
Jordan brushed aside any thoughts of stepping away.
He noted that he received 200 votes in the latest round, including that of the Speaker designee and the vast majority of his colleagues.
The House has been well over two weeks without a Speaker since the unprecedented vote to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the position. This followed Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL) motion to vacate, setting up a vote in which eight Republicans sided with all House Democrats.
One defector from the majority is Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who is in a precarious position due to his district voting for President Joe Biden in 2020. He told Politico that he believed Jordan would lose “a handful more votes.”
🚨 McCarthy nominates Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House.
“Being a speaker is not an easy job — especially in this conference, but I have seen Jim spend his entire career fighting for freedom. No matter what, no matter the odds — and I know he is ready for the job.” pic.twitter.com/Rgtk6S1lvn
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 20, 2023
With the government funding deadline set for Nov. 17, Jordan urged Congress to “get to work.” He also cited the crisis in Israel as war looms over the Middle East.
The Ohio Republican stressed, “We’ve got important work to do, important work to do. We need to help Israel. We need to get the appropriations process moving so that key elements of our government are funded and funded in the right way, particularly our military.”
It is unclear how House Republicans will move forward after two votes failed to produce a new Speaker.
Jordan met with several opponents on Thursday, but they then told reporters that their minds were unchanged. One Jordan supporter is no longer in the U.S.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) left for a fact-finding mission to Israel.
Unswayed, Jordan noted there have previously been multi-round votes for House Speaker, and Congress is certainly aware of the urgency to fill the position.
