Topline Republicans are planning to vote to elect the next speaker of the House as soon as Tuesday, after ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) two weeks earlier, according to multiple reports—even as the GOP nominee Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) faces dozens of possible defections.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) is facing an uphill battle in his race for … [+] Speaker of the House as he nears a full House vote. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Getty Images Key Facts House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark reportedly told members that Republicans are planning to vote on a speaker Tuesday at noon—exactly two weeks after a small group of hardline GOP House members voted to oust McCarthy after he teamed up with Democrats to pass a spending plan and avert a government shutdown.
Jordan won the GOP nomination Friday, just one day after Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.)—who had previously won the nomination—dropped out of the contest, but about one-third of the House Republican conference reportedly backed Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) instead of Jordan in a 124-81 vote.
There are reportedly up to 40 “no” votes for Jordan among Republicans, and one senior Republican House member told CNN he personally spoke to 20 colleagues who said they would prevent Jordan from getting the gavel if he forces a Tuesday vote.
There are tensions between more moderate Republicans and the far-right coalition who led McCarthy’s ousting as an unnamed member of the House told CNN some are cautious of “rewarding” the far-right’s behavior by electing their preferred-candidate, Jordan, and falling victim to a “small group (of) dictators” in the party.
Big Number 4. That’s how many Republican votes a House speaker nominee can afford to lose and still win the title, unless Democrats assist a GOP candidate. In a blind vote Friday after Jordan won the nomination, 152 Republicans said they would vote for him on the floor, according to the Wall Street Journal, while 55 were opposed—meaning Jordan needs to change dozens of his peers’ opinions, provided all Democrats vote against him as expected.
Key Background Jordan currently serves as chair of the House Judiciary Committee and is an ally of former President Donald Trump. Jordan, who has served in Congress for nearly two decades, is known for investigations into high-profile Democrats and public opposition to many Democratic policies. This term, he’s spent his time rallying against the Biden Administration, most recently through an impeachment inquiry. Jordan lost the conference vote to Scalise last week despite having support from a number of hard-right representatives and the endorsement of Trump—but said he would support Scalise to keep the party moving forward. Then, when Scalise stepped down, Jordan beat Scott. Lawmakers are facing a time crunch to elect a new House speaker as Congress also has a November 17 deadline to pass a new budget to avoid a government shutdown—though nothing can be passed until a new House speaker is elected. Jordan’s uphill battle to become speaker is the latest leadership challenge in the fractious House GOP. In January, McCarthy won the speakership after 15 rounds of voting, and made a litany of concessions to hardline opponents, including a rule change that ultimately triggered his downfall by allowing a single House member to call for a vote to oust the speaker.
Further ReadingMORE FROM FORBESMcCarthy Ousted: First House Speaker Ever Booted From The JobBy Sara DornMORE FROM FORBESJim Jordan Wins GOP Speaker NominationBy Ana FaguyCNNSenior House Republican says GOP members ready to block Jordan | CNN Politics