Jim Jordan assesses if conservatives can transition from rebellion to leading the House.
If Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) becomes Speaker of the House, it will be a monumental victory for conservative activists.
Not only will they have triumphed over the Republican establishment, but they will also lose their ability to blame the establishment for the party’s governance.
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Of course, this is a significant “if,” considering the recent experiences of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). They were once seen as sure bets for the speaker’s position, only to be dethroned at the last moment. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) remains as one of the few remaining pillars of GOP establishment power.
However, the election of the first Freedom Caucus speaker will be a crucial test for conservative rebels. Can they put an end to their rebellious ways and effectively govern with one of their own leading the House?
Jim Jordan has consistently challenged Republican leadership, co-founding the Freedom Caucus in 2015. This group of conservative lawmakers played a pivotal role in toppling House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) that same year, with Boehner even referring to Jordan as a “legislative terrorist.”
“They can’t tell you what they’re for. They can tell you everything they’re against,” Boehner later complained about the Freedom Caucus. “They’re anarchists. They want total chaos. Tear it all down and start over. That’s where their mindset is.”
It seems that this mindset has influenced the current Republican House majority, which has struggled to achieve unity. McCarthy’s path to becoming speaker took 15 ballots, and just nine months later, he was ousted despite having the support of over 90% of the House Republican Conference, including Jordan.
Since McCarthy’s removal, the House has been without a speaker for nearly two weeks, with pressing issues such as the conflict in Israel, President Joe Biden’s request for aid to Ukraine, and the looming threat of a government shutdown.
For conservatives like Jordan, this is not about legislative nihilism but about keeping promises. Republicans campaign on repealing and replacing Obamacare, but when they have control of Congress, they struggle to gather enough votes for repeal or agree on a replacement.
They promise to cut federal spending but often fail to do so. They pledge to restore regular order to the appropriations process but continue to rely on omnibus spending and continuing resolutions. They vow to pass legislation without Democratic votes or even a majority of their own caucus, yet they fall short. The list goes on, including their promises to control immigration and secure the border.
Conservative objectives either take decades to achieve, such as the reversal of Roe v. Wade, or they remain unaccomplished.
Republican primary voters have increasingly shown a preference for combative candidates, a trend that began with the Tea Party movement under former President Barack Obama and culminated in former President Donald Trump’s victory over more conventional Republicans.
This desire for less conventional leaders has also spilled over into congressional leadership battles.
In fact, this trend emerged in congressional politics before it became evident in the Republican presidential primaries. Newt Gingrich replaced Bob Michel as the top Republican in the House after leading conservative opposition to George H.W. Bush’s tax increase. Shortly after becoming the first GOP speaker in 40 years, Gingrich faced his own conservative rebellions.
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan was initially beloved by the conservative movement but, like McConnell, he was not as connected to conservative activists and followed the traditional path to leadership.
If elected, Jordan would be a conservative speaker who rose through the ranks within conservative activist circles and understands their passions. He could potentially be an even more dedicated speaker for them than Gingrich.
McCarthy was believed to owe his speakership to hard-line conservatives within the House GOP. Jordan is one of them.
The question remains whether Jordan would have greater success advancing conservative objectives as speaker or if he would gain more credibility with conservative lawmakers when faced with the need to compromise due to House math.
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Ultimately, Jordan must first secure the support of 217 members on the House floor, which is an accomplishment in itself.
Why do conservative activists believe the potential election of Jordan as Speaker of the House would translate their principles into action?
And conservative activists are growing increasingly frustrated with these broken promises.
That is why the potential election of Rep. Jim Jordan as Speaker of the House represents a monumental victory for conservative activists. Jordan has consistently shown himself to be a principled and unwavering conservative, willing to challenge the Republican establishment and fight for the values he believes in.
As co-founder of the Freedom Caucus, Jordan played a crucial role in the toppling of House Speaker John Boehner in 2015. This showed that he was not afraid to take on leadership when he believed they were straying from conservative principles. Boehner’s description of Jordan as a ”legislative terrorist” only further solidified his reputation as a steadfast conservative rebel.
The current Republican House majority, under Kevin McCarthy’s leadership, has struggled to achieve unity and effectively govern. McCarthy himself faced a challenging path to becoming Speaker of the House, and was ultimately ousted just nine months later. This lack of coherence and effectiveness has led many conservative activists to grow disillusioned with the party’s establishment.
With Jordan at the helm, conservative activists believe there is a real chance to see their principles translated into action. Jordan has been a vocal advocate for repealing and replacing Obamacare, cutting federal spending, and restoring regular order to the appropriations process. These are promises that conservatives are eager to see fulfilled.
Furthermore, the election of Jordan as Speaker would rob conservative activists of their ability to blame the establishment for the party’s governance. If they have one of their own leading the House, they can no longer point fingers at leadership and claim that they are not delivering on conservative priorities.
Of course, there are no guarantees in politics, and the election of Jordan as Speaker is far from certain. There are still powerful figures within the GOP establishment who are resistant to the influence and power of the Freedom Caucus. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, is one such example.
However, the election of the first Freedom Caucus Speaker would represent a crucial test for conservative rebels. Can they put an end to their rebellious ways and effectively govern with one of their own in a position of power? It would be a clear message to establishment Republicans that the conservative movement is a force to be reckoned with.
In conclusion, the potential election of Rep. Jim Jordan as Speaker of the House would be a monumental victory for conservative activists. It would show that their principles and values can not only challenge the Republican establishment, but also lead to effective governance. It would be a momentous turning point for the conservative movement, and a clear message to the party’s leadership that conservatives will not settle for broken promises. Only time will tell if Jordan can overcome the obstacles and become the first Freedom Caucus Speaker, but conservative activists are hopeful that this could be the beginning of a new era for their movement.
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