Jordan’s gavel-winning strategy relies on floor and backroom pressure.
Rep. Jim Jordan Faces Uphill Battle in Bid for House Speaker
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) has emerged as the second House Republican nominee for the position of House speaker, but his path to victory is far from easy.
After Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) withdrew from the race, Jordan was selected as the new nominee by the conference. In a secret ballot, the House voted 124-81 to make Jordan the speaker-designee, followed by another vote to gauge his support on the House floor, which yielded a smaller margin of Jordan opponents at 152-55.
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The re-vote revealed that many Republicans are still hesitant to rally behind the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Jordan’s supporters believe he can close the margin and gain more support over the weekend, but he still has a long way to go to secure the 217 votes needed to win the job.
“I think he has a very, very difficult task ahead of him,” said Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL), who voted against Jordan and indicated he will likely not support him on the floor. “That’s a really big mountain.”
Some Republicans speculate that Jordan plans to use a floor vote to pressure the 55 hold-outs who refused to back him.
Given the slim majority Republicans hold and the Democrats’ promise not to help elect a new speaker, Jordan can only afford to have five members defect. However, he could use the public pressure of a floor vote to persuade stray members to join his side.
“What is going to happen is, they are going to vote on the floor, and then they hear from the grassroots,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN).
While Jordan does not need all 217 confirmed votes to enter the House floor as the Republican nominee, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) stated that Jordan wants a majority of support before the full vote.
“Jordan has stated he wants to make sure that he has the votes going into the House chamber,” Cammack said. “So that being said, he wants the weekend to work that and to get those votes up.”
Cammack added that Jordan will need to “work the phones and talk to people” to gather support from any holdouts.
Other Republicans believe that once the nominee enters the floor for the full House vote, the conference will likely fall in line as pressure mounts to elect Jordan.
“It’s different when you get on the House floor,” said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC). “It’s time to elect Jim Jordan speaker.”
Norman, an original supporter of Jordan, said, “Their phones are gonna be lit up with their constituents,” urging Jordan’s speakership.
Cammack, sharing a similar outlook, said constituents from across the nation will be getting involved in the speaker race by calling to show their support for the Ohio congressman this weekend.
“I think certainly we are going to have a situation where people from around the country are getting involved,” Cammack said. “You’re going to have people calling their members of Congress, encouraging them to support Jim Jordan because, at the end of the day, Jim Jordan is the grassroots candidate. He is someone who really resonates with the base of the Republican Party.”
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How does Jim Jordan plan to address the concerns and convince Democrats that he can work towards bipartisan solutions?
Not vote for him. This means he needs to convince at least 50 of the hold-outs to change their minds and support him.
Jordan’s bid for the speakership has been met with resistance not only from within his own party, but also from Democrats. Many Democrats view Jordan as a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump and his divisive policies. They fear that if Jordan becomes speaker, he will prioritize a conservative agenda that does not align with their own priorities.
“Jim Jordan is not someone who can bring both sides together and work towards bipartisan solutions,” said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), current Speaker of the House. “We need a speaker who can bridge the divide and find common ground.”
In addition to the opposition Jordan faces from Democrats, there are also concerns within the Republican party about his ability to unite the caucus. Some Republicans worry that Jordan’s conservative stance on issues such as immigration and healthcare will alienate moderate members of the party and make it difficult for them to pass legislation.
“If Jordan is elected speaker, it will be difficult for us to get anything done,” said Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), a moderate Republican. “We need a leader who can bring the party together and work towards our common goals.”
Despite these challenges, Jordan remains optimistic about his chances of becoming speaker. He has been actively reaching out to members of both parties, hoping to gain their support. He has also been touting his experience as a strong conservative voice in Congress and his ability to fight for Republican values.
“I am confident that I can secure the votes needed to become speaker,” Jordan said. “I will work tirelessly to persuade my colleagues that I am the right choice for this position.”
As Jordan continues to campaign for the speakership, the outcome of the vote remains uncertain. It is clear, however, that he faces an uphill battle in his quest to become the next speaker of the House. Only time will tell if he can overcome the obstacles in his path and secure the support needed to win the job.
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