Republicans reverse course, declare third Jim Jordan Speaker vote.
Republicans Pull Complete 180, Announce 3rd Jim Jordan Speaker Vote
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan has made a surprising reversal in his stance on Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry’s temporary promotion. Instead of supporting the idea, Jordan has declared that a third ballot for the speakership will be held, according to a CSPAN video.
Speaking to reporters, Jordan explained, “We initially proposed empowering McHenry as a way to lower tensions and get back to work. However, we have decided to change course.” He made this announcement in a video posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Despite this change, Jordan emphasized that he is still running for speaker and intends to secure the necessary votes to win. He expressed his intention to have conversations with the 20 individuals who voted against him, in order to move forward and work for the American people.
BREAKING: Jim Jordan: “I’m still running for speaker and I plan to go to the floor and get the votes and win this race, but I want to go talk to a few of my colleagues..”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 19, 2023
As Jordan walked away from the microphones, a reporter asked if the third ballot would be held that day, but Jordan did not respond. According to a post by Nick Sortor on X, Rep. Matt Gaetz expected the ballot to take place Thursday evening after being nominated by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Earlier in the day, Jordan had aligned himself with some Republican House members in an attempt to enact what Gaetz referred to as a “constitutional desecration.” However, after failing to secure enough votes on the second ballot, Jordan endorsed the idea of temporarily expanding McHenry’s powers to keep the House functioning until a permanent speaker is elected, as reported by The Hill.
It remains uncertain whether such a resolution could pass the House, but Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick stated that House members were aware that empowering McHenry temporarily was the likely outcome. Fitzpatrick referred to it as “speaker-lite.”
Prediction from Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to me this morning: “We all know where this always was going to land, with Speaker Pro Tem McHenry being empowered on a short term basis.” He guessed this would happen in “the next 48 hours.”
The Republican conference meets again at 11.
— Grace Segers (@Grace_Segers) October 19, 2023
The proposed plan was to grant McHenry temporary powers similar to those of a regularly elected speaker, but only until January. Additionally, McHenry would not be in the line of presidential succession, unlike traditional speakers.
Several House Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, expressed opposition to the idea. Greene stated on X, “Our conference must unite and elect a full-term Republican Speaker,” showing her support for Jordan.
I will vote NO on a resolution to empower a short-term Speaker.
I’m not sharing our power with Democrats, after our voters gave us the majority.
Republicans working with Democrats is how we got here.
Our conference must unite and elect a full-term Republican Speaker.
I’m…
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) October 19, 2023
It is unclear whether Greene’s statement about Republicans working with Democrats referred to McCarthy’s negotiations or Gaetz and seven other Republicans siding with House Democrats to remove the former speaker.
According to The Hill, Republican Reps. Tim Burchett, Pat Fallon, Scott Perry, and Chip Roy were also clearly against any form of limited speakership for McHenry.
Perhaps the strongest opposition came from Gaetz himself, who initiated this situation. When asked about granting McHenry additional powers, Gaetz stated, “I’m against speaker-lite. I’m against Bud Lite. I believe it is a constitutional desecration not to elect a speaker of the House. We need to stay here until we elect a speaker.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on resolution to empower Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry: “I am against speaker-light, I am against Bud Light, I believe it is a constitutional desecration not to elect a speaker of the House” and continued to say he would do anything in his power to stop it. pic.twitter.com/qd8smDIWuZ
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 19, 2023
With at least six Republicans openly opposing the proposal, Republicans would only have had 215 votes if every other member of their caucus supported it. Therefore, they would likely have needed to negotiate with some Democratic members to make it happen.
Jordan did not specify what he would offer Democrats in exchange for their votes to empower a “speaker-lite.” He also did not withdraw from the race. For now, the Ohio Republican remains the party’s speaker-designee.
The post Republicans Pull Complete 180, Announce 3rd Jim Jordan Speaker Vote appeared first on The Western Journal.
How does Jim Jordan’s determination to secure the speakership for himself, despite facing opposition from Democratic members, challenge the Republicans’ ability to work across party lines and build coalitions necessary for passing legislation
Ing to the idea of temporarily empowering McHenry or a broader critique of Republican cooperation with Democrats. However, it is clear that there is disagreement within the Republican party regarding the best course of action for the speakership.
The decision to hold a third ballot for the speakership raises questions about the internal dynamics of the Republican party. It seems that some members, including Jordan, are not satisfied with the idea of temporarily expanding McHenry’s powers and are determined to secure the speakership for themselves. This could indicate a lack of unity and cohesion within the party, which could have implications for their ability to effectively govern and pass legislation.
In addition to the internal disagreements within the party, the Republicans also face the challenge of working with a Democratic majority in the House. The decision to hold a third ballot suggests that Jordan believes he can gather enough support from his fellow Republicans to win the speakership, despite facing opposition from Democratic members. This raises questions about the Republicans’ ability to work across party lines and build coalitions necessary for passing legislation.
Overall, the announcement of a third ballot for the speakership by Jim Jordan highlights the divisions and challenges facing the Republican party. It remains to be seen whether Jordan will be successful in his bid for the speakership, and how the party will navigate these internal conflicts and work with their Democratic counterparts to govern effectively.
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