Jim Jordan to push bid for US House speaker
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Hardline Republican Jim Jordan is set to take his sputtering bid for speaker to the floor of the US House of Representatives this week, hoping to bulldoze opposition from dozens within his own party by applying pressure in a series of public votes.
The political civil war that has consumed House Republicans largely behind closed doors since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ouster on October 3 has already consumed two weeks that Congress could have spent funding federal agencies ahead of a November 17 shutdown deadline and aiding the war efforts of Israel and Ukraine.
With more than 50 Republicans opposed to Jordan, the show of dysfunction stands out for being driven by Republican infighting rather than Congress’s more customary partisan squabbles.
House Republicans were expected to meet behind closed doors on Monday and plan a floor vote for speaker at noon on Tuesday.
“We want to go to the floor as soon as possible,” Jordan told reporters after becoming his party’s second speaker-designate in as many days last week.
But with moderate Republicans already in talks with Democrats about a bipartisan alternative, the coming week could hold some surprises, particularly for hardline conservatives who have blocked progress on 2024 spending and ultimately ejected McCarthy from the top job.
“When we get back to Washington ... it’s important to begin to formalize those discussions,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
Even Jordan supporters recognize the possibility of Democrats helping to elect an alternative candidate if Republicans cannot agree on a speaker among themselves.