Rep. Jim Jordan, the firebrand conservative from Ohio, appeared closer to becoming the next speaker of the House on Monday after mounting an aggressive pressure campaign over the weekend to gain the support of the 55 Republican holdouts skeptical of his ability to lead the chamber.
If he takes the gavel, it would be a remarkable ascent for the House Judiciary Committee chairman who built his political identity as a founding member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus and an attack dog for President Donald Trump who was once referred to as a “legislative terrorist.” He was a key ally in Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and defied a subpoena during the congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
But there are still members adamant in their opposition to Jordan, including Rep. Carlos A. Giménez (R-Fla.), who has repeatedly said he only will back former speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Members of the center-right Republican Governance Group estimate that there are as as many as six hard nos against Jordan and potentially even more. Jordan could only lose four votes on the floor.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Rep. Jim Jordan, the firebrand conservative from Ohio, appeared closer to becoming the next speaker of the House on Monday after mounting an aggressive pressure campaign over the weekend to gain the support of the 55 Republican holdouts skeptical of his ability to lead the chamber.
If he takes the gavel, it would be a remarkable ascent for the House Judiciary Committee chairman who built his political identity as a founding member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus and an attack dog for President Donald Trump who was once referred to as a “legislative terrorist.” He was a key ally in Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and defied a subpoena during the congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Jordan, 59, on Friday became the second Republican in three days to win the conference’s nomination for speaker after the previous nominee, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.
Jordan was reluctant to put the party through another embarrassing public spectacle that could further divide the group, vowing to only go to the floor if he firmly had the backing of 217 Republicans — give or take one or two depending on attendance — to win the speakership.
If Jordan is elected as speaker on Tuesday, the House will end a two-week period of instability that has virtually frozen legislative procedure even as the mid-November deadline for a government shutdown nears.
Still, Jordan’s tactics may be leaving a sour taste in the mouths of some moderate and swing-district Republicans who over the weekend voiced wariness over the intensity of the pressure campaign.
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