Jim Jordan failed to earn enough to votes to win the speakership for the second day in a row, leaving the top job on Capitol Hill vacant for 16 days as crises mount here at home and around the world.
The hardline Ohio Republican and his allies were confident that some detractors would end up voting for him on Wednesday’s second ballot. But in the end, he ended up faring worse than he did on the first ballot, losing 22 Republican votes (he can only afford to lose four).
One of those flips came from Georgia’s Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-The Rock), who voted for Majority Leader and short-lived Speaker candidate Steve Scalise after supporting Jordan in round one.
Despite these defeats, Jordan is moving forward with a third vote on Thursday, much to the frustration of many of his impatient detractors.
Jordan’s attempt to keep forcing floor votes resembles a strategy that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy embraced last January, when the California Republican was elected on the fifteenth ballot after caving to a long list of concessions that ultimately led to his demise.
But unlike McCarthy, Jordan is losing support after each ballot, not gaining. Also in contrast to the former Speaker, opponents of Jordan are showing no signs of breaking his way on future ballots in the wake of a widespread pressure campaign. Many of them say that their personal information, including their phone numbers, have been circulating on social media and that they have been receiving threatening messages and phone calls. "One thing I cannot stomach, or support is a bully,” one member said.
Some members say that their spouses have also been bombarded with threats.
“GOP Rep. Don Bacon’s wife received anonymous text messages warning her husband to back Jordan. Bacon has been a vocal holdout against Jordan and was one of the 20 Republican members that did not back Jordan on the floor in Tuesday’s vote.”
This continued GOP dysfunction is leaving Congress paralyzed and unable to tackle several major issues. Israel is turning to their American allies in their fight against Hamas militants, with President Joe Biden expected to ask Congress for an aid package in a primetime address Thursday. Ukraine is also running low on aid and supplies in its ongoing war with Russia.
That's all before we even mention the looming government shutdown. Federal funds are set to expire in 29 days unless Congress approves another spending plan between now and then. But as the House remains at a standstill, every passing day that is spent trying to elect a speaker is one day closer to a shutdown.
Frustration is growing.
Some Republican members, even those who support Jordan, are growing tired of the Capitol Hill stalemate. Take Georgia’s Rep. Mike Collins (R-Jackson), who has been expressing his frustration in an interesting way: through memes. Shortly after Thursday’s vote, Collins shared one that referenced a scene from the long-running animated comedy “The Simpsons.”
Others are warning Jordan that his bullying tactics are only pushing members away from his corner, not into it. They say that we could see Jordan lose more support on any future ballots.
With no alternative ready to step forward and options starting to narrow, calls are growing in both parties to grant temporary powers to Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina whom McCarthy had designated as the Speaker Pro Tempore in case he was ousted.
But because there is no precedent for a Speaker of the House being kicked out of office, the job of Speaker Pro Tempore is merely a ceremonial one: McHenry has no power to oversee any floor business aside from Speaker elections.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that he was open to the idea, but many Republicans suggest that they are ready to fight any Speaker candidate who relies on support from the other side of the aisle.