House Republicans have nominated a candidate for Speaker, but he lacks enough support to win the gavel on the floor.
If it seems like you have heard that headline before, it’s because you have. Three times.
After sitting through a tedious 15 rounds of voting and caving to a long list of concessions, Kevin McCarthy had finally achieved his lifelong goal of becoming House Speaker last January.
That goal ended up being short-lived, however, as he was ousted by a handful of his far-right colleagues along with all Democrats just nine months later.
McCarthy’s top lieutenant, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, seemed destined to succeed the California Republican. But his nomination only lasted a day, as he found himself well below the 217 Republican votes needed to officially become Speaker.
As Congress enters Day 13 without a Speaker, the House GOP now has a new nominee for the top job: Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan. But the Ohio Republican is facing the same math problem that plagued McCarthy and Scalise.
Jordan is a familiar face in Republican politics. He is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, a regular guest on conservative cable news and, until McCarthy’s ouster paralyzed Capitol Hill, was leading the Judiciary committee’s impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. He has also been accused of echoing much of the former President’s false rhetoric surrounding the results of the 2020 election.
He was Scalise’s opponent in the initial race to replace McCarthy, narrowly falling short to the Louisiana native in a secret ballot last week. He then offered what was seen as a half-hearted endorsement of Scalise.
Many of Scalise’s supporters don’t think the gavel belongs in the hands of a second-place finisher who they believe did little to unite the party following his defeat.
Most of the hardliners who ousted McCarthy are supporting Jordan. The general consensus within the conference is that these members should face retribution for sending Congress into chaos — not rewarded with their own Speaker. There’s also a worry that Jordan cannot be trusted to handle several of the major issues facing the paralyzed Congress.
Tensions are boiling over.
The U.S. is facing a November deadline to keep the government funded and Israel is turning to their American allies for help after being attacked by Hamas terrorists. But the longer Congress goes without a Speaker, the longer it will take for these issues and several others to be addressed, as the House is unable to orderly conduct business without a Speaker.
“It makes us look like a bunch of idiots,” Georgia Rep. Austin Scott said last week before launching an unsuccessful speakership bid of his own. One swing-district Republican believes that the hardliners who are responsible for this state of paralysis “would prefer” to be in the minority “because they could vote 'no' and yell and scream all the time.”
Jordan’s allies are turning up the heat on the dozens of potential holdouts who could block his ascension. Shortly after he was nominated Friday, he called a second vote to gauge his support ahead of a vote by the full House. 55 Republicans reportedly indicated they would not support him in this week’s expected floor vote.
Jordan is said to have spent the weekend working the phones. He can only spare four Republican votes.
Additionally, there is a huge pressure campaign underway by conservative activists, Trump surrogates and even GOP lawmakers to encourage Republican voters to contact members seen as Jordan holdouts. And Jordan has scheduled the floor vote for noon Tuesday, a move seen by many as a veiled threat to members who dare vote against him on the House floor.
Two new reports indicate just how big of a hurdle Jordan is facing. Politico reported Sunday night that Jordan will have a Republican challenger in this week’s vote. “While they have not yet nailed down a specific name, they believe the person they ultimately land on will not only be able to block Jordan from the speakership, but also give cover to those who want to vote against him,” the report said.
CBS News identified at least “10 to 20” Jordan holdouts in new reporting. He is expected to rally members at a meeting with his GOP colleagues Monday night, which might be his last chance to address holdouts ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
While all 212 House Democrats are certain to vote for him Tuesday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says that ‘informal’ talks are underway about a bipartisan path forward. This path could include enhancing the powers of Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry or finding a unity candidate who can win the gavel with support from members of both parties.
But it is unclear what a deal would look like or if it will even materialize.