Republicans have decided to move on after Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) failed to garner enough support to win the speakership in three House floor votes.
In a fresh secret vote held during a Friday meeting of the Republican conference, GOP members decided to withdraw Jordan as their choice. Reportedly, the score was 86–112.
On Monday, a fresh candidate forum is anticipated.
This is the second time a GOP nominee has lost in the 17 days since Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was fired as speaker. Prior to a House floor vote, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) dropped out of contention to be the GOP nominee due to opposition from a small number of fellow Republicans.
The number of GOP holdouts who opposed Jordan’s nomination increased from 20 members in the first round to 25 members in the third ballot this week.
Democrats have cast a unified vote in favor of their choice, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), but no one has been able to win the required simple majority in the chamber.
In response to concerns that Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who is serving as speaker pro tempore, lacks the ability to move legislation forward in the near future, members have floated a resolution that would explicitly grant him increased authority.
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