The Republicans are still deciding who to elect as the new House speaker as the government shutdown deadline looms.
The race to become the next speaker of the House of Representatives has been flooded with potential alternative candidates, following Jim Jordan’s failed bid to win the support of his party on Friday.
Ohio Rep. Jordan fell short of the required votes to become the next speaker after three rounds of voting throughout the week. His loss followed a heated week on Capitol Hill as he and his allies attempted to persuade fellow GOP representatives to put their weight behind him. However, his efforts were in vain when 25 of his fellow party members voted against his bid in the third vote on Friday, bringing his campaign to a bitter close.
After his loss, Jordan told reporters: “We need to come together and figure out who our speaker is going to be. I’m going to work as hard as I can to help that individual so that we can go and help the American people.”
The issue is rapidly becoming more pressing, as without an elected speaker, the House is rendered unable to work effectively. This is particularly concerning given that Congress faces the looming possibility of a government shutdown next month.
