Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio failed to become speaker following a vote that saw 20 Republicans vote for other candidates not in the running
Republican Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio failed to earn enough votes to become Speaker after 20 Republicans and every Democrat refused to vote for him, leaving the House in limbo as it remains unable to advance legislation since the ousting of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
After hard-right Republicans moved to oust McCarthy, GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise bested Jordan in a Republican Conference-wide vote to earn the nomination. However, conservatives refused to provide their support, giving Jordan the opportunity to snag the nomination.
With the House closely split among 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats, Jordan could only lose five Republican votes as not one Democrat crossed the aisle to offer him support. This comes at a time when the U.S. faces pressure to support its allies at war, Israel and Ukraine.
Jordan, founding chair of the hard-right Freedom caucus and current chair of the Judiciary Committee, has been a thorn in the side of the Biden administration, serving as one of the GOP’s impeachment inquiry leads. A prominent ally of former President Donald Trump, Jordan, who was elected in 2007, rose to prominence for his role in obstructing the efforts of GOP leadership.
