Republicans inched Tuesday toward appointing a new speaker of the US House of Representatives, with support coalescing around a fierce Donald Trump partisan to fill a void that has paralyzed Washington for two weeks.
Squabbling among Republicans has made any action in the lower chamber of Congress impossible, as lawmakers stare down a looming government shutdown, dwindling funds to arm Ukraine, and the war Israel has declared on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
A vote was scheduled Tuesday on whether to hand the position to Jim Jordan, a standard-bearer for the far right known for his close ties to scandal-engulfed Trump.
Jordan’s candidacy underscored the powerful momentum of a years-long power grab by hard-line conservatives, placing a die-hard Trump loyalist within grasp of leading the House for the first time. And it marks a stunning ascent for a political outsider to the cusp of a position that would place him second in line to the presidency and get him access to the Oval Office and meetings with world leaders.
House Republicans have a razor-thin majority, meaning that Jordan can likely lose only four of the colleagues expected to be available to vote, with minority leader Hakeem Jeffries poised to receive the nod from every Democrat. – ‘Not budging’ –
Jordan began showing significant momentum Monday, however, as a succession of his critics caved and announced their support, leaving him within reach of the gavel.
Strategists suggested the 59-year-old Judiciary Committee chairman is still 10-20 votes short of winning the gavel, however. Some Republicans are upset at the treatment of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who beat Jordan in an internal nomination ballot last week but dropped out when he was unable to secure the backing of his defeated rival’s allies.
Others are wary of what they see as Jordan’s scorched earth approach to politics while a handful have bristled over the intense pressure tactics of Jordan’s backers. Some Republicans are expected to deny the Ohio lawmaker a first-ballot victory in protest but his aides expect him to prevail in a later round.
“I’m not budging,” holdout Don Bacon wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I’m a five-time commander and deployed to Middle-East four times. I’ll do what is best for country.”
Whoever gets the job will be under immediate pressure to lead support for Israel in its war with Hamas, renew US aid for Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion and extend the US budget or face a damaging government shutdown next month.
The House has been at a standstill since Republican speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by a hard-right rebellion on October 3 — in part over his decision to deal with the Democrats on avoiding an earlier government funding deadline.- ‘Warrior’ –
Jordan, a fierce critic of House leadership for much of his career who has never authored a bill that got signed into law, is known more for his political counter-punching than his legislative record.
A former wrestling champion and Ohio State University coach who became a key Trump supporter, Jordan helped found the House Freedom Caucus, a hardline group within the Republican Party.
Dogged by allegations that he denies from former students that he turned a blind eye to sexual abuse of wrestlers by the team doctor at Ohio State, Jordan turned his image as a fighter into political capital.
Rarely appearing with a jacket in Congress, Jordan was frequently lionized by then-president Trump as a “warrior.”
With Republicans capturing their slim majority in the House in 2022, he snagged the powerful role of judiciary chairman and is leading an aggressive impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.
“The country and our conference cannot afford us attacking each other right now,” Jordan said Monday in a letter to colleagues.
“It is time we unite to get back to work on behalf of the American people.” – Frankie TAGGART
