Today's recap
In his bid to become the next speaker, far-right representative Jim Jordan quickly ran into the same problem Kevin McCarthy did during his speakership election in January: the GOP is deeply divided and unable to agree on a leader.
Jordan was unable to secure a majority after 20 Republicans voted for another candidate. Jordan will have another try tomorrow, but it’s unclear whether the Ohio congressman has enough clout to sustain multiple rounds of balloting to win the speakership.
Democrats meanwhile were united in voting for House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Without any Republican support, Jeffries can’t win the speakership either.
Democrats plan to turn Jordan’s speakership, if he is actually elected, into a campaign issue, by highlighting his extreme positions and arguing there are no moderates in the House GOP.
Calling Republicans the “chaos caucus”, DNC spokesperson Sarafina Chitika accused GOP members of making “a mockery of our institutions” and being “incapable of governing”.
Former speaker Kevin McCarthy was optimistic Jordan would be elected, perhaps even on the first round of votes. He has already turned out to be part wrong.
Remember, Jordan was a “significant player” in Trump’s efforts to overturn the election, according to the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden is heading to Israel to “consult on next steps”, the White House said, as the country prepares for an invasion of the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Hamas’s terrorist attacks less than two weeks ago. For the latest on the conflict, follow our blog.
– Guardian staff
Updated
Er, scratch that. The latest is that Jordan will try to win the speakership again tomorrow. Per House GOP whip Tom Emmer, the House will vote on the speaker tomorrow at 11am.
BREAKING: No more votes tonight.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 17, 2023
JORDAN will try on the floor AGAIN tomorrow
Updated
Jordan aiming for 6pm ET vote, reports say
It’s looking like the House may hold another vote this evening, after Jordan supporter Gus Bilirakis returns from a funeral.
Jordan aiming for 6 pm vote to provide enough time for Rep. Gus Bilirakis to return for second floor vote, per a source familiar.
— Mica Soellner (@MicaSoellnerDC) October 17, 2023
Bilirakis would be another vote for Jordan. He missed the first vote due to attending a funeral.
Updated
Representative Pramila Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called on the “handful of Republicans who try to portray themselves as reasonable” to step up and work with Democrats.
“The dynamics any Republican speaker would face is the same: a slim majority, an empowered Maga wing and a divided government. Jim Jordan did not even get as many votes as Kevin McCarthy’s lowest vote total – and that was with all bullying tactics in full force,” she wrote in a statement.
“Republicans simply have not been able to govern and the stakes are high. We have just a month left until the next government funding deadline. Come to the table, work with us, and let’s get real work done.”
Updated
The heads of MI5 and the FBI have issued an unprecedented joint warning that the threat of a domestic terrorist attack could rise as a result of the crisis in the Middle East.
The counter-terror chiefs said Jewish communities and organisations, as well as other groups, may face a heightened danger from lone actors, Hamas militants, and Iran, a supporter of Hamas, on British or US soil.
Ken McCallum, the director general of Britain’s domestic spy agency, MI5, said there was a risk that “self-initiated” individuals who may have been radicalised online might respond in “spontaneous or unpredictable ways” in the UK after the terrorist attacks on Israel and what could become a drawn-out conflict.
Speaking before a public summit of intelligence chiefs in California, and seated alongside the FBI director Christopher Wray, McCallum said there was also a danger that terror groups or Iran may step up violent activity and that Jewish individuals or organisations could be targeted by neo-Nazis and Islamists.
“There clearly is the possibility that profound events in the Middle East will either generate more volume of UK threat, and/or change its shape in terms of what is being targeted, in terms of how people are taking inspiration,” he said.
On Monday night, a gunman shot dead two Swedish football fans in Brussels. The Belgian prosecutor’s office originally said there was no evidence the attack was related to the Israel-Gaza conflict, but on Tuesday a spokesperson said a link was being explored.
France was put on its highest level of security alert on Friday after a suspected radical Islamist killed a teacher and injured three others in the north of the country.
The incidents come at a time of heightened counter-terror concern, given the scale of violence unleashed by Hamas’s attack on Israel 10 days ago.
Wray, the FBI director, said terrorist threats were fast-evolving in the US and that “we cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or other foreign terrorist organisations could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks on our own soil.”
Read more:
Updated
It is unclear how a Jim Jordan speakership will affect US aid to Ukraine and Israel.
Far-right Republicans, including Jordan, have argued that aid to Ukraine is taking funds away from domestic security issues. In line with an “America First” principle that Donald Trump touts, the hard right has advocated for a more isolationist foreign policy.
Though Democrats and many Republicans still support the idea of sending funds to Kyiv, Jordan could limit what legislation reaches the House flood and therefore impact whether future aid bills are prioritized.
The White House and lawmakers are currently considering emergency national security legislation that would send aid to Ukraine as well as Israel, among other things.
Updated
Jim Jordan is finding support from Republicans for another round of voting on his bid to become House speaker – but not from his allies.
Florida’s Mario Diaz-Balart wants the chamber to reconvene and vote again. In the first round of voting earlier today, Diaz-Balart backed majority leader Steve Scalise for House speaker:
I am requesting that the House immediately come back for a second vote on the Speaker @PatrickMcHenry pic.twitter.com/3eH1Jw9tQj
— Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) October 17, 2023
Jim Jordan is down, but he’s not out yet, and could yet become speaker of the House. From the Guardian’s Sam Levine, Joan E Greve and Lauren Gambino, here’s a rundown of what we know about the Ohio Republican and far-right fixture:
As the House gears up to vote for its new speaker, all eyes are on Jim Jordan, a founder of the hard-right Freedom caucus. But while the Ohio congressman and his allies say they will have the votes soon, Jordan also has a long history of controversial views that many of his own party members and constituents are not aligned with.
Here are some of the key things to know about Jordan as a politician – and a look into how he might act in the role of speaker.
Jordan was closely involved in Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the election
Jordan was a “significant player” in Trump’s efforts to overturn the election, according to the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. As early as November of 2020, he was part of discussions with Trump campaign and White House officials examining whether Mike Pence could overturn the election. Immediately after the election, he met with Trump campaign and White House officials at the campaign’s headquarters to help develop a strategy of repeatedly, and falsely, saying the election was fraudulent, the New York Times reported.
On 2 January 2021, Jordan led a conference call with members of Congress and the White House in which they discussed urging Trump supporters to march to the Capitol. The day before the January 6 attack, Jordan texted the then White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, to pass on advice that Pence should “call out all the electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all”.
After the violence at the Capitol, Jordan was one of several members of Congress to whom the White House reached out to try to delay counting of electoral votes. He received five calls from Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump’s closest allies, that night, according to the January 6 committee. The two men spoke at least twice that night. Jordan later said he spoke with Trump on January 6, but could not recall how many times.
Another vote expected today after 20 Republicans rebel against Jordan
While Jim Jordan may not have enough votes to become House Speaker, another round of voting is expected today.
A spokesperson for Jordan confirmed to CNN’s Manu Raju that Jordan will force another round of votes.
“The House needs a speaker as soon as possible. Expect another round of votes today. It’s time for Republicans to come together,” said Jordan spokesperson Russell Dye.
Jim Jordan to force another vote today. “The House needs a speaker as soon as possible. Expect another round of votes today. It’s time for Republicans to come together.” -Russell Dye, Spokesperson for Chairman Jordan
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 17, 2023
Updated
New York representative Anthony D’Esposito, who voted against Jordan, released a statement following the first round of votes.
In his statement, D’Esposito alluded to concerns that Jordan may not understand the concerns of his district.
“I want a Speaker who understands Long Island’s unique needs. Restoring the SALT deduction, safeguarding 9/11 victim support funding, and investing in critical infrastructure are our priorities,” said D’Esposito, who voted for former US representative Lee Zeldin.
“I look forward to discussions with candidates.”
The DNC released a statement chiding Republicans for failing, once again, to elect a House Speaker.
Calling Republicans the “Chaos Caucus”, DNC spokesperson Sarafina Chitika accused GOP members of making “a mockery of our institutions” and being “incapable of governing.”
“Serious times demand serious leadership, not the GOP’s MAGA clown show with Trump as its ringleader,” said Chitika, in part.
Updated
North Carolina representative Wiley Nickel issued a statement calling Jim Jordan a “problem starter” after Jordan failed to gain enough votes to become House speaker.
Nickel, a Democrat, emphasized that Jordan remains “Donald Trump’s biggest ally in spreading false claims about the 2020 election” in a statement released shortly after the failed first vote.
“I came to Congress because pro-democracy Republicans, Independents, and Democrats made their voices heard in my district,” Nickel said.
“My constituents want a House Speaker who can bring Congress together, find common ground, and get things done. During his 16-year tenure in Congress, Jim Jordan has done none of that.
The day so far
Republicans held a floor vote to elect rightwing firebrand Jim Jordan as speaker of the House, and quickly ran into the same problem Kevin McCarthy did during his speakership election in January: the GOP is deeply divided and unable to agree on a leader. Jordan was unable to secure a majority after 20 Republicans voted for other candidates, and the Democrats offered him no support. The Ohio congressman has vowed the press on, much like McCarthy did earlier this year, but it’s unclear if Jordan has enough clout to sustain the 15 rounds of balloting it took McCarthy to secure his election as speaker. We’ll find out in the hours and days to come.
Here’s what else has happened today:
Democrats plan to turn Jordan’s speakership, if he is actually elected, into a campaign issue, by highlighting his extreme positions and arguing there are no moderates in the House GOP.
McCarthy was optimistic Jordan would be elected, perhaps even on the first round of votes. He has already turned out to be part wrong.
Matt Gaetz, who orchestrated McCarthy’s removal, backed Jordan for speaker.
After announcing the final vote tally, Patrick McHenry, the acting speaker of the House, gaveled the chamber into recess.
Besides GOP nominee Jim Jordan and Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, McHenry listed the others who had received votes in the inconclusive election. These were:
Republican Majority leader Steve Scalise, who received seven votes.
Former House speaker Kevin McCarthy, who received six votes.
Former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, who received three votes.
California congressman Mike Garcia, who received one vote.
Minnesota congressman Tom Emmer, who received one vote.
Oklahoma congressman Tom Cole, who received one vote.
Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie, who received one vote.
It’s a similar, perhaps worse, level of dissent to what McCarthy faced at the start of the year. In his speakership election’s first round of balloting, he received 203 votes, while Jeffries received 212 votes, and other candidates received 19 votes.
When Patrick McHenry read out the results – Jim Jordan 200, Hakeem Jeffries 212 – Republicans looked sombre and Democrats erupted in applause.
I can no longer see Jordan but Jeffries has a gathering of Democrats around him. Other members are departing and the public gallery is emptying.
Jim Jordan loses first vote for House speaker as Republicans defect
Jim Jordan lost the first round of balloting for speaker of the House, after 20 Republican lawmakers turned against their party’s own nominee, while Democrats refused to support him.
The final tally was 200 in favor of Jordan, 212 for Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and 20 for others. This group includes Kevin McCarthy, the House speaker who was voted out two weeks ago, and Steve Scalise, the Republican majority leader who was briefly the party’s nominee for the post.
Jordan has said he is willing to go for further rounds of voting to determine who leads Congress’s lower chamber.
Jim Jordan is now chuckling wryly as dissenting votes stack up and the dream slips away, at least for now.
Democrats appear to be just fine with the spectacle of the Republican party pushing the self-destruct button again. Every now and then, former speaker Nancy Pelosi leans over and says something across the aisle to minority leader Hakeem Jeffries.
A couple of Democrats have used the word “insurrectionist” to describe Jordan, prompting Republican bellows of disapproval.
At one point, Kevin McCarthy and Jordan shared a joke and burst out laughing. McCarthy knows this feeling better than anyone.
Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries now has more votes for speaker than Jim Jordan, the GOP’s nominee.
Jeffries will not be made speaker, since Republicans still have a majority in the chamber. But in terms of optics, it’s bad for Jordan – and puts him on par with Kevin McCarthy, who was overtaken by Jeffries in support during the 14 unsuccessful votes before he was elected speaker on the 15th round of balloting in January.
And now there are 14 Republicans against Jim Jordan.
For what it’s worth, majority leader Steve Scalise just voted for him. Scalise was last week the GOP nominee for speaker, but withdrew in the face of opposition. As Punchbowl News reports, his team is bitter about the whole affair, but Scalise voted for Jordan nonetheless:
SCALISE, whose team feels totally screwed by Jordan's allies (with some good reason), votes Jordan and gets a hearty round of applause
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 17, 2023
We’re now at 13 Republicans voting for someone besides Jim Jordan to serve as House speaker.
This guarantees two things: Jordan will need to hold a second election if he wants to win, and he will have a lot of convincing to do to get the holdouts to flip their votes.
It’s also worth mentioning many of Jordan’s Republican opponents represent swing districts, and their opposition may be a sign that they believe Jordan’s embrace of various extreme positions, including Donald Trump’s baseless fraud claims concerning the 2020 election, will not play well with voters back home.
As the voting got under way, Jim Jordan was smiling but looking nervous and fidgeting with his hands, knowing his hopes of becoming the third-highest ranking elected official in America are poised on a knife edge.
When Republicans Don Bacon and Lori Chavez-DeRemer each called out “McCarthy!” there was an excited murmur in the chamber. Former speaker Kevin McCarthy remained stone-faced in the row behind Jordan.
Elise Stefanik has her head in one hand and a pen in the other as she keeps a tally of the votes.
Nine Republicans have now voted against Jim Jordan.
More lawmakers have voted for Steve Scalise, the majority leader who last week briefly had the GOP nomination for speaker, before dropping out when he concluded he could not win a floor vote. Others have voted for former House speaker Kevin McCarthy, or former New York congressman Lee Zeldin.
All Democrats polled thus far have voted for minority leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Jordan on course to lose first speaker vote
Jim Jordan now has four Republican votes against him, putting him on track to lose the first election for House speaker.
New York’s Anthony D’Esposito voted for the former congressman Lee Zeldin, while Mario Díaz-Balart of Florida voted for the GOP majority leader, Steve Scalise, who briefly was the party’s nominee for speaker last week.
Jordan has vowed to hold the vote again, though it’s unclear when that will happen.
Updated
The Oregon Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer also voted for Kevin McCarthy.
Her district is among those that voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 election but is represented by a Republican.
Jim Jordan can only afford to lose three GOP votes. Earlier, Ken Buck, a Colorado Republican who said he would not back Jordan, did not respond when his name was called.
Every other Republican called has voted for Jordan, while the Democrats have voted for Hakeem Jeffries.
Updated
There has already been one Republican defection.
Nebraska congressman Don Bacon, a moderate, voted for Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker who lost his job to a rightwing revolt earlier this month.
Republican nominee for speaker Jim Jordan can only lose three votes.
House begins voting on Jim Jordan as House speaker
The House is now voting on whether to elect the rightwing Republican Jim Jordan as speaker.
The 432 lawmakers present are being called in alphabetical order by last name. Republicans have nominated Jordan, while Democrats are supporting the minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
Jordan needs 217 votes to win.
Updated
The House Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar attempted to focus attention on the threat that making Jim Jordan speaker would create.
“This is not the history we wanted to make here in the House. It’s something that none of us imagined when we were sworn in to this office,” Aguilar said in his speech nominating the minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, as speaker. “We are here because the House has been thrown into chaos. We are here because this hallowed chamber has been led to a breaking point by two dangerous forces, extremism and partisanship.”
“A vote today to make the architect of a nationwide abortion ban, a vocal election denier and an insurrection insider to the speaker of this House would be a terrible message to the country and our allies.”
Updated
Stefanik ended her “for such a time as this” speech and walked over to embrace a grateful Jordan as colleagues applauded.
But Pete Aguilar’s nomination of Hakeem Jeffries for speaker earned louder and more prolonged applause from Democrats than Jordan received from Republicans.
In her nominating speech for Jim Jordan, Republican conference chair Elise Stefanik avoided any mention of the infighting that led to the speaker’s chair being empty, and instead focused on familiar talking points.
“Our friend and colleague Jim Jordan is a patriot. He is an America-first warrior who wins the toughest of fights, going after corruption and delivering accountability at the highest levels of government on behalf of the people. Jim is the voice of the American people who have felt voiceless for far too long,” she said.
It must be a special day: Jim Jordan is wearing a suit jacket instead of his customary shirt-only appearance.
He is also sporting a golden tie. Jordan is looking upbeat, talking and smiling with colleagues, playing with his spectacles and tapping a hand on his right knee.
Elise Stefanik just rose to nominate Jordan. Republicans stood and applauded while the Ohio congressman remained in his seat and smiled. Stefanik’s somewhat Trumpy speech prompted occasional groans from Democratic benches.
The House chamber is mostly full. Nancy Mace, who recently wore a strange scarlet “A” t-shirt, has opted for a sparkly dress this time. Democrats Alexandria Ocasi0-Cortez and Jamie Raskin are sitting side by side. Ilhan Omar wandered over to speak to Cori Bush, who is sitting alone up front.
The quorum vote is now concluded, with 432 lawmakers in attendance.
That means Jim Jordan will need 217 votes in order to become speaker. Democrats will vote for their minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, and it’s still unclear if Jordan has the GOP support he needs to win.
Republican conference chair Elise Stefanik is now giving a speech making the case for Jordan’s nomination. Republicans cheered at the mention of his name, while Democrats booed. Let’s see what she has to say.
The House is in the midst of a vote to determine whether a quorum exists ahead of its election later today to determine if Jim Jordan becomes the next speaker.
In a brief interview with the mob of reporters following him around the Capitol, Jordan underscored that he is willing to hold the election repeatedly to secure the majority necessary to become speaker:
CNN’s @mkraju: “How many ballots are you willing to go?”
— The Recount (@therecount) October 17, 2023
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): “We need to get a Speaker today and we feel really good about where we’re at.”
Raju: “Does this mean ballot after ballot the way McCarthy did?”
Jordan: “Whatever it takes...” pic.twitter.com/vxusG5A0pe
I am in the press gallery in the House of Representatives ahead of the latest election for speaker.
There is a hubbub of voices from the public gallery, where about 200 people are sitting, including what looks like a group of schoolchildren on a trip – let’s hope an edifying lesson is in store.
I can see about 50 members of the House standing or sitting in the chamber, many holding conversations. Among them is Elise Stefanik of New York, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and, perhaps inevitably, Matt Gaetz of Florida, who is holding animated discussions. What is he plotting now?
Media reports suggest that Jim Jordan of Ohio enjoyed a burst of momentum yesterday but still doesn’t quite have to votes to win the speakership. Presumably some of his opponents crumbled due to fear of Donald Trump’s “Maga” movement and rightwing media, including the threat of being challenged in a primary. The coming hours will offer another glimpse of just how far the Maga takeover has gone.
House convenes ahead of vote on Jim Jordan as speaker
The House has convened, with lawmakers expected to later this afternoon vote on making rightwing Republican Jim Jordan speaker.
Patrick McHenry, the North Carolina Republican who is serving in an acting capacity as House speaker until a replacement for Kevin McCarthy is chosen, gaveled the chamber into session shortly after 12pm eastern time.
For those just joining us, here’s the Guardian’s Joan E Greve with a recap of how Kevin McCarthy lost his post as speaker of the House, how Jim Jordan became the Republican nominee to replace him, and his chances for being elected to the post today. The House is expected to gavel into session in just a few minutes, at noon eastern time:
The House of Representatives will vote on electing a new speaker on Tuesday, as the hard-right congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio looks to win the gavel following the historic ouster of the Republican Kevin McCarthy earlier this month.
The House has now been without a speaker for two weeks, leaving the chamber paralyzed. The House remains unable to pass any legislation, even as many lawmakers of both parties have stressed the urgent need to approve an aid package for Israel following the recent Hamas attacks.
Jordan won the Republican conference’s speakership nomination on Friday, after the House majority whip, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, was forced to drop out of the race due to opposition from hard-right lawmakers.
Jordan, who finished second to Scalise in the initial conference vote, captured the nomination in his second attempt, defeating his fellow Republican Austin Scott of Georgia in a vote of 124 to 81. Jordan’s nomination marked a key victory for hard-right Republicans, as the House looked ready to elevate a man best known for his past clashes with leadership and his staunch support of Donald Trump.
Democrats plan to turn Jordan speakership into campaign issue - memo
If he is elected speaker, Democrats will use accusations of extremism against Jim Jordan in their campaign to retake the House majority next year, according to a memo obtained by the Guardian’s US politics live blog.
“It is imperative that our caucus makes clear to voters just how extreme Congressman Jordan is and how his Speakership would negatively impact working families across the country, threaten democratic norms, and weaken relationships with our allies,” according to the document from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which is tasked with winning the party seats in the House.
The memo, which is dated today and addressed to House Democrats, suggests a number of messages for lawmakers, including that Republicans who support Jordan are doing the bidding of Donald Trump, and that the potential speaker “has shown voters just how extreme he is and there is no indication that he’ll moderate himself in any way if he becomes speaker. In fact, he’ll pull the entire Republican caucus even further to the right.”
It also encourages lawmakers to cast the entire House GOP as in the thralls of extremists. “It appears there are no more moderates left in the Republican conference capable of standing up to the far right,” the document reads.
Democrats are four seats away from seizing the majority in next year’s elections, and to accomplish that, the DCCC is focused on ousting 18 Republican lawmakers who represent districts where votes supported Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
“The DCCC is committed to ensuring that every battleground Member of the Republican conference who stands and votes for a Speaker Jordan will be making a career ending move,” the memo concludes.
The Messenger reports that if Jim Jordan is not elected House speaker on the first round of voting, he will go to a second round, though it’s unclear if he will try to negotiate with Republican holdouts in between ballots:
Jim Jordan DOES plan to go to a second round of voting if he doesn’t secure speakership on first go around, per source familiar.
— Stephen Neukam (@stephen_neukam) October 17, 2023
It’s unclear, though, whether they would move right into a second vote or if Jordan will break to meet with holdouts first.
Vote in a few hours.
It took Kevin McCarthy 15 rounds of voting to win election as speaker in January. Jordan does not, at this point, appear to have the votes necessary to win the speaker’s gavel on the first round of voting today.
In brief remarks to reporters, Democratic lawmaker Jamie Raskin outlined the party’s view of today’s House speaker vote:
Rep. Raskin (D-MD) ahead of speaker vote: "Our position has been consistent throughout. There is a civil war taking place within the Republican party and that civil war might just turn in to a purge of any moderates… I think the GOP might be the POT, the party of Trump." pic.twitter.com/Oe1yWdZHlS
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 17, 2023
Raskin has tangled with Jordan in the past. He was one of the lawmakers on the January 6 committee, which Jordan refused to cooperate with, and serves with Jordan on the House oversight committee, one of three bodies Republicans are using to pursue impeaching Joe Biden.
House Democrats to vote Hakeem Jeffries for speaker
Democratic lawmakers just received their marching orders from Katherine Clark, the party’s whip: vote minority leader Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.
“House Democrats are urged to vote for Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker,” she wrote in an email to lawmakers.
There’s no chance of Jeffries winning the post, but voting for their guy is what lawmakers in the House minority always do. Of course, votes for House speaker usually happen at the start of a new Congress, not in the middle of one, but here we are.
The battle over speaker of the House is more or less an internal Republican affair, but as Punchbowl News reports, Democrats do have some contingency plans for today as they eye winning back the House majority in next year’s elections:
JEFFRIES in caucus this AM:
— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) October 17, 2023
“We have two clear objectives: stop Jim Jordan from becoming Speaker, and reopen the House of Representatives so we can get back to work,” he told Dems, according to sources in room.
MORE from caucus: JEFFRIES floated idea of elevating Speaker Pro Tem McHenry
— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) October 17, 2023
Jeffries told Dems the “specifics” are less important right now than convincing Republicans who don’t like Jordan that Dems will actually work with them
W @bresreports and @JakeSherman
Updated
Nonetheless, Kevin McCarthy is optimistic that Jim Jordan will be elected speaker of the House today.
McCarthy, who was booted from the position by eight rightwing Republican insurgents and Democrats earlier this month, elaborated in an interview with Fox News:
My prediction → @Jim_Jordan will be the 56th Speaker of the House pic.twitter.com/YqjgpJXQHE
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) October 17, 2023
From CNN, here’s a rundown of Republicans expected to oppose Jim Jordan as speaker:
Ahead of speaker vote:
— Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) October 17, 2023
FIRM NO:
Don Bacon
Mike Lawler
Mike Kelly
Carlos Gimenez
Mario Diaz Balart
LEANING NO:
Ken Buck
Victoria Spartz
Steve Womack
Marianette Miller-Meeks
UNDECIDED/NOT SAYING:
Young Kim
John Rutherford
Juan Ciscomani
Tom Kean Jr
ABSENT:
Gus Bilirakis
Jordan can only afford to lose four votes from Republicans. At this point, unless anyone changes their mind, he will not be elected speaker on the first ballot. The dynamics could shift, if the party elects to hold multiple rounds of voting.
And what will Democrats be doing? Voting for their minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, just like they did in January during the 15 rounds of voting it took Kevin McCarthy to be elected speaker.
For an example of that dynamic, look at who’s excited about calling Jim Jordan speaker.
Matt Gaetz, yes that Matt Gaetz, the one who filed the motion to vacate that resulted in Kevin McCarthy being booted from office over the objections of all Republicans except for himself and seven other insurgents:
Speaker Jordan Day! pic.twitter.com/LHjHiW3MQe
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) October 17, 2023
Speaking of McCarthy, he remains broadly popular in the conference. While he has said he does not want his old job back, it’s possible som Republicans opposed to a Jordan speakership will cast ballots for him, as a protest vote of sorts.
Updated
Jim Jordan: far-right celebrity, election denier, 'political terrorist'
“That fucking guy Jim Jordan”. Those five words may as well as any sum up the career of Jim Jordan, who, since arriving in the House in 2007 to represent his Ohio district, has been at the vanguard of the chamber’s right wing.
And like many of his persuasion in Congress, Donald Trump has been a boon for Jordan’s standing. He boosted his national profile as a defender of Trump during his presidency, and continued doing so after his violent departure from office, prompting Liz Cheney, a Republican antagonist who would lose her seat in Congress at Trump’s urging, to describe Jordan with the aforementioned words.
Today could end with Jordan as the 56th speaker of the House. For more on him, here’s the Guardian’s Martin Pengelly:
Jim Jordan, the Ohio congressman who is seeking to become House speaker, is a prominent celebrity on the far right of US politics – and a magnet for controversy who a former speaker from his own party once called a “political terrorist”.
Jordan, 59, was elected to Congress in 2006 from a conservative, rural district of Ohio. A high school and college wrestling champion, he made his mark on the House as a founder of the hard-right Freedom caucus, helping oust two speakers, John Boehner and Paul Ryan, who were not deemed sufficiently extreme.
But Jordan has not been free of controversy himself. He has long been dogged by questions about a sexual abuse scandal at Ohio State University, where he was a wrestling coach before he entered politics, while the full extent of his involvement in Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, leading up to the deadly attack on Congress, remains unknown.
In the last Congress, when Democrats held the gavel, Jordan refused to cooperate with the House January 6 committee, despite being served with a subpoena.
But his involvement in Trump’s machinations has been widely reported. He is known, for instance, to have spoken with the then president on the morning of the riot.
Conservative hardliner Jim Jordan's prospects unclear as House votes for speaker
Good morning, US politics blog readers. Jim Jordan has empowered conservatives in the House of Representatives, promoted Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election and led the campaign to impeach Joe Biden. At the end of the day, he could be the next speaker of the chamber – or not. While Jordan last week won the party’s nomination to replace the ousted Kevin McCarthy as its leader, it is unclear if he has the votes necessary to win the gavel. Democrats will not support him, so Jordan needs 217 votes – near unanimity – from Republicans, but many of the party’s lawmakers are either undecided, or outright opposed to his candidacy.
Just like the vote two weeks ago that removed McCarthy from the speaker’s chair for the first time in American history, it seems likely Jordan will enter the House with no clear idea of his fate. The vote may go to multiple rounds, just like the January election that got McCarthy into his short-lived leadership post. If Jordan triumphs, it will make an election denier and conservative firebrand second-in-line to the presidency, and one of the most important players in Washington. If he falls, the House GOP will likely sink back into the disarray it’s been mired in since McCarthy fell.
Like all good showdowns, this one begins at high noon, eastern time. We’ll be covering it live on this blog.
Here’s what else is going on today:
Joe Biden is heading to Israel to “consult on next steps”, the White House said, as the country prepares for an invasion of the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Hamas’s terrorist attacks less than two weeks ago. For the latest on the conflict, follow our blog.
Tim Scott, a Republican senator and president candidate, expressed his support for Israel at a Georgetown University event this morning. We’ll tell you more about that later.
Biden’s press secretary Karine Jean Pierre will take questions from reporters on Air Force One as he flies to the Middle East.
