An inquiry was directed towards House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) over his potential inclination towards pursuing the position of House Speaker subsequent to the removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) through a momentous vote on Tuesday.
Jordan has consistently garnered support from House conservatives and holds membership in the Freedom Caucus. However, it is noteworthy that he chose to advocate for McCarthy during the recent vote. In January, he expressed support for McCarthy and delivered a nomination speech in favor of him, even though there were instances where those who opposed McCarthy nominated the individual himself on many occasions.
Due to his widespread support within the Republican conference, he has emerged as a prominent candidate for the Speaker role, garnering nominations from several members of Congress as a potential replacement for McCarthy.
When queried by journalists regarding his perspective on the subject, Jordan expressed admiration for McCarthy and responded enigmatically when questioned about the possibility of a candidacy. The reporter inquired about the level of disappointment experienced in relation to the events that transpired in this context.
“I thought it was unfair to Kevin,” Jordan answered. “Kevin, I think, has done a fine job. He and I came in together; he’s a good man, and he didn’t deserve this in my judgement.”
Subsequently, a CNN reporter inquired as to whether Jordan possessed any inclination in pursuing candidacy for the vacant seat. Jordan responded by stating that “That’s a decision for the conference,” Jordan replied. “So you’re open to it?” The CNN reporter then asked.
Jordan chose to refrain from speaking after that and departed from the scene.
During his interview on Hannity, Jordan reiterated his response by expressing his intention to defer the issue to the Republican conference.
After McCarthy’s significant ouster, certain members of the Republican Conference have certainly identified Representative Jordan as a prospective candidate for succession. U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, a member of the Republican Party from Kentucky, mentioned his Republican colleague in a social media post and encouraged him to pursue the position of Speaker of the House immediately after McCarthy’s public announcement.
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As we reported yesterday, the House removed its Speaker for the first time in recorded history.
On Tuesday, Democrats voted to remove Kevin McCarthy from his position of authority alongside Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and a small number of conservative supporters. It’s unknown who McCarthy will face in the long run for speaker, but supporters of the lawmaker have vowed to support him whatever.
“We’re perfectly happy to drag this out as long as it takes,” said Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), a McCarthy ally. “We’re all going to be there for the speaker as long as he wants us to be.”
“I’ll continue to support Kevin McCarthy as long as he’s running,” echoed Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.)
Immediately following the vote, the House clerk announced that Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) will serve as a temporary speaker. McCarthy hand-picked McHenry’s successors from a classified list. The ally of the Californian will have all the powers of a speaker chosen via regular election. Since House rules do not specify when a new speaker ballot must be held, there are a number of problems regarding that acting speaker.
Reps. Eli Crane (Ariz.), Ken Buck (Colo.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Matt Rosendale (Mont.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Bob Good (Va.), Nancy Mace (S.C.), and Tim Burchett (Tenn.) were the eight Republicans who voted against McCarthy.
Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La. ), and Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) are the three House leaders that have been mentioned as possible long-term successors. Although none of the three have expressed interest in taking McCarthy’s place, that may soon change as the Californian is no longer technically in office.
In the days that followed, McCarthy’s long-standing problems with his right flank escalated into a full-fledged mutiny when he invoked a stopgap budget bill on Saturday that avoided a government shutdown without enacting any of the conservative border measures or spending cuts that he had promised to pursue. That short-term spending bill was approved by a larger number of Democrats than Republicans, virtually ensuring the conservative backlash against the speaker.
The House has never before been successful in its attempt to remove a speaker; the last attempt was made in 1910.
Last week, McCarthy experienced a setback when a faction of House GOP lawmakers aligned themselves with Democrats, resulting in the failure of a proposal aimed at preventing a government shutdown.
On Friday, a cohort of House conservatives, comprising Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Matt Gaetz, aligned themselves with Democrats in voting for a temporary bill. This bill aimed to provide legislators with additional time for deliberation prior to an imminent government shutdown.
According to The Hill, the tally concluded at 198-232 as twenty-one Republicans opposed McCarthy’s plan. Eventually a continuing resolution was passed, avoiding a government shutdown.
The post Angry Jim Jordan Gives Cryptic Answer When Asked About His Next Move appeared first on The Republic Brief.
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