WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Speaker saga continues in our nation’s Capital this evening after Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) failed to secure enough support from his Republican colleagues for a second time this afternoon.
Jordan fared slightly worse than yesterday, receiving only 199 votes from House Republicans. Today, there were 22 House Republicans who did not vote for him. Yesterday that number was 20.
Congressman Mike Kelly (R-PA) is among those holding out against Jordan. On Tuesday Kelly voted for Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), citing his frustration with the inability of his conference to rally behind the first nominee.
“We had a vote in House and Steve Scalise won the majority of the majority,” said Kelly on Tuesday.
Today, Kelly cast his vote for former Speaker of the House, John Boehner. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Scalise received a dozen votes combined, but each cast their vote for Jordan.
As of Wednesday afternoon, it remains unclear what the best path forward is for Republicans. A third vote is expected for Thursday.
Following today’s vote, Jordan appeared steadfast on staying in the race. He’ll likely try to build support, even after losing votes in the second round.
Another option for the House, is to expand the powers of Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC). Rep. Kelly has introduced a resolution to temporarily expand the powers of the Speaker Pro Tempore until the House agrees on a new Speaker or until mid-November when budget deadlines approach. More members appear to be floating this idea around, especially after today’s vote. Expanding McHenry’s role could potentially mean moving legislation, aid for Israel and spending bills through the chamber, however the exact specifics aren’t clear as to what the role would look like.
McHenry has been serving as interim speaker since McCarthy was ousted from the position earlier this month.
