What happens if Jim Jordan loses a third vote to become House Speaker? Who could be the next nominees?
Jim Jordan will make a third try at becoming Speaker of the House despite faltering support from a divided Republican conference. Are there alternatives?
For much of the day on Thursday, House Republicans gathered in closed-door meetings that became increasingly contentious. A bipartisan plan to empower ‘Speaker pro tempore’ Patrick McHenry met stiff backlash within the ranks of the GOP saying that the party should not work with the Democrats.
“We should never allow a Democrat-backed coalition government. Ever,” said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. “The only coalition we should be looking to build is a Republican coalition uniting all of our conference.”
The position of Speaker pro tempore has been untested until now, only created in 2003 in the event the Speaker of the House died or was incapacitated. McHenry views the position as only having very limited powers, basically to oversee the election of a new Speaker.
A formal vote to clarify the rules of what he can and cannot do while he temporarily holds the gavel could’ve freed Congress to get to work while the Speakership is sorted out.
What happens if Jim Jordan loses a third vote to become House speaker?
With that avenue closed, at least for now, Republicans will vote for a third time on Friday in what looks more and more like a futile attempt to make Rep. Jim Jordan Speaker of the House. In the second vote on Wednesday he garnered less support than the day before. In the last, vote 22 House GOP members offered the names of 10 people other than Jordan. Despite that, the former wrestling coach isn’t tapping out, planning to go the floor again.
Jordan’s supporters haven’t exactly been doing him any favors for the controversial candidate, trying to sway the ‘No’ votes within the Republican conference using strong-arm tactics. Those have included multiple death threats against them and their family members as well as harassing calls and messages to them and their spouses. However, the bullying and threats have only made them more adamant in their opposition.
Who could be the next nominees?
Republicans who have voted against Jordan’s picking up the Speaker’s gavel have put forth several alternative candidates during the two rounds of voting so far. Those have included Kevin McCarthy who became the first Speaker of the House to be voted out in a motion to vacate over two weeks ago by a small group of hardline House Republicans.
Other names have included John Boehner who was pushed out of the Speakership and into retirement by the hard-right of the GOP in 2015. The names of other people that are not members of the House of Representatives as well as those in the House GOP leadership have been named as well during the previous two votes.
The person who has received the most votes in both has been Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries picking up all 212 Democratic votes. However, minus five Republicans tossing the coin of fate and siding with the opposition, a Jeffries Speakership is most unlikely.
He has, however, been open to a bipartisan compromise if the GOP cannot muster enough votes to elect a member that would work with both sides of the aisle. Jordan is not one of them.