Jim Jordan Fails to Secure Speaker’s Gavel in First Round of Voting

Representative Jim Jordan fell short of the necessary 217 votes to become the next speaker of the House in the first round of voting on Tuesday, as a significant number of moderates within the Republican caucus refused to fall in line behind the hardline Ohio lawmaker.

While Republicans remain divided on Jordan, the Democrats unanimously backed House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.), just as they did when former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) was elected in January after a 15-round ballot fight that spanned five days.

Jeffries won 212 votes on the first ballot while Jordan received 200, with 20 Republicans voting against both. Neither received a majority of the votes necessary to secure the speaker’s gavel. The House will continue voting until a speaker is elected.

Tuesday afternoon’s speaker election comes two weeks after McCarthy’s historic ousting from the position.

“Who knows what happens next,” Representative Andy Ogles (R., Tenn.) told National Review after the first round. “Credit to Jim Jordan for putting his name out there and going through the process. We’ll see what happens next, but I’m cautiously optimistic.”

Asked whether he believed House Republicans would ultimately unite around an alternative if Jordan failed on a second ballot, Representative Dan Meuser (R., Pa.) mused about entering the race. “Are you kidding? If we go back to it, I’m considering it because I’m not gonna let this kindergarten continue. I’ll do it,” Meuser told National Review. “When my constituents tell me we are dysfunctional, they are absolutely correct.”

One member to watch is House GOP Conference vice chairman Mike Johnson (R., La.), whom members expect to run if Jordan doesn’t have the votes and drops out. “I’m committed to Jordan. I’m trying to help,” Johnson told National Review in an interview. “There’s just a lot of frustration and I don’t think a lot of it is directed at Jim. I think it’s there’s just a lot of angst and frustration about developments over the last few weeks.”

Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has spent the last several days rallying his fellow Republicans after House majority leader Steve Scalise (R., La.), widely considered the frontrunner to replace McCarthy, dropped out of the speaker race on Thursday. On Friday, Republicans nominated Jordan as their new candidate for the conference to coalesce behind.

“Jim Jordan … 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 we the people,” Representative Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) said in the time designated for opening speeches, adding the Republican nominee is a “winner on behalf of the American people.”

Despite the opposition from within his own party, Jordan flipped many holdouts to his side over the weekend, most notably House Armed Services Committee chairman Mike Rogers (R., Ala.). Representatives Ann Wagner (R., Mo.), Ken Calvert (R., Calif.), Vern Buchanan (R., Fla.), Drew Ferguson (R., Ga.), and others followed closely behind Rogers.

Considering all Democrats were present during the vote, Jordan could only afford to lose three Republicans. Representative Gus Bilirakis (R., Fla.), the only member absent, could not be in attendance due to his mother-in-law’s funeral.

McCarthy was ousted from the speakership by a group of House GOP rebels who objected to the short-term spending deal he cut with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown. Hamas invaded Israel and slaughtered more than 1,000 civilians just four days later, on October 7. Without a permanent speaker in place, a stalled Congress has been unable to provide a fresh aid package to Israel. The House is expected to consider a package linking Israel and Ukraine aid together once a speaker is elected.

Four House Republicans who spoke with Jordan said he gave assurances on pushing such a package after the chamber resumes its legislative duties, Axios reported Monday. A spokesperson for Jordan said the Ohio congressman did not make any promise of the sort but noted he is determined to find the right approach moving forward.

This week, President Joe Biden is reportedly considering an aid package of well over $2 billion that would be allocated toward Israel’s conflict with Hamas, Ukraine’s war with Russia, and possibly Taiwan as well as the U.S. southern-border crisis. Democrats believe that linking Ukraine and Israel aid will help bring along some House Republicans who would object to a standalone bill increasing aid to Ukraine.

The paralyzed House has also been unable to address legislation pertaining to long-term government funding so far this month. At the end of September, both chambers of Congress passed a temporary continuing resolution that delayed the government-shutdown deadline to November 17, giving lawmakers 45 days to approve a funding bill that would last through fiscal year 2024.