Jim Jordan's House Speaker Bid Gets Dimmer Amid Latest Failure To Win Votes: What Happened?
Jim Jordan lost his bid to be US House Speaker during his second try and this time, he lost even more votes than previously. His latest defeat comes even after an endorsement by Donald Trump, which casts further doubt into the former president's "kingmaker" abilities.
This latest loss comes as 22 Republicans voted against Jordan in the House while every single Democrat voted for Hakeem Jeffries. Previously, only 20 House Republicans voted against Jordan, but that number has now grown. With a narrow 221-212 majority, Jordan needs only 4 defections to reach the speakership, which needs a 217 majority for him to be victorious.
However, only 199 Republicans voted for Jim Jordan this time around, leaving no candidate without a clear majority. This means that the House still has no speaker at a time when the US sorely needs the House to function.
One of those who flipped is Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida, saying that he thinks it is now time to "move on" from Jordan as the Trump-backed Republican struggles to secure enough votes, according to the Associated Press.
For now, a bipartisan group is seeking to empower the temporary speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, and give him more powers so that laws can be passed as Republicans continue their bickering. This could give McHenry temporary powers first created after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and this would ensure that the government continues functioning.
This concept of the interim speaker getting a boosted role is now gaining favor with some former Republican House Speakers, such as Newt Gingrich and John Boehner.
Meanwhile, Jeffries may go with that option to keep the government going, too.
"The Republicans are unable to function right now," the Democratic leader said. "All options are on the table to end the Republican civil war."
READ MORE: House Speaker Battle Chaos Continues as Republican Nominee Steve Scalise Drops Out
Jim Jordan Continues To Struggle To Get House Speaker Votes
During the second House Speaker vote, Jim Jordan actually had two of the holdouts flip and vote for him. However, while he got two flips, four more House Republicans flipped against him.
According to Politico, Doug LaMalfa of California and Victoria Spatz managed to flip for Jordan. However, Florida's Vern Buchanan, Drew Ferguson of Georgia, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, and Pete Stauber of Minnesota flipped against him. This failure to secure more votes showed how much Jordan is struggling to get votes.
When Will the Next US House Speaker Vote Be?
The House remains at a standstill without a speaker, though a third vote is scheduled to happen on Thursday, according to The Hill.
Despite his struggles, however, Jim Jordan remained defiant.
"We picked up some today, a couple dropped off, but they voted for me before. I think they can come back again. So we'll keep talking to members. Keep working on it," he told reporters after the vote.
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Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Jim Jordan gets fewer votes in second vote for speaker than first - CNN