House Republicans returned to the Capitol on Friday morning prepared for a fifth straight day of closed-door meetings focused on finding the next speaker.
With Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., having dropped out of the race Thursday night after failing to secure the needed votes to win the speakership, much attention turned to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
Jordan ran against Scalise but lost 113-99 in the GOP House conference on Tuesday.
"Jim's got a heart of a warrior to go do this, and it's time to change," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told radio host Glenn Beck on Thursday. "And if the old guard thinks that the status quo is working, someone show me what they're proud of that Congress has done over the last 30 or 40 years.
"I think Jim has demonstrated a willingness to take on the status quo but also work with people in town to figure out how to get things done and work across the conference."
After Scalise made his announcement, Jordan refrained from elaborating on his expected candidacy.
"I think today we got to focus on a great American like Steve Scalise. Any type of announcement about what may or may not happen, I think is best done tomorrow," Jordan said, the Washington Examiner reported. "Look, when I decided to run before, I waited until the next day after [former Speaker] Kevin [McCarthy] made his decision. I thought that was appropriate. I will do the same thing right now. I'll wait."
The House has been without a speaker since Oct. 3, when McCarthy, R-Calif., was removed from the position. As of Friday morning, it remained unclear when the chamber will vote on its next nominee.
No matter whose name is brought to floor, 217 votes in the full House will be needed to win the speakership. That's not easy with Republicans holding a slim 221-212 majority.
The Examiner reported that Republicans might consider adopting a new rule, tabled earlier this week, requiring a candidate to receive 217 votes within the conference before advancing the nomination to the floor for a full vote.
"We're going to have the same problem with Jordan that we had with Scalise," said Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., who said he's supporting Jordan. "I think it's a math problem."
Some GOP moderates have said they don't want to back Jordan, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
One House GOP aide told the Examiner that members from districts President Joe Biden won in 2020 "aren't voting for Jim Jordan."
"By empowering Jim Jordan, moderates can expect to vote on items such as expunging the two impeachments of President Trump, federal abortion restrictions, steep cuts to safety-net programs, and protecting January 6th insurrectionists. The campaign ads basically write themselves," the aide said, the Examiner reported.
Following Scalise's announcement, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., floated at least three additional possible speaker names: Reps. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., Mark Green, R-Tenn., and former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and McCarthy also are potential candidates, as is Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.
"Let the conference decide," McCarthy said, the Examiner reported. "I just think the conference as a whole has to figure out their problem, solve it, and select a leader."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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