GOP infighting erupts after Jim Jordan gives up the gavel

A GOP leader is going after his conference after Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) announced his plans to give up the House Judiciary Committee gavel.

According to a Thursday Politico article, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) tore into his party for allowing waivers for veteran committee chairs to keep the gavel. His comments came after Jordan announced that he doesn't plan to seek waivers to stay on as the chair of the Judiciary Committee after leading it for eight years.

"I've never liked waivers," Emmer told Politico at the GOP midterm convention. He said that getting rid of waivers is "one of the things that helped the Republican majority stay more connected to Main Street."

Emmer, the number three Republican leader, has no power over the waivers. The 35-member GOP Steering Committee and the larger House Republican Conference have to decide whether to keep the rule, Politico noted. However, Emmer is a member of the Steering Committee.

However, he said he can only see "limited circumstances where it might make sense" to allow Republicans to hold onto a seat for more than three terms. Politico noted that several GOP chairs have applied for waivers, including in the Agriculture and Armed Services committees.

"I love our members who have been around for years and have institutional knowledge," Emmer said. "But unlike Democrats, we have turnover on the Republican side."

Emmer pointed out that Trump said at the Rose Garden, "We need to keep Jim right where he is," referring to Jordan. "Which was interesting because it's like — OK, but I think he’s termed out," Emmer said.

"Every two election cycles or so, you have close to 50 percent turnover in the Republican House," Emmer said. "You don't get that in the Senate. You get people who are serving as octogenarians, and they're showing no signs of leaving."