Rep. Jim Jordan's (R-OH) humiliation continued Wednesday as he, once again, failed to secure the necessary votes to clinch the Speaker of the House post. By the time the roll was called and they'd reached last names that begin with "G," Jordan had already lost 11 votes.
Jordan lost the first ballot on Tuesday when 20 Republicans refused to support his nomination. Some voted for Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), others were for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) – and some even voted for former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY).
On Wednesday, most of those defections continued.
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On Tuesday, reporters heard a rumor from one member that there were some Republicans who only intended to cast an anti-Jordan vote on the first ballot but, upon the second, would fall behind Jordan. But even with that, Jordan lacked the full amount needed to be elected.
Ahead of the vote, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) attacked Jordan as a "Confederate speaker," and challenged his ability to be in office at all.
"But Section 3 of the 14th Amendment says you can’t serve in federal office if you’ve taken the oath and then engaged in insurrection or rebellion,'" Raskin wrote. "Jordan is disqualified for Speaker — but Banana Republicans don’t seem to care. Looking for a dozen pro-Constitution Republicans!"
Rep. David Joyce (R-OH), a member of the so-called "Problem Solver's Caucus," is expected to nominate McCarthy's hand-picked stand-in, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), to serve as a permanent speaker pro temp, Punchbowl News reported. Joyce said last week that he thought McHenry could be a compromise that would run a coalition government with Democrats. McHenry, however, is the stand-in who removed Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from her office while she was away at a funeral.
Fringe Republican, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), posted on social media that people shouldn't be surprised if Jordan loses with even more votes in the 11 a.m. vote.
See comments on it from Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL) below.
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