WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), an ally of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), reacted with anguish on Thursday after seeing Jordan forced to at least temporarily give up his dreams of becoming speaker.
In an interview with Raw Story, Banks slammed plans to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) to bring legislation to the floor of the House of Representatives on at least a temporary basis until the party can settle on a new consensus candidate.
"There's nothing I've ever wanted more in this Congress than for Jim Jordan to be speaker," he said. "We don't deserve the majority if we go along with a plan to give Democrats control over the House of Representatives. It's a giant betrayal!"
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When asked whether he considered the plan to empower McHenry to be a mistake, Banks replied, "It's a giant mistake to give Democrats control over the majority of the Republican House of Representatives," despite the fact that McHenry, like former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) before him, is a Republican.
Banks concluded his remarks by calling the move to empower McHenry "the worst thing that could happen."
Jordan announced on Thursday that he was at least temporarily giving up his bid to be speaker after losing two consecutive votes earlier this week.
