Rep. Jim Jordan, the current candidate for speaker from the House Republicans, doesn’t seem to have enough support to become speaker.
The individual named Scott Detrow, who assumes the role of host,
The House of Jim Jordan of the United States remains inert. It remains without a speaker, preventing it from voting on any legislation, including any additional military aid to Israel. This week, Majority Leader Steve Scalise was the designated party speaker until he realized he lacked sufficient support to win a floor vote and withdrew. Now the party has nominated Jim Jordan, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, but he does not appear to have enough support. Susan Davis, political correspondent for NPR, covers all of this and joins me now. Howdy Sue.
SUSAN DAVIS, IN BOLD: Salut, Scott.
DETROW: Am I missing any crucial information?
DAVIS: You know, I believe that sums it up. However, a couple of points: Jordan won the nomination through a secret ballot. And that was after Georgia Republican Congressman Austin Scott decided to challenge him, and Scott, with less than an hour’s notice, garnered the support of nearly a third of the Republican conference. His speaker message was essentially, I don’t want to be the speaker. I believe that Jim Jordan should be challenged.
Jordan made the decision to seek a second vote, which was essentially a poll asking his colleagues if they would vote for him on the floor. And 55 Republicans voted against the motion in a secret ballot. So Jordan desired to be able to take the court as soon as Friday to seal the deal, but those numbers were so far from the 217 points he will likely need on the court. Therefore, he instructed the members to return home, and they will reassemble on Monday.
DETROW: Therefore, Jordan is severely lacking in votes, just as now-former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise were lacking in votes. What is the next step?
The name DAVIS: Jordan must determine how far away he believes he is and whether he can close the distance on the floor. According to Jordan’s advocates, it will be considerably more difficult to vote against him in public. He is well-liked by the base. He has the support of Donald Trump. Can he rely somewhat on peer pressure to secure the votes? However, it is somewhat difficult to force your way into the speaker’s office. It involves establishing consensus. Moreover, Jordan’s reputation in Congress has been much more associated with derailing and opposing agreements than with bringing people together to accomplish something.
The DETROW: So, is this paralysis and lack of a speaker currently a problem of Congress or the Republicans?
The name DAVIS: Essentially an arithmetic issue. Currently, Republicans have only 221 ballots. Narrow majorities are cumbersome, but there is also a regulations issue. Remember that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy altered the procedures to make it easier for a single Republican to oust the speaker. Similarly, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi had the exact same majority, and she was able to secure the votes for speaker and maintain unity. Consequently, this is not a true both-sides issue. I always observe that the core of the Democratic Party wants to administer and supports government, whereas the core of the Republican Party is more anti-establishment and bluntly anti-government.
DETROW: Fine. In light of this, has the door been opened for Democrats to form a coalition with a few moderate Republicans and elect a House speaker if Republicans cannot identify and unite behind a candidate?
The name DAVIS: This week, not a single Republican I spoke with said it was conceivable, but Democrats are extending their hand. They say they would contemplate it if Republicans did things such as bring more bipartisan legislation to the floor and, in essence, gave Democrats more authority. However, doing so would give the impression that Republicans handed over the reins of government to Democrats and would likely expose a large number of Republicans to primary challenges. So currently, no. Republicans must still find a means to elect a Republican speaker with only Republican ballots.
DETROW: That was Susan Davis of NPR reporting on the ongoing search for a House speaker. Merci, Sue.
The name DAVIS: You are very welcome.
(An excerpt from John Coltrane’s “BAHIA”)