Jordan Cancels Third Vote, Backs McHenry As Temporary Speaker
Rep. Jim Jordan canceled a third round of voting for his effort to become the Speaker of the House, pulling out of the running for the top role.
Jordan instead supported Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, who is expected to now remain in the role until January.
Jordan to cancel third vote, will back McHenry as interim speaker through January https://t.co/nAr2J4mmLO
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) October 19, 2023
"Jordan lost support on the second ballot Wednesday — scoring only 199 votes after getting only 200 in the first ballot," Fox News reported.
"He needed 217 to become Speaker and could afford few Republican defections. Fox News was told he was expected to lose further votes in a ballot on Thursday," it added.
Republicans have again voted down Rep. Jim Jordan for the speakership.
Jordan lost the second round of votes Wednesday when 22 Republicans voted against him -- two more votes against him than Tuesday’s first-round vote. https://t.co/mpOox5HUwV
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) October 18, 2023
"After more than three hours behind closed doors, House Republicans don’t seem to have a plan on how to move forward with the speakership," ABC News reported Thursday.
"The meeting is still ongoing, but several Republicans emerged in the last few minutes to tell reporters that the proposal to temporarily empower Patrick McHenry is now a nonstarter, lacking the support of a majority of Republicans," it continued.
It is unclear which direction the party will now take following two rounds of losses with Jordan following Rep. Kevin McCarthy's loss of the role.
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) also sought the leadership role but did not have the votes to win.
Friday could lead to another round of voting that would resemble McCarthy's January effort that included multiple rounds until a deal was made.
If not, the temporary speaker could end up serving longer than expected with the issue becoming a major sign of disunity among conservatives in the House.
