“We have been struggling with it for too long”

Nearly two weeks after the historic vote to oust Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House of Representatives, pressure is mounting on Republican lawmakers to resolve their internal struggle to find a new owner for the “hot seat”, thereby freeing the US Congress from paralysis.

The White House has a slew of bills lined up for congressional approval, ranging from an emergency national security aid package that could fund U.S. allies, including Ukraine and Israel, to border security.

The Senate reconvened on October 15 after a week-long recess, but without a permanent House leader, no bill can pass Congress and reach President Joe Biden's desk.

Some Republicans believe that strong support from grassroots conservatives will help Rep. Jim Jordan, the new candidate for permanent speaker of the House, win the support of dozens of Republican colleagues and win a vote in the full House, which includes Democrats.

The first bipartisan vote of the week will take place on Tuesday (Oct. 17), a notice sent by the office of House Deputy Majority Leader Tom Emmer said.

World - US House Speaker Election: “We've been struggling with it for too long” — Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican front-runner for Speaker of the House, speaks to reporters at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, DC, on October 13, 2023. Photo: Getty Images

Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, and his allies pushed for a bipartisan vote on Tuesday to give the Republican front-runner time to meet with supporters on Monday (Oct. 16).

A separate announcement sent by House Deputy Minority Leader Katherine Clark, a Democrat, on the afternoon of October 15 confirmed the vote would take place at noon on Tuesday.

Difficult Math Equations

Rep. Jordan, founder of the radical House Freedom Caucus and a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, won the Republican Party's nomination in caucuses on October 13.

The congressman endorsed by Mr Trump has won the support of about two-thirds of his party colleagues, meaning he is about 65 votes short of the majority in the full vote he needs to become speaker of the House.

Mr. Jordan has until October 16 to convince colleagues who have not yet voted for him.

The House is currently split between 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats, and Jordan needs at least 217 votes to win. That means he cannot lose more than four Republican votes if all Democrats vote against him.

“We’re going to get 217 votes,” Mr. Jordan told reporters on October 13. But those who oppose his bid for speaker of the House insist he cannot do it without their support.

World - Election of US House Speaker: — Kevin McCarthy leaves a Republican convention at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 13, 2023. McCarthy, who was ousted as Speaker of the House in an unprecedented vote on October 3, 2023, announced his support for Jim Jordan. Photo: CNN

“It’s a very difficult mathematical equation for him to get through,” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who plans to vote against Mr. Jordan in a bipartisan vote.

“Nothing is impossible, but it would be really difficult, based on what I hear,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw, who supports Mr. Jordan, told CNN.

Lawmakers point out that the support Mr. Jordan receives from grassroots Republicans and conservative media is likely to put pressure on his opponents to back him.

“There is no one stronger at the grassroots level than Jim Jordan. No one,” said Rep. Tim Burchett.

As head of the House Judiciary Committee, Mr. Jordan has spearheaded an investigation into what Republicans see as abuses of power by the Biden administration and family scandals. Mr. Biden has long denied the allegations.

Situational solution

If Jordan fails to win a majority of the 433-member House, other Republican candidates could step in. Potential candidates include Kevin Hern, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Mike Johnson, vice chairman of the House Republican Conference.

“We need to do it right this time. We’ve been messing around with it for too long,” said Rep. Roger Williams. “We need leadership for the House.”

Rep. Mike Turner, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he believed Jordan or another Republican could become speaker. But if any Republican minority continues to block the House from returning to session, he said, “then I think it’s clear that some sort of deal will have to be made” with Democrats.

For their part, Democrats have also signaled that they could help the Republican nominee cross the razor-thin margin of majority control to become House speaker in exchange for concessions such as rule changes to allow bills with significant bipartisan support to come to a vote in the full House.

“There are informal conversations underway,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told NBC on Oct. 15. “When we return to Washington tomorrow (Oct. 16), it’s important to begin formalizing those discussions.”

Asked why those discussions had not yet taken place, Mr. Jeffries pushed back, arguing: “At this point, that belongs to our Republican colleagues in the House.”

“We have made it clear, publicly and privately, that we are ready, willing and able to join a bipartisan governing coalition that puts the American people first and solves problems for hardworking American taxpayers,” the top Democrat in the US House of Representatives said.

There is also a “stopgap” solution. Some Republicans say they are considering a resolution to temporarily strengthen the powers of Speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry so that the House can pass funding to avert a government shutdown and to provide aid to Ukraine and Israel amid the Middle East conflict. For now, McHenry’s authority is limited to facilitating the election of a new permanent speaker.

But Republicans would likely need Democratic help to pass such a resolution. While some Democrats have said they are open to the idea, many Republicans are wary .

Minh Duc (According to WSJ, CBS News, Washington Examiner)

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