House speaker – live updates: GOP fails to unite around nominee ahead of vote today

The House speaker chaos continues to rumble on with the Republican party still failing to unite around a candidate and eight contenders still in the running.

On Monday night, the GOP spent hours behind closed doors in a candidate forum but emerged with no clear nominee.

Nine candidates went into the meeting: Reps Byron Donalds; Mike Johnson; Jack Bergman; Kevin Hern; Dan Meuser; Gary Palmer; Pete Sessions; Austin Scott; Pete Sessions; and Tom Emmer.

But Mr Meuser dropped out early into the meeting, culling the field down to eight.

While some Republicans struck an optimistic note that they will have a speaker by the end of Tuesday, it was clear that there was no real frontrunner.

Mr Emmer is mulled as the favourite but is facing opposition from Donald Trump allies.

On Tuesday, House Republicans are expected to meet again behind closed doors to select a nominee – before taking the vote to the floor.

The fresh round of contenders comes after Rep Jim Jordan was ruled out as the nominated speaker after losing an internal ballot by a large margin on Friday. This came after Mr Jordan lost three votes of the full house.

Key Points

• Here are the latest Republicans running for House Speaker

• Trump says he’s trying to ‘stay out of’ speaker’s race

• Freedom caucus says GOP ‘should not leave Washington again until we have a new Speaker'

• VOICES: Nobody should want to be the next speaker. It’s about what comes after

• Trump: ‘If Jesus Christ came down and said I want to be speaker, he would do it'

Emmer’s lead grows on second ballot

15:55 , Gustaf Kilander

Byron Donalds receiving lacklustre support in first ballot

15:51 , Gustaf Kilander

First round of voting sees Emmer claim big lead

15:40 , Gustaf Kilander

Sessions out, Emmer on top after first ballot

15:34 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Tom Emmer came out on top in the first round of voting, getting more than 70 votes from the caucus, CNN notes.

Rep Mike Johnson grabbed the second spot, while Rep Pete Sessions was booted in the first round.

‘There’s only so many times you can go through this process'

15:30 , Eric Garcia

Many Republicans seemed to feel a sense of exasperation about the fact they have not been able to coalesce around a speaker.

“I think that our own needs and desires are what are going to get us there,” Mr Sessions told The Independent after the meeting. “I think there’s only so many times you can go through this process. Go to the floor, make a mistake. And I think that that is it made us more cognizant of the need to get things done back in this room and then go present to American people with great confidence.”

When asked about whether Republicans could coalesce or anyone could win 217 votes, Rep Dan Crenshaw said simply, “I don’t know, man. I’m tired,” as he munched on a brownie.

House speaker race comes amid looming shutdown

15:00 , Eric Garcia

Rep Matt Gaetz praised Mr Hern and other Republicans’ plans for passing spending bills. Specifically, Republicans oppose passing so-called continuing resolutions, which are stopgap spending bills that Congress passes while they pass full spending bills for a fiscal year, as well as omnibus spending bills, wherein all 12 spending bills Congress must pass are combined into one bill.

“Kevin Hern really laid out in his messaging to all the members a critique of governing by continuing resolution and omnibus bill and he has a plan to get us to those single subject spending bills,” Mr Gaetz told reporters. “I’d also note that Congressman Mike Johnson had a plan for single subject spending bills that was also quite attractive.”

The race for speaker comes as Congress faces a looming deadline when the government runs out of money on 17 November.

“If we have to bridge with the continuing resolution, that wouldn’t be my preference, but we’re certainly looking to go in the same direction,” Mr Gaetz told reporters.

“The longer this goes on, the less confident I am that that’s gonna happen,” Rep Pat Fallon (R-TX) told The Independent.

Rep Tim Burchett (R-TN), one of the eight Republicans who voted to depose Mr McCarthy, told The Independent that he thought the House could pass a spending bill to keep the government open.

“Where was the rush when we were gone for six weeks,” he said, noting how Congress always acts like there is a rush to pass spending bills. “Comes down every year, same time every year. And yet, you know, this year all of a sudden, oh, it’s a rush.”

Palmer second candidate to drop out, leaving seven to fight for gavel

14:52 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Gary Palmer became the second Republican to drop out of the speaker race following the departure of Rep Dan Meuser on Monday night, leaving seven candidates competing for the gavel.

‘When you’re five people or eight people and you undercut the majority, there’s a price to pay'

14:30 , Eric Garcia

The forum comes 20 days after eight Republicans, led by Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and every Democrat voted to eject former speaker Kevin McCarthy. In addition, House conservatives blocked House Majority Leader Steve Scalise before he could go to a floor vote. Last week, Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), failed to clinch the required votes to become speaker and Republicans voted to depose him as their nominee in a secret ballot.

“When you’re five people or eight people and you undercut the majority, there’s a price to pay. And that’s what happened last week,” Rep Don Bacon (R-NE) told The Independent. “Let’s learn our lesson and we’ll work out our differences like right now behind closed doors.”

House Republicans are set to have a vote on Tuesday for their nominee for speaker.

“We’re gonna do it tomorrow morning, and you come together and you work as a team,” Mr Bacon said. “People that demand 100 per cent in what we’re doing, they fail.”

Some of the Republicans who had voted to oust Mr McCarthy and who pushed for Mr Jordan expressed optimism.

“We have a great crop of candidates,” Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC), who was one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust Mr McCarthy and supported Mr Jordan even after Mr Scalise became the nominee, told The Independent.

‘Never Emmer’: Some Republicans bothered by Emmer’s support of same-sex marriage

14:26 , Gustaf Kilander

Several Republicans have revealed that Rep Tom Emmer’s vote in support of the federal government recognizing same-sex marriages may become a sticking point.

Mr Emmer was previously opposed to same-sex marriage, but last year he backed a bill that would codify federal protections for gay couples.

‘Not every day you get to see the brother of an MSNBC anchor nominate a MAGA candidate for speaker'

14:14 , Gustaf Kilander

House Republican conference chair Elise Stefanik outlined who would be giving the nominating speeches for each of the candidates.

“Not every day you get to see the brother of an MSNBC anchor nominate a MAGA candidate for speaker,” Justin Baragona of The Daily Beast wrote in reference to Rep Mario Diaz-Balart and his brother, MSNBC Anchor José Diaz-Balart.

Conference chair outlines speaker election process

14:10 , Gustaf Kilander

The chair of the Republican conference Rep Elise Stefanik wrote on Tuesday: “Today at 9 am, I will gavel in the House GOP Organizing Conference for the purpose of electing a Speaker. Each candidate will be nominated by one colleague. Votes will be cast by secret ballot with the candidate with the lowest vote total dropped from each subsequent secret ballot. We will vote until one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast.”

VOICES: Nobody should want to be the next speaker. It’s about what comes after

14:00 , Eric Garcia

Welcome to the House Republican Thunderdome and Day 20 without a speaker of the House.

After the House Republican conference summarily booted Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) in a secret ballot after he failed on a third attempt to become speaker, a veritable horde of Republicans threw their names in the ring to become the top dog.

So far, nine Republicans have announced their candidacies for speaker: Reps Kevin Hern (R-OK); Mike Johnson (R-LA), an ardent social conservative and opponent of abortion; House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN); Austin Scott (R-GA), who staged a Potemkin challenge against Mr Jordan that revealed the Ohio Republican’s weakness; Dan Meuser (R-PA); Gary Palmer (R-AL); Pete Sessions (R-TX); Jack Bergman (R-MI); and Byron Donalds (R-FL).

Each of these candidates has certain benefits and drawbacks. As House majority whip, Mr Emmer is probably the favourite given his deep ties to fundraisers and the fact he supported many of the freshmen in swing districts. But his vote to certify the 2020 presidential election results probably makes him dead on arrival for the MAGA wing of the GOP (and the same goes for Mr Scott). Denying the results of the 2020 presidential election and fealty to Donald Trump has become as much of a core tenet for the GOP as tax cuts and restricting abortion.

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House Republicans have no clear frontrunner for speaker after candidate forum

13:30 , Eric Garcia

The House Republican conference held its candidate forum behind closed doors on Monday evening but emerged with no clear frontrunner.

House Republicans met in the Longworth House Office Building where nine candidates made their case to be the next speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Going into the meeting were Reps Byron Donalds (R-FL); Mike Johnson (R-LA); Jack Bergman (R-MI); Kevin Hern (R-OK); Dan Meuser (R-PA); Gary Palmer (R-AL); Pete Sessions (R-TX); Austin Scott (R-GA); Pete Sessions (R-TX); and Tom Emmer (R-MN), who also serves as House Majority Whip. But Mr Meuser dropped out early into the meeting, culling the field down to eight.

But any Republican will have to deal with thin margins in the House. Republicans have only 221 members and the House has only 433 members, meaning any Republican nominee must have 217 votes and can only afford to lose four members.

“Well, we’re gonna do the vote and we’ve all agreed that we would do a vote, roll call vote in the basement before we go up,” Mr Hern told The Independent. “So if we go to the floor, we’ll have 217 votes.”

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VIDEO: GOP rep calls speaker race ‘one of the most embarrassing things I’ve seen’

13:00 , Gustaf Kilander

GOP scrambles for House speaker as candidate deadline passes: ‘I don’t care, just pick someone’

12:00 , Ariana Baio

A fresh batch of Republicans in the House of Representatives have put themselves forward for speaker as the noon deadline to enter the race passed on Sunday.

Frustrations are growing, even among leading Republicans, as the branch of Congress enters its third week without a Speaker of the House and in a state of legislative paralysis.

By noon, Representatives Tom Emmer, Austin Scott, Bryon Donalds, Kevin Hern, Jack Bergman, Mike Johnson, Pete Sessions, Gary Palmer and Dan Meuser had all announced their intent to run for the speakership.

The potential speakers will now begin the process of making calls to colleagues to try to drum up support before the House GOP decides on which candidate to back in a closed-door conference.

The new candidates emerge after far-right Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio failed to get enough votes for the third time in his bid to become speaker on Friday.

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Trump: ‘If Jesus Christ came down and said I want to be speaker, he would do it'

11:00 , Gustaf Kilander

When asked about the race for speaker on Monday in New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump said: “There’s only one person that can do it all the way. You know who that is? Jesus Christ. If Jesus came down and said, ‘I want to be Speaker,’ he would do it. Other than that, I haven’t seen anybody that can guarantee it.”

GOP still fails to unite around nominee

10:30 , Rachel Sharp

The House speaker chaos continues to rumble on with the Republican party still failing to unite around a candidate and eight contenders still in the running.

On Monday night, the GOP spent hours behind closed doors in a candidate forum but emerged with no clear nominee.

Nine candidates went into the meeting: Reps Byron Donalds; Mike Johnson; Jack Bergman; Kevin Hern; Dan Meuser; Gary Palmer; Pete Sessions; Austin Scott; Pete Sessions; and Tom Emmer.

But Mr Meuser dropped out early into the meeting, culling the field down to eight.

While some Republicans struck an optimistic note that they will have a speaker by the end of Tuesday, it was clear that there was no real frontrunner.

Mr Emmer is mulled to be the favourite but is facing opposition from Donald Trump allies.

Gaetz says he’s ‘uncommitted to any speaker candidate'

10:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Matt Gaetz rejected the notion that he’s supporting speaker candidate Tom Emmer behind the scenes.

“I am uncommitted to any speaker candidate at this time. I’ve encouraged all our speaker candidates to support President Trump, to reach out to him and to seek his advice,” he said, according to Politico.

This speaker’s race is really an amuse-bouche

09:00 , Eric Garcia

In any other context, the idea of a congressman halfway into his second term running for speaker would be considered absurd. But ever since a handful of opponents to Kevin McCarthy’s speaker bid nominated Byron Donalds, he’s become a favourite of the hard right of the GOP. Mike Johnson, for his part, is a staunch opponent of abortion, which could endear him to conservatives, but that also means Democrats could tie frontline Republicans to his ideology.

But in truth, this speaker’s race is really an amuse-bouche. Whether one of the nine wins or someone else wins, the next speaker will immediately be signing their death note, which is probably why some other stronger Republicans are sitting this race out.

Being a Republican speaker of the House of Representatives is an inherently miserable job that inevitably leads to leaving in disgrace. A large reason for this is that a considerable amount of the House GOP sees the difficult work of governing as antithetical to conservative ideology.

And plenty of governing must be done in the coming weeks. As soon as a speaker is sworn in, the highest order of business will be keeping the government open. The continuing resolution that Mr McCarthy passed at the end of last month expires in 25 days and the lack of a speaker means the House can’t pass any spending bills. House Republicans want to avoid passing a “clean” continuing resolution again, since they want to include spending cuts and oppose passing an omnibus spending bill, preferring to pass 12 individual spending bills.

For those who may have forgotten, Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed his motion to vacate specifically because Mr McCarthy passed the clean resolution to keep the government operating.

The second order of business would be helping US allies like Israel and Ukraine. Republicans are likely to support spending to assist Israel, given the large support for the country from evangelical Christians due to its critical role in end-times theology.

Who is House Speaker candidate Byron Donalds?

08:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Florida Republican Representative Byron Donalds is one of the nine candidates running for the House speakership after Rep Jim Jordan became the second nominee to fail to get the required backing.

Mr Donalds supported Mr Jordan on all three votes to become speaker following the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy on 3 October.

After Mr Jordan lost the nomination for speaker in an internal ballot among House Republicans on Friday, Mr Donalds announced on X that he was joining the race to become the next nominee, writing that he aims to “become the first African American Speaker, the first Speaker from the great state of Florida, and the next Speaker of the 118th Congress”.

Mr Donalds represents Florida’s 19th congressional district, which includes Fort Myers and Cape Coral on the southwestern coast.

The 44-year-old is the middle child of three raised by a single mother. Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Mr Donalds later moved to Naples, in the southern part of the district he now represents, going on to attend Florida State University, graduating in 2002 with a degree in finance and marketing, according to the Naples Daily News.

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Who is Tom Emmer?

07:00 , Ariana Baio

Thomas “Tom” Emmer has proven himself to be a traditional and reliable conservative, chairing the National Republican Congressional Committee for four years and being elected the House majority whip in 2022.

The 62-year-old was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2015 to represent Minnesota’s 6th district. He serves on the Committee on Financial Services as well as two subcommittees, one on Capital Markets and the other on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion.

Prior to holding national office, Mr Emmer served in Minnesota’s State House of Representatives for six years during which he made an unsuccessful bid for governor – losing by less than 10,000 votes.

He’s been married to his wife Jacqueline for 37 years and the couple have seven children.

Mr Emmer is one of the lesser-known members of his caucus because he’s relatively quiet compared to some of his far-right colleagues.

Notably, while many Republicans were predicting a “red wave” during the last US midterm elections, Mr Emmer was sounding a note of caution. “Don’t be measuring the drapes,” he said at the time.

But despite appearing more laid-back, Mr Emmer’s legislative track record is deeply loyal to his party on nearly all fronts.

Mr Emmer has backed legislation which supports parental rights, loosens environmental protections, is anti-abortion and eases firearm restrictions. He supported bringing articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden and has doubted scientific evidence of the climate crisis.

He expressed support for former president Donald Trump when he was faced federal indictment over the Jan 6 riots at the US Capitol.

But he also voted to certify the 2020 results after Mr Trump’s false claims that the election had been stolen.

SNL cold open pokes fun at Jim Jordan over House speaker exit

06:00 , Martha McHardy

Saturday Night Live’s cold open poked fun at Rep Jim Jordan this weekend following his disastrous unsuccessful bid to become the next speaker of the House of Representatives.

In the skit, Mikey Day’s Mr Jordan was distraught after his bid for House speaker failed for a third time.

“How did I lose? This is chaos,” Day’s Mr Jordan said. “Some of us are here to actually serve the American people. All I want to do is get Congress back to work so I can shut it down again.”

Day was joined by Bowen Yang playing Rep George Santos, who then came in to try and “cheer” up Mr Jordan.

Yang’s Mr Santos was seen walking in holding a baby that “no one seems to know” why he has, before saying: “I just wanted to say how sorry I am, but I want you to know I voted for you and get this, so did Shoshanna Loggins.”

READ MORE

GOP rep calls speaker race ‘one of the most embarrassing things I’ve seen’

05:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep Michael McCaul of Texas, has said that the debacle that is the race to replace ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy is “probably one of the most embarrassing things I’ve seen”.

Appearing on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, Mr McCaul said: “Because if we don’t have a speaker of the House, we can’t govern. And every day goes by, we’re essentially shut down as a government.”

The House has now been without a speaker for nearly three weeks, and Mr McCaul noted that there are many crises, such as the conflict between Israel and Hamas, that the chamber is unable to address.

“We have very important issues right now with war and peace, and we cannot deal with an aid package or my resolution condemning Hamas and supporting Israel,” Mr McCaul told ABC. “We can’t even pass a resolution condemning Hamas.”

Mr McCaul declined to endorse any of the nine candidates, simply saying that the chamber needs “a speaker in the chair”.

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Emmer shares clip of ex-president mentioning their call as he scrambles to counteract anti-Trump narrative

04:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Speaker candidate Tom Emmer shared a clip on X of former President Donald Trump mentioning their phone call at the weekend.

Mr Emmer, the majority whip, scrambled to take down the narrative that he was anti-Trump, and is now attempting to assuage his caucus that he has a good “working relationship” with Mr Trump.

“If my colleagues elect me Speaker of the House, I look forward to continuing our strong working relationship,” Mr Emmer wrote on X on Monday.

This speaker’s race is really an amuse-bouche

04:00 , Eric Garcia

In any other context, the idea of a congressman halfway into his second term running for speaker would be considered absurd. But ever since a handful of opponents to Kevin McCarthy’s speaker bid nominated Byron Donalds, he’s become a favourite of the hard right of the GOP. Mike Johnson, for his part, is a staunch opponent of abortion, which could endear him to conservatives, but that also means Democrats could tie frontline Republicans to his ideology.

But in truth, this speaker’s race is really an amuse-bouche. Whether one of the nine wins or someone else wins, the next speaker will immediately be signing their death note, which is probably why some other stronger Republicans are sitting this race out.

Being a Republican speaker of the House of Representatives is an inherently miserable job that inevitably leads to leaving in disgrace. A large reason for this is that a considerable amount of the House GOP sees the difficult work of governing as antithetical to conservative ideology.

And plenty of governing must be done in the coming weeks. As soon as a speaker is sworn in, the highest order of business will be keeping the government open. The continuing resolution that Mr McCarthy passed at the end of last month expires in 25 days and the lack of a speaker means the House can’t pass any spending bills. House Republicans want to avoid passing a “clean” continuing resolution again, since they want to include spending cuts and oppose passing an omnibus spending bill, preferring to pass 12 individual spending bills.

For those who may have forgotten, Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed his motion to vacate specifically because Mr McCarthy passed the clean resolution to keep the government operating.

The second order of business would be helping US allies like Israel and Ukraine. Republicans are likely to support spending to assist Israel, given the large support for the country from evangelical Christians due to its critical role in end-times theology.

Gaetz says he’s ‘uncommitted to any speaker candidate'

03:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Matt Gaetz rejected the notion that he’s supporting speaker candidate Tom Emmer behind the scenes.

“I am uncommitted to any speaker candidate at this time. I’ve encouraged all our speaker candidates to support President Trump, to reach out to him and to seek his advice,” he said, according to Politico.

Trump: ‘If Jesus Christ came down and said I want to be speaker, he would do it'

02:30 , Gustaf Kilander

When asked about the race for speaker on Monday in New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump said: “There’s only one person that can do it all the way. You know who that is? Jesus Christ. If Jesus came down and said, ‘I want to be Speaker,’ he would do it. Other than that, I haven’t seen anybody that can guarantee it.”

‘Ideologues on the right see politics as holy war’

01:45 , Gustaf.Kilander

Political scientist Norman Ornstein commented on how the current situation has evolved into the current chaos, writing on X: “There is a lot of commentary on why Nancy Pelosi was able to succeed with the thinnest of majorities while Kevin McCarthy failed miserably. Of course, the biggest reason is Pelosi’s skill and tenacity. There is more. Democrats, who have many factions, want to solve problems.”

“As a group, they are willing to swallow, hard and accept tough compromises to achieve policy goals. Thus, no public option on healthcare, and a compromise on abortion for Obamacare. Perhaps another leader would not have pulled it off. But it still reflects the party culture,” he added.

Norman Ornstein

“Blowing up government is the larger goal. Purity is a virtue. So is disruption,” he noted. “So it is not a great surprise that McCarthy, who spent much of his career, encouraging disruption, and who has no core values, failed. Nor is it a great surprise that they cannot find a replacement.”

Eric Garcia of The Independent added: “You also saw it with Covid. Democrats like @MichaelBennet and @RonWyden included the $600 unemployment insurance expansion in the CARES Act when Trump was president. Even if it didn’t include things they liked, they wanted to benefit people”.

“Pelosi is an S-Tier Speaker. Harry Reid was an S-Tier Majority Leader. Schumer has to manage a smaller majority but has done a pretty darn good job,” he wrote. “But it also helps that Democrats are willing to accept half a loaf whereas ideologues on the right see politics as holy war.”

Trump says he’s trying to ‘stay out of’ speaker’s race

01:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Speaker frontrunner Tom Emmer has frantically been trying to quash the narrative that he’s not supportive of former president Donald Trump.

Mr Emmer and his staff worked overtime over the weekend making calls, including one to Mr Trump. The call between Mr Trump and Mr Emmer has been described as cordial, even as Mr Trump has been telling associates that he doesn’t want Mr Emmer as speaker, bothered by his vote to certify the 2020 election and believing that he hasn’t been sufficiently defending him in public amidst his broadening legal woes.

“Will you endorse Emmer? He hasn’t always been your biggest fan…” a reporter asked Mr Trump in New Hampshire on Monday.

“He’s my biggest fan now because he called me yesterday and told me he’s my biggest fan so… I’m trying to stay out of that as much as possible,” Mr Trump said.

Freedom caucus says GOP ‘should not leave Washington again until we have a new Speaker'

Tuesday 24 October 2023 00:15 , Gustaf Kilander

The far-right House Freedom Caucus has put out a statement calling for House Republicans to stay in Washington “until we have a new Speaker of the House”.

“No more delays or breaks. The American People are depending on us,” the caucus wrote on X.

Who is Tom Emmer?

Monday 23 October 2023 23:30 , Ariana Baio

Thomas “Tom” Emmer has proven himself to be a traditional and reliable conservative, chairing the National Republican Congressional Committee for four years and being elected the House majority whip in 2022.

The 62-year-old was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2015 to represent Minnesota’s 6th district. He serves on the Committee on Financial Services as well as two subcommittees, one on Capital Markets and the other on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion.

Prior to holding national office, Mr Emmer served in Minnesota’s State House of Representatives for six years during which he made an unsuccessful bid for governor – losing by less than 10,000 votes.

He’s been married to his wife Jacqueline for 37 years and the couple have seven children.

Mr Emmer is one of the lesser-known members of his caucus because he’s relatively quiet compared to some of his far-right colleagues.

Notably, while many Republicans were predicting a “red wave” during the last US midterm elections, Mr Emmer was sounding a note of caution. “Don’t be measuring the drapes,” he said at the time.

But despite appearing more laid-back, Mr Emmer’s legislative track record is deeply loyal to his party on nearly all fronts.

Mr Emmer has backed legislation which supports parental rights, loosens environmental protections, is anti-abortion and eases firearm restrictions. He supported bringing articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden and has doubted scientific evidence of the climate crisis.

He expressed support for former president Donald Trump when he was faced federal indictment over the Jan 6 riots at the US Capitol.

But he also voted to certify the 2020 results after Mr Trump’s false claims that the election had been stolen.

SNL cold open pokes fun at Jim Jordan over House speaker exit

Monday 23 October 2023 22:45 , Martha McHardy

Saturday Night Live’s cold open poked fun at Rep Jim Jordan this weekend following his disastrous unsuccessful bid to become the next speaker of the House of Representatives.

In the skit, Mikey Day’s Mr Jordan was distraught after his bid for House speaker failed for a third time.

“How did I lose? This is chaos,” Day’s Mr Jordan said. “Some of us are here to actually serve the American people. All I want to do is get Congress back to work so I can shut it down again.”

Day was joined by Bowen Yang playing Rep George Santos, who then came in to try and “cheer” up Mr Jordan.

Yang’s Mr Santos was seen walking in holding a baby that “no one seems to know” why he has, before saying: “I just wanted to say how sorry I am, but I want you to know I voted for you and get this, so did Shoshanna Loggins.”

READ MORE

Emmer posts clip of Trump mentioning their weekend call

Monday 23 October 2023 22:25 , Gustaf Kilander

Speaker candidate Tom Emmer shared a clip on X of former President Donald Trump mentioning their phone call at the weekend.

Mr Emmer, the majority whip, scrambled to take down the narrative that he was anti-Trump, and is now attempting to assuage his caucus that he has a good “working relationship” with Mr Trump.

“If my colleagues elect me Speaker of the House, I look forward to continuing our strong working relationship,” Mr Emmer wrote on X on Monday.

Who is House Speaker candidate Byron Donalds?

Monday 23 October 2023 22:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Florida Republican Representative Byron Donalds is one of the nine candidates running for the House speakership after Rep Jim Jordan became the second nominee to fail to get the required backing.

Mr Donalds supported Mr Jordan on all three votes to become speaker following the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy on 3 October.

After Mr Jordan lost the nomination for speaker in an internal ballot among House Republicans on Friday, Mr Donalds announced on X that he was joining the race to become the next nominee, writing that he aims to “become the first African American Speaker, the first Speaker from the great state of Florida, and the next Speaker of the 118th Congress”.

Mr Donalds represents Florida’s 19th congressional district, which includes Fort Myers and Cape Coral on the southwestern coast.

The 44-year-old is the middle child of three raised by a single mother. Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Mr Donalds later moved to Naples, in the southern part of the district he now represents, going on to attend Florida State University, graduating in 2002 with a degree in finance and marketing, according to the Naples Daily News.

READ MORE

Gaetz says he’s ‘uncommitted to any speaker candidate'

Monday 23 October 2023 21:45 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Matt Gaetz rejected the notion that he’s supporting speaker candidate Tom Emmer behind the scenes.

“I am uncommitted to any speaker candidate at this time. I’ve encouraged all our speaker candidates to support President Trump, to reach out to him and to seek his advice,” he said, according to Politico.

Who is Tom Emmer? The latest House speaker hopeful endorsed by McCarthy

Monday 23 October 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio

Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer has officially thrown his hat into the ring for Speaker of the House as the legislative branch heads into its third, leaderless week.

Representative Emmer announced his bid on Saturday to become the next Republican speaker in a lengthy statement on X, formely Twitter.

“I will always be honest and direct with all of you, even if we disagree. I will never make a promise I cannot fulfill. I expect to be held accountable and you can expect that we will also keep you to your word,” Rep. Emmer wrote.

His announcement comes after Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan failed to obtain enough votes in his third attempt to grasp the speakership. The GOP conference held a secret vote determining they would no longer support the bid of Mr Jordan, a founder of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

Mr Emmer, who serves as majority whip for the House GOP, will be the latest to attempt to secure 217 votes.

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Trump: ‘If Jesus Christ came down and said I want to be speaker, he would do it'

Monday 23 October 2023 21:15 , Gustaf Kilander

When asked about the race for speaker on Monday in New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump said: “There’s only one person that can do it all the way. You know who that is? Jesus Christ. If Jesus came down and said, ‘I want to be Speaker,’ he would do it. Other than that, I haven’t seen anybody that can guarantee it.”

GOP scrambles for House speaker as candidate deadline passes: ‘I don’t care, just pick someone’

Monday 23 October 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

A fresh batch of Republicans in the House of Representatives have put themselves forward for speaker as the noon deadline to enter the race passed on Sunday.

Frustrations are growing, even among leading Republicans, as the branch of Congress enters its third week without a Speaker of the House and in a state of legislative paralysis.

By noon, Representatives Tom Emmer, Austin Scott, Bryon Donalds, Kevin Hern, Jack Bergman, Mike Johnson, Pete Sessions, Gary Palmer and Dan Meuser had all announced their intent to run for the speakership.

The potential speakers will now begin the process of making calls to colleagues to try to drum up support before the House GOP decides on which candidate to back in a closed-door conference.

The new candidates emerge after far-right Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio failed to get enough votes for the third time in his bid to become speaker on Friday.

READ MORE

‘Ideologues on the right see politics as holy war’

Monday 23 October 2023 20:45 , Gustaf Kilander

Political scientist Norman Ornstein commented on how the current situation has evolved into the current chaos, writing on X: “There is a lot of commentary on why Nancy Pelosi was able to succeed with the thinnest of majorities while Kevin McCarthy failed miserably. Of course, the biggest reason is Pelosi’s skill and tenacity. There is more. Democrats, who have many factions, want to solve problems.”

“As a group, they are willing to swallow, hard and accept tough compromises to achieve policy goals. Thus, no public option on healthcare, and a compromise on abortion for Obamacare. Perhaps another leader would not have pulled it off. But it still reflects the party culture,” he added.

Norman Ornstein

“Blowing up government is the larger goal. Purity is a virtue. So is disruption,” he noted. “So it is not a great surprise that McCarthy, who spent much of his career, encouraging disruption, and who has no core values, failed. Nor is it a great surprise that they cannot find a replacement.”

Eric Garcia of The Independent added: “You also saw it with Covid. Democrats like @MichaelBennet and @RonWyden included the $600 unemployment insurance expansion in the CARES Act when Trump was president. Even if it didn’t include things they liked, they wanted to benefit people”.

“Pelosi is an S-Tier Speaker. Harry Reid was an S-Tier Majority Leader. Schumer has to manage a smaller majority but has done a pretty darn good job,” he wrote. “But it also helps that Democrats are willing to accept half a loaf whereas ideologues on the right see politics as holy war.”

VIDEO: SNL cold open pokes fun at Jim Jordan over House speaker exit

Monday 23 October 2023 20:30 , The Independent

Trump says he’s trying to ‘stay out of’ speaker’s race

Monday 23 October 2023 20:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Speaker frontrunner Tom Emmer has frantically been trying to quash the narrative that he’s not supportive of former president Donald Trump.

Mr Emmer and his staff worked overtime over the weekend making calls, including one to Mr Trump. The call between Mr Trump and Mr Emmer has been described as cordial, even as Mr Trump has been telling associates that he doesn’t want Mr Emmer as speaker, bothered by his vote to certify the 2020 election and believing that he hasn’t been sufficiently defending him in public amidst his broadening legal woes.

“Will you endorse Emmer? He hasn’t always been your biggest fan…” a reporter asked Mr Trump in New Hampshire on Monday.

“He’s my biggest fan now because he called me yesterday and told me he’s my biggest fan so… I’m trying to stay out of that as much as possible,” Mr Trump said.

Mr Trump is reported to have spoken to several candidates for speaker over the weekend, including Oklahoma congressman Kevin Hern, but he’s not expected to formally endorse anyone.

Who is ‘McCongressman’ Kevin Hern, running for House speaker?

Monday 23 October 2023 20:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Kevin Hern (R-OK), the chair of the rightwing group known as the Republican Study Committee, has joined the broad race for the speakership after the ousting of Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) as the GOP nominee.

The House Republicans are now set to choose one of nine candidates following the failure of Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Mr Jordan to get the required support.

Mr Hern announced his entrance into the race on Friday. He backed Mr Jordan but said on X that the House GOP needs “a different type of leader who has a proven track record of success, which is why I’m running for Speaker of the House”.

Mr Hern was considering running initially, but he declined to take on Mr Scalise and Mr Jordan. The 61-year-old, who voted to overturn the 2020 election, was nominated as one of the protest candidates in January during the chaotic 15 rounds of voting to make Mr McCarthy speaker.

The former owner of more than a dozen McDonald’s franchises and a range of other enterprises, Mr Hern was first elected to Congress five years ago, meaning that his whole political career has played out in the Trump era of Republican politics.

READ MORE

Freedom caucus says GOP ‘should not leave Washington again until we have a new Speaker'

Monday 23 October 2023 19:45 , Gustaf Kilander

The far-right House Freedom Caucus has put out a statement calling for House Republicans to stay in Washington “until we have a new Speaker of the House”.

“No more delays or breaks. The American People are depending on us,” the caucus wrote on X.

VOICES: Nobody should want to be the next speaker. It’s about what comes after

Monday 23 October 2023 19:28 , Eric Garcia

Welcome to the House Republican Thunderdome and Day 20 without a speaker of the House.

After the House Republican conference summarily booted Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) in a secret ballot after he failed on a third attempt to become speaker, a veritable horde of Republicans threw their names in the ring to become the top dog.

So far, nine Republicans have announced their candidacies for speaker: Reps Kevin Hern (R-OK); Mike Johnson (R-LA), an ardent social conservative and opponent of abortion; House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN); Austin Scott (R-GA), who staged a Potemkin challenge against Mr Jordan that revealed the Ohio Republican’s weakness; Dan Meuser (R-PA); Gary Palmer (R-AL); Pete Sessions (R-TX); Jack Bergman (R-MI); and Byron Donalds (R-FL).

Each of these candidates has certain benefits and drawbacks. As House majority whip, Mr Emmer is probably the favourite given his deep ties to fundraisers and the fact he supported many of the freshmen in swing districts. But his vote to certify the 2020 presidential election results probably makes him dead on arrival for the MAGA wing of the GOP (and the same goes for Mr Scott). Denying the results of the 2020 presidential election and fealty to Donald Trump has become as much of a core tenet for the GOP as tax cuts and restricting abortion.

READ MORE

The candidates: Patrick McHenry

Monday 23 October 2023 19:00 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

Following Mr McCarthy’s removal, North Carolina Rep Patrick McHenry became speaker pro tempore.

He remains the temporary leader of the House until the party nominates and elects Mr McCarthy’s replacement.

As a close ally of Mr McCarthy, he has often served as a liaison between conservatives and leadership.

He also has a strong enough relationship with Democrats, both on the committee he leads and with the White House, and recently played a key role in negotiations with the Biden administration on raising the debt ceiling.

He is one of only a handful of House Republicans who did not vote to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

While this might make him a possible favourite for Democrats and some moderate Republicans, this bipartisanship could hurt him with hardline Republicans.

As chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Mr McHenry has significant contacts with the financial industry and top donors.

The candidates: Dan Meuser

Monday 23 October 2023 18:30 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

Dan Meuser, a representative of Pennsylvania, was elected to Congress in 2018. Prior to his election, he served as the Secretary of Revenue in Pennsylvania.

He has a business-heavy background having been the president of a motorised wheelchair manufacturer company and indicated he would use this to his advantage if he were elected to speaker.

“I come from the business world, and I plan to bring, if I run, a business perspective to things and gain consensus,” Mr Meuser told reporters after Mr Jordan dropped out of the race.

He voted to reject 2020 election results in Pennsylvania and against bringing articles of impeachment against Mr Trump.

The candidates: Pete Sessions

Monday 23 October 2023 18:00 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

Texas Rep. Pete Sessions announced on 21 October that he was officially seeking the speakership.

Mr Sessions is currently the speaker candidate with the most experience in Congress. He was first elected in 1997 and held a seat in the House until 2018 when he was defeated by a Democrat.

He then ran to represent another district in 2020 and won.

He sits on the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Mr Sessions has stirred controversy throughout his career, notably by his alleged connection to the Trump-Ukraine scandal in 2018 when he was identified in an indictment.

The candidates: Mike Johnson

Monday 23 October 2023 17:30 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

Louisiana Rep Mike Johnson was first elected to Congress in 2016.

For two years he was chair of the Republican Study Committee and in 2021 year became the vice chair of the House Republican Conference.

Mr Johnson is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and on the Committee of the Judiciary.

Prior to joining Congress, Mr Johnson may be remembered for proposing a controversial bill in Louisiana that could have allowed the state to withhold a bevy of state benefits from a person based on their views on the institution of marriage.

When announcing his bid, Mr Johnson laid out a seven-step plan on key commitments he believes are part of being Speaker.

The candidates: Jack Bergman

Monday 23 October 2023 17:00 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

Jack Bergman, a representative of Michigan, said he would try and unite the GOP party by making a bid for the speakership.

Mr Bergman, 76, was first elected to the House in 2017. He’s a veteran of the US Marines who sits on the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

He appeals to more mainstream conservatives as an experienced lawmaker with a low tolerance for big egos.

However, he may appeal to far-right conservatives with his record of supporting Mr Trump. He voted against certifying 2020 election results and bringing articles of impeachment against Mr Trump for inciting an insurrection.

Mr Bergman voted for Mr McCarthy earlier this year and for Mr Jordan in all three of his vote rounds.

He said he was prepared to vote for Mr Scalise when he was Speaker Designate.

The candidates: Gary Palmer

Monday 23 October 2023 16:30 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

Rep Gary Palmer of Alabama is the number five Republican in the House, a member of the House Freedom Caucus and the longtime chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. He was elected to Congress in 2014.

Though he shares similar political stances as his far-right colleagues, Mr Palmer tends to keep a lower profile making him a potential candidate to appeal to both far-right and more moderate factions.

Mr Palmer was at the Capitol on January 6 and condemned rioters for their actions. However, he still voted against certifying the 2020 election results.

He is a supporter of Mr Trump and has released statements defending the former president after his indictments.

The candidates: Byron Donalds

Monday 23 October 2023 16:00 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

Florida Rep. Byron Donalds joined the running for the speakership on Friday.

Mr Donalds was elected to the House in 2020 and swiftly joined the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

He is a loyal Trump supporter and voted to object to election certification results in Arizona and Pennsylvania in 2020.

In January, Mr Donalds was nominated by his colleague Chip Roy to take on Mr McCarthy in his speaker race. Mr Donalds received support from 20 House GOP members but ultimately supported Mr McCarthy when he made concessions to the House Freedom Caucus.

The candidates: Austin Scott

Monday 23 October 2023 15:30 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

In a surprise move, Austin Scott, a representative from Georgia, has thrown his hat in the ring.

Mr Scott, who was elected to the House in 2011, is an ally of Mr McCarthy and supported him through his tense election and defended him when he was ousted.

He is a staunch conservative who opposes same-sex marriage, abortion and gun control.

He also voted against bringing articles of impeachment for former president Donald Trump after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

However, unlike his far-right colleagues, he did not support Mr Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and voted to certify the Electoral College results on 7 January 2021.

‘They want to say that we have no plan, Jim Jordan was a good plan'

Monday 23 October 2023 15:00 , Eric Garcia

Rep Jim Jordan’s exit came on the 17th day that the House of Representatives has not had a speaker after Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a motion to vacate Mr McCarthy along with seven other Republicans and every Democrat.

Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC), who voted to vacate Mr Jordan, decried Mr Jordan’s exit.

“I think it is bull****,” she told The Independent. “They want to say that we have no plan, Jim Jordan was a good plan.”

Ms Mace criticised the fact that a large amount of Republicans just voted for Mr Jordan on the floor and then voted to oust him in a secret ballot.

“They just knifed him in secret in a backroom deal in the basement of the Capitol,” she said. “It’s disgusting.”

The candidates: Kevin Hern

Monday 23 October 2023 14:30 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

Kevin Hern is the leader of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House.

The representative from Oklahoma is only in his third term in Congress making him much less experienced than his competitors. However, he has touted his long, successful career in business as an advantage over the rest.

“I think you have to have a different set of skill sets,” Mr Hern told reporters this week.

“Strife is something that’s common when you have people working together and finding common solutions for it takes experience.”

Before being elected to Congress in 2018, the 61-year-old made millions as a McDonald’s franchisee and was part of the fast food outlet’s national leadership team.

During the last race for House speaker in January, he gained some votes from Republicans rebelling against Mr McCarthy.

The candidates: Tom Emmer

Monday 23 October 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

Tom Emmer is a Representative from Minnesota and the House majority whip.

He served as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee for two cycles. In the first cycle, he successfully defeated numerous Democratic incumbents, giving then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi a much slimmer majority with which to govern.

He stayed in the job for the 2022 cycle when Republicans won the House, meaning he knows many of the freshmen incumbents and funneled money to them when needed. His time in the post also gave him significant face-time with Republican donors – a skill that would benefit him in a speaker’s race.

After Mr McCarthy’s ousting, Mr Emmer said he didn’t plan to run – but would instead back Mr Scalise. When Mr Scalise’s vote failed, he then backed Mr Jordan.

But after Mr Jordan’s attempt at the speakership failed, Mr Emmer formally announced he would run saying: “I will always be honest and direct with all of you, even if we disagree. I will never make a promise I cannot fulfill. I expect to be held accountable and you can expect that we will also keep you to your word.”

Freedom caucus says GOP ‘should not leave Washington again until we have a new Speaker'

Monday 23 October 2023 21:36 , Gustaf Kilander

The far-right House Freedom Caucus has put out a statement calling for House Republicans to stay in Washington “until we have a new Speaker of the House”.

“No more delays or breaks. The American People are depending on us,” the caucus wrote on X.

Here are the latest Republicans running for House Speaker

Monday 23 October 2023 13:29 , Rachel Sharp and Ariana Baio

Nine House Republicans have announced that they will make a bid for Speaker of the House after the GOP failed to elect a new speaker last week.

Representatives Tom Emmer, Kevin Hern, Byron Donalds, Austin Scott, Gary Palmer, Jack Bergman, Mike Johnson, Pete Sessions and Dan Meuser all made their intent clear before the noon deadline on Sunday.

The new batch of candidates comes after Rep Jim Jordan was unable to secure 217 votes on the floor and Rep Steve Scalise couldn’t conjure enough party support.

As the House enters its third week without a leader, frustrations are growing about the legislative’s body inability to elect a speaker to replace the ousted Kevin McCarthy

Here’s a look at the possible contenders:

Here are the latest Republicans running for House Speaker

Republicans to return Monday for candidate forum

Monday 23 October 2023 12:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Acting Speaker Rep Patrick McHenry said on Friday afternoon said Republicans will return on Monday for a candidate forum following the removal of Rep Jim Jordan.

The “election process” will then begin on Tuesday morning, he added.

“The reason why I made that decision is, we need space and time for candidates to talk to other members,” he told the press.

A large and growing number of Republicans were starting to make calls to sound out fellow members about who they might support.

Republicans relentlessly try to blame Democrats amid GOP dysfunction

Monday 23 October 2023 09:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Like several other Republicans, Rep Austin Scott of Georgia tried to blame the Democrats after the removal of Rep Jim Jordan as the nominee for speaker.

“How does it make the Republican party look?” CNN’s Manu Raju asked Mr Scott.

“I think it makes Congress as a whole look very bad… The Democrats are not innocent in this. They’re not,” Mr Scott claimed.

Jordan says he ‘got to know’ GOP members

Monday 23 October 2023 06:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Acknowledging his defeat on Friday afternoon, Rep Jim Jordan said he “got to know members in our conference that I didn’t really know that well over the last three weeks”.

Texas Republicans brings up Democrats and southern border after Jordan ouster

Monday 23 October 2023 04:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Chip Roy of Texas attempted to pivot from the GOP dysfunction to blaming Democrats for lacking border security on Friday afternoon following the ouster of Rep Jim Jordan as the nominee for speaker.

Jordan concedes

Monday 23 October 2023 01:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Conceding defeat after his ouster as the GOP nominee for speaker on Friday afternoon, Rep Jim Jordan said, “We need to come together and figure out who our Speaker’s going to be. I’m going to work as hard as I can to help that individual”.

‘I’m concerned about where we go from here,’ McCarthy says

Sunday 22 October 2023 22:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Following the ouster of Rep Jim Jordan as a nominee for speaker, the last holder of the office, Rep Kevin McCarthy, told the press, “I’ve never seen this amount of damage done to just a few people for their own personalities, for their own fear of what’s going through … I’m concerned about where we go from here”.

‘Jim Jordan deserved better than that,’ Gaetz says

Sunday 22 October 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Matt Gaetz said on Friday afternoon that “the most popular Republican in the United States Congress was just knifed by a secret ballot, in a private meeting, in the basement of the Capitol. It’s as swampy as swamp gets, and Jim Jordan deserved better than that”.

‘We are in a very bad position as a party,’ McCarthy says

Sunday 22 October 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The state of the House GOP

Sunday 22 October 2023 13:00 , Gustaf Kilander

‘They want to say that we have no plan, Jim Jordan was a good plan’

Sunday 22 October 2023 10:00 , Eric Garcia

Rep Jim Jordan’s exit came on the 17th day that the House of Representatives has not had a speaker after Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a motion to vacate Mr McCarthy along with seven other Republicans and every Democrat.

Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC), who voted to vacate Mr Jordan, decried Mr Jordan’s exit.

“I think it is bull****,” she told The Independent. “They want to say that we have no plan, Jim Jordan was a good plan.”

Ms Mace criticised the fact that a large amount of Republicans just voted for Mr Jordan on the floor and then voted to oust him in a secret ballot.

“They just knifed him in secret in a backroom deal in the basement of the Capitol,” she said. “It’s disgusting.”

GOP elected officials during the Trump years

Sunday 22 October 2023 07:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Former Jeb Bush advisor Tim Miller asked on X on Friday: “Is there a better encapsulation of the GOP elected officials during the Trump years than Jim Jordan winning 194-25 GOP votes in the public ballot and then losing the majority by secret ballot?”

Jordan says he ‘got to know’ GOP members

Sunday 22 October 2023 06:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Acknowledging his defeat on Friday afternoon, Rep Jim Jordan said he “got to know members in our conference that I didn’t really know that well over the last three weeks”.

VIDEO: Jim Jordan loses third House speaker vote with less support than in first two

Sunday 22 October 2023 04:00 , Benji Salmon

By Friday afternoon, Mr Jordan had been booted as the GOP nominee for speaker after an internal secret ballot.

Jordan ties for fewest votes for majority nominee under current seat numbers

Sunday 22 October 2023 01:00 , Gustaf Kilander

How the plan to save the House fell apart before it even started

Saturday 21 October 2023 22:00 , Eric Garcia

Thursday morning should have been the moment that Jim Jordan, a former championship college wrestler, finally tapped out. On Wednesday evening, some of the Republicans who had voted against his bid for House speaker had reported death threats. Mr Jordan lost even more support during the second round of voting than he did in the first.

Mr Jordan was supposed to take himself out of the running for the time being in an attempt to flip votes and, in the meantime, empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry so that the House could continue its business. Remember, the House has to pass either 12 individual spending bills or a continuing resolution to avoid a fast-approaching government shutdown. In addition, many House Republicans want to pass an aid package to Israel as it responds to a deadly attack from Hamas in Gaza.

But almost immediately, conservatives spat out the idea.

“We shouldn’t be setting this precedent or this will be the way we elect speakers from now on,” Rep Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus that Mr Jordan founded, told The Independent. Mr Perry was part of the initial group that opposed Kevin McCarthy for speaker in January before he flipped after receiving concessions.

By Friday afternoon, Mr Jordan had been booted as the GOP nominee after an internal secret ballot.

Biden requests Congress approve $105bn for Ukraine amid speaker debacle

Saturday 21 October 2023 19:00 , Eric Garcia

Mr Jordan’s failed bid to become speaker comes after Mr McCarthy was deposed. After a majority of House Republicans nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise to become speaker, a handful of conservatives who supported Mr Jordan said they would refuse to back Mr Scalise.

The lack of a speaker means that the House is incapable of conducting its basic duties. The eight Republicans and every Democrat voted to depose Mr McCarthy from the speakership after he allowed for a vote on a “clean” continuing resolution to keep the government open for 48 days.

But the continuing resolution will expire by 17 November, meaning that Congress will need to pass some kind of spending bill to keep the government open. In addition, Democrats and Republicans hope to pass an aid package to Israel and many on both sides of the aisle hope to pass a package to assist Ukraine in its war against Russia.

On Friday, President Joe Biden formally requested Congress approve $105bn in supplemental money to assist Ukraine and Israel

‘It’s Groundhog Day, Groundhog Day all over'

Saturday 21 October 2023 16:00 , Eric Garcia

Ahead of the removal of Rep Jim Jordan as the nominee for speaker, the third vote on his bid came after Republicans scuttled a plan to temporarily empower Mr McHenry while Mr Jordan seeks to flip more votes, given that many members of the conference rejected the plan.

Democrats for their part called on a handful of Republicans to work with them to support House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Many Democrats decried the fact that the House was once again engaged in another exercise of voting for speaker.

“It’s Groundhog Day, Groundhog Day all over,” Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) told The Independent, criticising Mr Jordan and saying it is why he should not be House speaker. “I mean, this is what he does.”

Rep Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said Mr Jordan’s continued pursuit indicated the Republicans’ governing style.

“There’s a rule or ruin philosophy that governs the MAGA right and whether they’re gonna win and control everything or they are going to have tantrums and just burn the house down,” he told The Independent.

‘It’s not about Jordan'

Saturday 21 October 2023 14:00 , Eric Garcia

Ahead of Rep Jim Jordan’s removal as the nominated GOP speaker on Friday afternoon, Rep Ralph Norman (R-SC) told The Independent the House should have as many votes as it takes to make Mr Jordan speaker.

“It’s not about Jordan,” he said, adding that rather, Republicans who opposed Mr Jordan were mad about the eight Republicans who ejected Kevin McCarthy. “The country is bigger than that.”

Rep Vern Buchanan (R-FL), who voted for Rep Byron Donalds (R-FL), told The Independent that Mr Jordan had the right to call more votes. Mr Buchanan and other Republicans met with Mr Jordan on Thursday evening and made clear he could not win.

“A lot of just trying to confirm he doesn’t have the votes and ... he’s not gonna be speaker,” Mr Buchanan said at the time.

Jim Jordan continues to lose votes in third bid for House speaker ahead of ouster

Saturday 21 October 2023 11:00 , Eric Garcia

Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) failed once again in his attempt to become speaker of the House on Friday, after he staged a third vote with 25 Republicans voting against him.

Ahead of Mr Jordan’s removal as the nominated GOP speaker on Friday afternoon, he said in an early morning press conference that he would continue his pursuit of the speakership.

“There’s been multiple rounds of votes for speaker before,” he told reporters before the vote. “We all know that. I just know that we need to get the speaker as soon as possible.”

But Mr Jordan lost the votes of Reps Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Marc Molinaro (R-NY) and Tom Kean (R-NJ). Many of the Republicans who defected voted instead for Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry. In addition, some Republicans were absent and missed the vote, lowering the threshold of votes needed to block him.

Rep Ralph Norman (R-SC) told The Independent the House should have as many votes as it takes to make Mr Jordan speaker.

READ MORE

Far-right caucus chair calls threats ‘red herring’

Saturday 21 October 2023 08:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Rep Scott Perry, downplayed the attacks and death threats sent to GOP members voting against Mr Jordan, calling it a “red herring”.

“There are people out in the world that dislike us and threaten us. That’s nothing new. It’s nothing new to any member of Congress. We all know it. That is another red herring,” he said, according to Punchbowl News.

“No one in this town seemed to mind the pressure campaign from all the lobbyists … in January. But suddenly now they mind all the calls, and the emails and the texts,” he added.

In a meeting on Thursday, an ally of Mr Jordan, Rep Warren Davidson, argued that it wasn’t the fault of the group around Mr Jordan that the holdouts were receiving death threats, saying instead that they were getting targeted because they voted against Mr Jordan, Punchbowl reported on Friday morning.

‘Genuine concerns about the threatening tactics’

Saturday 21 October 2023 05:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Drew Ferguson also revealed on Thursday that he had been the subject of death threats.

“As the Republican Conference designee, I supported Congressman Jordan on the first ballot. Following the first vote, I had genuine concerns about the threatening tactics and pressure campaigns Jordan and his allies were using to leverage members for their votes,” he said in a statement.

“I discussed this directly with Jim, and planned to support him on the second ballot. When the pressure campaigns and attacks on fellow members ramped up, it became clear to me that the House Republican Conference does not need a bully as the Speaker. I cast my vote for Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a principled conservative and unifying leader,” he added. “Shortly after casting that vote, my family and I started receiving death threats. That is simply unacceptable, unforgivable, and will never be tolerated.”

A GOP source later told Axios that Mr Ferguson “told the conference that he‘s had to have a sheriff stationed at his daughter’s school over death threats from the far right. Also one at his house”.

Wife of Nebraska congressman targeted

Saturday 21 October 2023 04:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Don Bacon told Politico that his wife received a number of anonymous emails and texts from people pushing the message that the Nebraska representative would lose his seat unless he backed Mr Jordan.

“He has more courage than you. You won’t put your name to your statements,” Mr Bacon’s wife responded, according to the screenshots shared by Politico.

The tactics of Mr Jordan’s allies are considered to have backfired after he lost further support on the second and third ballots. The pressure campaign often included not-so-veiled threats of primary challenges from the right.

“Jim’s been nice, one-on-one, but his broader team has been playing hardball,” Mr Bacon told Politico on Tuesday.

Mr Jordan doesn’t appear to have been directly involved in the strategy employed by his allies and supporters.

Another GOP holdout, Rep Steve Womack of Arkansas, said that his office has been inundated with profane calls, but “no real substantive threats,” according to CNN.

On Wednesday, Mr Jordan shared his disdain for the death threats.

“It should never happen,” he said. “It’s just wrong, and we don’t want it to happen to anyone, any American, anybody, any member of Congress. It’s just wrong.”

Earlier, Mr Jordan wrote on X that “no American should accost another for their beliefs … Stop. It’s abhorrent”.

Mr Womack said, “Frankly, just based on what I’ve been through – I can only speak to myself and what my staff has been through over the last 24 or 48 hours – it is obvious what the strategy has been: Attack, attack, attack. Attack the members who don’t agree with you, attack them, beat them into submission”.

By Friday afternoon, Mr Jordan had been booted as the GOP nominee for speaker after an internal secret ballot.

‘I have received credible death threats’

Saturday 21 October 2023 03:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Ms Miller-Meeks voted for Mr Jordan on the first ballot but chose to back Rep Kay Granger of Texas on the second vote on Wednesday, and she also voted against Mr Jordan on Friday’s third ballot.

“After one round of votes, with my support, he was not able to secure enough votes for the Speaker nomination and my initial concerns about threatening tactics of Jim Jordan’s supporters, including from members of Congress, increased despite assurances,” she said.

“Since my vote in support of Chairwoman Granger, I have received credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls. The proper authorities have been notified and my office is cooperating fully,” she added. “One thing I cannot stomach, or support is a bully.”

“I understand that voting against Rep Jordan is not popular at this time. I respected Jim enough to vote for him, knowing he did not have the votes to be elected,” Ms Miller-Meeks said.

‘Family members have been approached and threatened'

Saturday 21 October 2023 02:45 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Ken Buck said that he had been “evicted from my office in Colorado. I have notice of an eviction because the landlord is mad with my voting record on the Speaker issue”.

“And everybody in the conference is getting this. Family members have been approached and threatened. All kinds of things are going on. There’s going to be some tension,” Mr Buck told NBC.

Rep Ken Buck is getting death threats after refusing to vote for Jim Jordan

Saturday 21 October 2023 02:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Several Republicans voting against Rep Jim Jordan for speaker have revealed that they have become targets of death threats.

Republican Iowa Rep Mariannette Miller-Meeks revealed in a lengthy statement that she received “credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls” after refusing to back Rep Jim Jordan for speaker.

Rep Ken Buck of Colorado told NBC on Thursday that his office has received four death threats. Rep Drew Ferguson of Georgia has reportedly stationed police at his home and his daughter’s school.

Rep Don Bacon of Nebraska, another GOP member who didn’t vote for Mr Jordan, told Politico this week that his wife received texts and emails, urging her to convince her husband to back Mr Jordan.

READ MORE

‘Constant barrage of phone calls'

Saturday 21 October 2023 01:15 , Graig Graziosi

Rep Ken Buck said his vote against Mr Jordan earned him multiple death threats and about 20,000 angry voicemails.

“Right now is this constant barrage of phone calls, we have — I have six full-time people answering the phones,” he told NBC News.

Mr Buck said he is not the only House Republican to vote against Mr Jordan and face the wrath of MAGA constituents, with GOP representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Drew Ferguson and Don Bacon also reportedly having received threats for refusing to back Mr Jordan.

“Everybody in the conference is getting this,” Mr Buck continued. “Family members have been approached and threatened. All kinds of things are going on.

“I think the best move is for Jim to withdraw at this point,” he added. “I think he may need another vote to be convinced that he’s not going to get there, which is fine. He was the nominee. The conference should give him that respect. But I think at some point, we need to move on and find the 217 votes for a plan.”

By Friday afternoon, Mr Jordan had been booted as the GOP nominee for speaker after an internal secret ballot.

GOP congressman says he’s facing eviction from his home-state office after voting against Jim Jordan

Saturday 21 October 2023 00:30 , Graig Graziosi

A Republican congressman says he’s facing retaliation — including receiving an eviction letter for an office in his home state — for refusing to back Rep Jim Jordan‘s attempts to be House speaker.

Congressman Ken Buck of said the landlord who owns his office in Windsor, a town in north-central Colorado, terminated their contract after he voted against Mr Jordan.

“I have notice of an eviction because the landlord is mad with my voting record on the speaker issue,” Mr Buck told NBC News on Thursday.

Eight Republican representatives, led by Congressman Matt Gaetz, voted with Democrats to remove Kevin McCarthy as the speaker of the House on October 3. The move, which was condemned by much of the congressional GOP, left the House in disarray.

House Republicans have yet to coalesce around a new speaker. Congressman Steve Scalise attempted a run, but could not gather the support. Mr Jordan — Donald Trump’s favoured candidate — has also tried, but has failed three times.

By Friday afternoon, Mr Jordan had been booted as the GOP nominee for speaker after an internal secret ballot.

READ MORE

These are the Republicans who didn’t vote for Mr Jordan on the third ballot on Friday

Friday 20 October 2023 23:45 , Gustaf Kilander

1. Rep Don Bacon voted for Mr McHenry

2. Rep Vern Buchanan voted for Mr Donalds (Flipped to vote against Mr Jordan on second ballot)

3. Rep Ken Buck voted for Rep Tom Emmer

4. Rep Lori Chavez-DeRemer voted for Mr McHenry

5. Rep Anthony D’Esposito voted for Mr Zeldin, the 2022 New York GOP gubernatorial nominee.

6. Rep Mario Diaz-Balart voted for Mr Scalise

7. Rep Jake Ellzey voted for Mr Garcia

8. Rep Drew Ferguson voted for Mr Scalise (Flipped on second)

9. Rep Brian Fitzpatrick voted for Mr McHenry (Flipped on third ballot)

10. Rep Andrew Garbarino voted for Mr Zeldin

11. Rep Carlos Gimenez voted for Mr McCarthy

12. Rep Tony Gonzales voted for Mr Scalise

13. Rep Kay Granger voted for Mr Scalise

14. Rep John James voted for Mr Donalds

15. Rep Thomas Kean voted for Mr McCarthy (Flipped on third)

16. Rep Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania voted for Mr Scalise

17. Rep Jen Kiggans voted for Mr McHenry

18. Rep Mike Lawler voted for Mr McHenry

19. Rep Nick LaLota voted for Mr Zeldin

20. Rep Mariannette Miller-Meeks voted for Mr McHenry (Flipped on second)

21. Rep Marc Molinaro voted for Mr Zeldin (Flipped on third)

22. Rep John Rutherford voted for Mr Scalise

23. Rep Mike Simpson voted for Mr Scalise

24. Rep Pete Stauber voted for Mr Westerman (Flipped on second)

25. Rep Steve Womack voted for Mr Scalise

Jordan gets 194 votes on third ballot

Friday 20 October 2023 23:00 , Gustaf Kilander

On the first vote, 20 Republicans voted against Mr Jordan, and 22 did so on the second. Mr McCarthy took 15 rounds of voting before he managed to get across the line in January.

Out of 429 total votes, Mr Jordan received 194, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries received 210, interim Speaker Patrick McHenry got six, Rep Byron Donalds got two, Rep Tom Emmer received one vote, former Rep Lee Zeldin got four, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the first GOP nominee, got eight votes, Reps Mike Garcia and Bruce Westerman got one vote, and Mr McCarthy got two.

Mr Jordan received the GOP nomination for the speakership on Friday following Mr Scalise’s failure to gather the support he needed. Mr Scalise chose to end his bid before bringing it to a floor vote.

This comes more than two weeks after the ouster of Mr McCarthy when eight House Republicans voted with all the Democrats to remove him from the post after just nine months.

Back in January, it took 15 rounds of voting for Mr McCarthy to become speaker.

Who are the 25 Republicans who took down Jim Jordan on third ballot?

Friday 20 October 2023 22:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Jim Jordan lost further support on the third ballot, with the number of Republicans voting against him increasing to 25.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy took to the floor of the House on Friday to nominate Mr Jordan as his replacement as the third vote on his speakership bid got underway.

“Jim Jordan is an effective legislator. To legislate is about more than the name on the bill,” he said. “It’s about reaching compromise and working long hours. Behind the scenes to get the job done.”

Mr Jordan held a short press conference on Friday morning, lasting only about ten minutes and taking few questions from reporters.

“Between the first one and the second vote, you all said we’re gonna lose 10, 15 votes,” Mr Jordan told the press. “We picked up a few we lost a few. I think the ones we lost can come back. So look, there’s been multiple rounds of votes for speaker before.”

READ MORE

GOP division goes beyond moderates versus conservatives

Friday 20 October 2023 21:30 , Gustaf Kilander

The division within the House Republican Conference goes far deeper than simply a battle between moderates and conservatives.

A Jordan-backer told Punchbowl News that many blame Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the first GOP nominee for speaker, for the chaos, adding that his reputation is “forever” destroyed with them.

Many supporters of Mr Jordan reportedly think that Mr Scalise has covertly been whipping up the opposition against Mr Jordan even as he publically votes for him on each ballot.

On Friday afternoon, Mr Jordan had been booted as the GOP nominee for speaker after an internal secret ballot.

‘Rule or ruin philosophy that governs the MAGA right’ has hijacked the House

Friday 20 October 2023 21:23 , Eric Garcia

Another day, another round of votes, another meeting in the House basement. And nothing is fixed.

This has been the perpetual state of the US House of Representatives this whole past week that began with Rep Jim Jordan, the man once called a “legislative terrorist,” seeming almost destined to take the speakership, culminating in the triumph of radical Republicans and ending in dramatic fashion on Friday afternoon. During a secret ballot, Republicans rejected Mr Jordan as the party’s nominee for speaker.

This had come after Mr Jordan had lost a third ballot to become speaker, with three Republicans from districts that voted for President Joe Biden adding to the tally against him.

Shortly thereafter, the House GOP conference once again met in a conference room in the lower corridors of the Capitol as two aides pushed a cart of bags from District Taco, a serviceable but by no means great Mexican spot on the Hill.

This cycle has repeated itself too many times over since Republicans took the House majority in January. But hardly anything ever comes of these meetings except for more bickering within the conference. For the longest time, the hard-right faction refused whatever Republican leadership was begging them to take.

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McCarthy agrees that GOP conference is broken

Friday 20 October 2023 21:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was asked on Friday following the third failed ballot for Rep Jim Jordan on Friday if the House GOP is broken.

“We’re in a very bad place right now, yes,” he said.

By Friday afternoon, Mr Jordan had been booted as the GOP nominee for speaker after an internal secret ballot.

Nine Republicans running or considering going for speakership

Friday 20 October 2023 20:46 , Gustaf Kilander

GOP source: Jordan’s team ‘doesn’t f****** understand numbers'

Friday 20 October 2023 20:30 , Gustaf Kilander

A source within the GOP told Axios on Friday that the group around Rep Jim Jordan “doesn’t f****** understand numbers” and that some are now concerned that as some members are leaving Washington, DC, it could possibly lead to Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries being elected speaker.

Mr Jordan was later booted as the GOP speaker nominee in an internal secret ballot.

Republicans to return Monday for candidate forum

Friday 20 October 2023 20:11 , Gustaf Kilander

Acting Speaker Rep Patrick McHenry said on Friday afternoon said Republicans will return on Monday for a candidate forum following the removal of Rep Jim Jordan.

The “election process” will then begin on Tuesday morning, he added.

“The reason why I made that decision is, we need space and time for candidates to talk to other members,” he told the press.

A large and growing number of Republicans were starting to make calls to sound out fellow members about who they might support.

Republicans relentlessly try to blame Democrats amid GOP dysfunction

Friday 20 October 2023 20:04 , Gustaf Kilander

Like several other Republicans, Rep Austin Scott of Georgia tried to blame the Democrats after the removal of Rep Jim Jordan as the nominee for speaker.

“How does it make the Republican party look?” CNN’s Manu Raju asked Mr Scott.

“I think it makes Congress as a whole look very bad… The Democrats are not innocent in this. They’re not,” Mr Scott claimed.

Minority Whip Clark blasts Jordan for wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare

Friday 20 October 2023 20:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The Democratic House Minority Whip, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, slammed Rep Jim Jordan as she nominated Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ahead of the third speakership ballot on Friday.

“He wants to cut Social Security and Medicare ... it was raised on the other side of the aisle just this week as a selling point to make him speaker,” Ms Clark said.

“MAGA extremism is designed to divide and it has broken the Republican Party. Their nominee’s vision is a direct attack on the freedom and the rights of the American people. And he’s got the record to prove it,” she said of Mr Jordan.

“The Republican nominee has voted against health care for children, for veterans, even for 9/11 survivors,” she added.

“Over his 16 years in the House, the Republican nominee has never supported a Farm Bill. What does that mean? It means he has turned his back on farmers, on rural communities, and the 11 million children who go to bed hungry in this country,” Ms Clark said.

“The Republican nominee wants a national abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of a mother. We want to make our own healthcare decisions in consultation with our families,” she said.

Ms Clark added that Mr Jordan “wanted to overturn the 2020 election,” and called him “a true threat to our democracy and our Constitution”.

By Friday afternoon, Mr Jordan had been booted as the GOP nominee for speaker after an internal secret ballot.

Texas Republicans brings up Democrats and southern border after Jordan ouster

Friday 20 October 2023 19:58 , Gustaf Kilander

Rep Chip Roy of Texas attempted to pivot from the GOP dysfunction to blaming Democrats for lacking border security on Friday afternoon following the ouster of Rep Jim Jordan as the nominee for speaker.

Jordan says he ‘got to know’ GOP members

Friday 20 October 2023 19:52 , Gustaf Kilander

Acknowledging his defeat on Friday afternoon, Rep Jim Jordan said he “got to know members in our conference that I didn’t really know that well over the last three weeks”.

Jordan concedes

Friday 20 October 2023 19:48 , Gustaf Kilander

Conceding defeat after his ouster as the GOP nominee for speaker on Friday afternoon, Rep Jim Jordan said, “We need to come together and figure out who our Speaker’s going to be. I’m going to work as hard as I can to help that individual”.