Today is the day Republicans elect a speaker. One way or another, with or without the help of Democrats, someone is going to sit in the Big Chair. Maybe. At least for a while.
If that sounds vague and uncertain, welcome to the Republican Party circa 2023. After 48 hours of ham-handed threats and strong-arm tactics, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is still short of a majority to win the speakership. In fact, Jordan lost support on the second ballot with 22 Republicans now opposing his bid for speaker — two more than the 20 who voted against him on Tuesday.
Among the 20 Republicans who opposed Jordan’s bid for the gavel yesterday were a few junior frontliners with little to lose, such as Reps. JEN KIGGANS (R-Va.), MIKE LAWLER (R-N.Y.) and LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER (R-Ore.).
But they were backed up by a cadre of powerful House veterans — people like Appropriations Committee Chair KAY GRANGER (R-Texas) and subcommittee “cardinals” MARIO DIAZ-BALART (R-Fla.), MIKE SIMPSON (R-Idaho) and STEVE WOMACK (R-Ark.), who said no to Jordan after years of watching their jurisdiction over federal spending come under attack by the hard right.
“The adults were fed up,” said one top aide to a member opposing Jordan. “They knew they had to act now or never.”
The moderates also have brokered their own alternative — a deal with the Democrats to empower temporary speaker Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) to grant him some of the powers reserved for a permanent speaker. The limited powers would enable Republicans to move aid to Israel to the floor.
Jordan told the press that he met with GOP leadership and said to “put both questions to the body today,” as his attitude is, “let’s just get an answer.”
“Are we going to elect a Republican speaker? Or are we going to have a coalition government, where Democrats are involved in selecting the speaker?” Jordan said.
McHenry adjourned the House after the second speaker vote before that question could be answered.
Related: In Praise of GOP Chaos
But since Jordan actually lost support in this second round of voting, unless he can make a deal with 20 or so moderates, he, too, will fall by the wayside, and Republicans will be forced to turn to McHenry and the unprecedented spectacle of Democrats choosing a speaker in a Republican House.
“All roads lead to McHenry,” one key House GOP source texts CBS News from the House floor.
Jordan is reaping the whirlwind after abusing the “squishes” for years. Now, they’re getting their revenge. In the same way that Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) had to grovel to the right in order to get his shot at being speaker, Jordan is going to have to find a way to satisfy the moderates or kiss his dream of a speakership goodbye.
It’s a calamitous turn of events for Republicans who may have already irretrievably lost their majority.
“Wounds run deep. Trust has been lost. Revenge is a motive. And Republican unity is nowhere to be found. Members are sniping at each other, some on the record, but mostly through their staffs and supporters,” opines the Washington Post. From where I’m sitting, they’re not wrong.
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