Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan will continue his bid for Speaker of the House after failing to secure Speakership on two ballots.
Early Thursday reports suggested Jordan may withdraw his candidacy for Speaker and would support a resolution filed by Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly to grant Speaker Pro Tempore temporary expanded powers to move legislation. McHenry’s expanded powers would expire upon Nov. 17 or when the House selects a permanent Speaker, per Kelly’s resolution.
McHenry assumed Speaker Pro Tempore after former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was removed earlier this month.
On Thursday afternoon, Jordan confirmed he would not withdraw his candidacy for Speaker.
“We made the pitch to Members on the resolution as a way to lower the temperature and get back to work,” Jordan said of Kelly’s resolution. “We decided that wasn’t where we were gonna go.”
“I’m still running for Speaker,” he continued. “I plan to go to the floor and get the votes and win this race.”
Jim Jordan isn't going down without a fight:
"I'm still running for speaker. I plan to go to the floor and get the votes." pic.twitter.com/WjZsM4w55z
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 19, 2023
The Ohio representative told reporters he would speak with House Republicans who voted against him during the first two ballots held Tuesday and Wednesday to find middle ground.
House Republicans reportedly “screamed” at Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who spearheaded the effort to remove McCarthy as Speaker, during conference on Thursday.
McCarthy said Gaetz interrupted him during conference, which resulted in McCarthy and other House Republicans shouting at the Florida representative.
McCarthy said he told Gaetz to “sit down.”
“I think the entire conference screamed at him,” the former Speaker told reporters. “The whole country I think would scream at Matt Gaetz right now.”
The former Speaker also repeated a previous statement that 4% of House Republicans overrode 96% of the conference’s support for McCarthy to remain Speaker of the House.
Fellow Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna claimed Gaetz was almost in a physical altercation with a fellow lawmaker during Thursday’s conference.
Someone tried to fight Gaetz in conference.
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) October 19, 2023
Gaetz briefly commented on the alleged altercation when one reporter asked if Illinois Rep. Mike Bost “lunged” at Gaetz during Thursday conference.
“I think he was pretty animated,” Gaetz responded. “I don’t know if I would describe it as a lunge.”
Another reporter asked what Gaetz said to cause McCarthy to yell at the Florida representative.
“Well, I don’t know,” Gaetz said.
“I said that I thought that having Speaker-lite was a bad idea,” he said of Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly’s resolution to grant Speaker Pro Tempore temporary expanded powers to move legislation. “I think Republicans ought to stay in our conference until we elect a Speaker.”
A third ballot for Speaker of the House is expected sometime today.
