On Tuesday, Republicans are going to the House to try to elect a Speaker for the second time in this Congress, hoping it will be a unifying moment for The party, which has been embroiled in chaos for a prolonged period.
It is hoped that GOP Congressman Jim Jordan, next in line for the job, will rally support in Ohio’s favor, although there is resistance from some with hardline views. Intense pressure campaigns are underway to persuade conservative holdouts to support him.
In a secret ballot on Friday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jordan emerged victorious in the GOP’s pursuit of the Speakership. Subsequent voting rounds, however, showed that Jordan will face opposition from over 50 Republicans in the House, falling well short of the 217 votes required to win.
Since then, conservative media outlets and the previous president Donald Trump have assisted Jordan in garnering support from his critics. To become Speaker, he will still require the backing of nearly all Republicans, as Democrats will undoubtedly back their choice, New York leader Hakeem Jeffries. In the House, Republicans have a 221-212 advantage.
When does the Speaker election take place, and what is the process involved?
It’s expected that the House will convene on Tuesday afternoon, where the first vote for Speaker could take place among several votes. This is a Speaker election, which, unlike any other, was triggered after Representative Kevin McCarthy of California was ousted from the job just nine months into his tenure.
Speaker elections are typically held every two years in January when the House is organized for a new session. A new election can occur when a Speaker dies, resigns, or is removed from office.
Once the House is in session – meaning the minimum number of members present for business – each party will nominate a name for Speaker. Republicans will nominate Jordan, and it’s possible that another GOP candidate may run in opposition.
Democrats will nominate Jeffries, and it is hoped that they will vote in unison for him.
During the Speaker vote, House members will be seated. This is one of those rare occasions when all members are in their seats, including during the State of the Union address.
How many votes are required to elect a Speaker?
It takes a majority of House members present and voting to win the election. Once the roll call for Speaker begins, members are called one by one to cast their preference.
The House, currently with 433 members and two vacancies, will vote as many times as necessary until someone wins. It’s uncertain how many rounds it will take Jordan to secure a victory, but his supporters are confident that a public vote will persuade holdouts to change their stance. After five grueling days of voting in January, McCarthy narrowly won the chair.
Jordan is not expected to take as long to secure a win. He has grown frustrated with the weeks of internal bickering and, especially, the chamber’s ineffectiveness in passing laws in response to the Israel-Hamas war.
Who is supporting and opposing Jim Jordan?
Jordan, a favorite among the party’s staunch conservatives, still faces opposition from some members of the conference, who question his ability to lead. One holdout, Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, said on Friday, “Being the Speaker of the House doesn’t mean being a party chair. Because you deal with foreign policy, you deal with heads of state, you deal with domestic policy, and you deal with national security.”
He went on to say, “I think there are a lot of questions about whether he can unite and lead a conference, and whether he can lead his people, his close people.”
Some Republicans are also upset about how the Speaker race unfolded.
The majority leader, Representative Steve Scalise, won nomination for Speaker for the first time on Wednesday with the help of Jordan, who threw his support behind Scalise after running second in the race, forcing him to withdraw.
The same members who refused to back Scalise’s bid now provide the strongest basis for Jordan’s support. They dropped their objections, spent a weekend as “team players,” and provided the crucial underpinning for Jordan, who spent a weekend courting every detractor, publicly and privately.
One of Jordan’s supporters, Representative Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said in an interview on Friday, “Voting for him is more popular than voting against him at this point. And so when you’ve got to stand in front of God and country and say a name, they’re counting on you to say Jim Jordan.