Jim Jordan’s speaker bid is sputtering out — but not without one last chance for the Ohio Republican to confront his frustrated colleagues.
The GOP’s latest speaker nominee is convening a closed-door member meeting midday Thursday as he and his allies attempt to rescue a sputtering effort that lost votes on Wednesday.
As the exasperated House GOP conference prepares to meet, there’s zero clarity on what happens next: Jordan and his allies have said he will refuse to back down, even after two failed floor votes. Yet the reality is that Jordan’s opponents, who reached 22 in number on Wednesday, have more than enough might to defeat him.
Several of those GOP lawmakers have insisted that if Jordan does force a third vote on the floor, he will lose even more votes — what many Republicans see as an all-but-certain end to his campaign for speaker. Even Jordan’s supporters have acknowledged that his detractors are likely unmovable, in part because of a conservative pressure campaign that has only backfired.
“If you look at the mix of who is voting against him now, it’s more the senior members. And they’re just resolved and they’re not going to take that,” said Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), who backs Jordan but has flirted with throwing his hat in the ring if the Ohioan withdraws.
Hern added that if Jordan can keep his number of foes steady, “that’s one story,” but “if it continues to grow — 22-24-30-35 — people start wearing down, I think it will be the body that will really be more of a determinate.”
Thursday’s meeting, according to one person familiar with the planning, is structured in such a way as to prevent alternative speaker candidates from formally pitching themselves. It’s a subtle way for the speaker hopeful to stave off possible rivals.
Jordan’s attempts to win over more holdouts have, so far, only drawn more criticism. Some of his backers are also growing frustrated with his allies’ tactics, which have even involved nasty threats to members who have opposed him on the floor.
The wife of Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), for instance, received profane and slur-ridden voicemails in which a man threatened not to leave Bacon’s family alone over his refusal to support Jordan, according to an audio recording shared with POLITICO.
Jordan himself has not taken part in these tactics and has publicly disavowed them.
“A lot of my colleagues have been under a pressure campaign, said Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), one of the no votes. “I’m not accusing Mr. Jordan is directing it or ordering it, but surrogates are certainly at work … and it’s hardening the position.”
Jordan isn’t facing pushback from one faction alone — rather, it’s a group that criss-crosses vulnerable incumbents, appropriators, defense hawks and old-school governing-minded Republicans.
Meanwhile, the chorus of GOP candidates who could throw their own name in for speaker is only growing longer. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) said Thursday that he would consider it, but all the potential alternative contenders are waiting on Jordan before they make public moves.
There’s another GOP push afoot: Empowering acting speaker Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.). If Jordan’s bid collapses, many Republicans expect to move ahead with a measure that would give McHenry temporary powers to resume congressional business, such as bringing up the White House’s emergency aid package or extending government funding past Nov. 17.
Jordan indicated to reporters that he expects Republicans to talk through all potential paths forward, including empowering McHenry, during Thursday’s closed-door meeting — the first they’ve had since Monday.
