The House of Representatives failed to elect a speaker headed into the weekend, leading Republicans to boot Rep. Jim Jordan as their candidate after his third failed vote.
A Friday vote on the House floor for speaker failed to reach the majority threshold of 2017, with Jordan (R-OH) receiving 194 votes, other Republicans receiving 25 votes, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) receiving 210 votes.
This was Jordan’s third failed bid for speaker, with his votes decreasing each round from 200 to 199 to 194. The House GOP Conference privately voted to drop Jordan as their speaker nominee after the failed Friday vote, Fox News reported.
A GOP candidate forum for the next speaker nominee will be held on Monday, followed by a private election on Tuesday, according to PunchBowl. Once a candidate is chosen, GOP leadership can decide to hold their fourth House floor vote of the month for speaker.
The House has gone 17 days without a speaker since Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted — the first time in history the chamber’s top leader has been voted out. Without a speaker, the House has been unable to respond to calls from a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers to pass emergency aid to Israel amid its escalated conflict with Hamas, according to The New York Times.
The White House was quick to blame Republicans on Friday for the delayed relief to Israel.
“While Joe Biden fights to advance bipartisan legislation that will protect our national security interests — including in Israel and Ukraine — provide humanitarian assistance for innocent civilians in Gaza, deliver critical border funding, compete with China, and grow our economy, House Republicans are somehow still fighting with each other,” Andrew Bates, the deputy press secretary for the White House, said in a statement.
“House Republicans need to end their chaotic infighting and their competitions to out-extreme one another, and instead join President Biden in working on urgent priorities for American families shared by both parties in Congress,” Bates continued.
Jordan was not the first failed candidate for speaker after the removal of McCarthy. House Republicans initially voted privately for Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), who quickly dropped out of the race after he was unable to unite the party for a majority vote on the House floor.
Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) told the House GOP Conference he plans to run for speaker next week, according to PunchBowl. Emmer is a likely frontrunner due to his third-ranking status in the House GOP. An extensive list of other members are exploring a possible run, Punchbowl reported.
McCarthy endorsed Emmer after the GOP dumped Jordan, who he previously endorsed.
“He is the right person for the job,” McCarthy said. “He can unite the conference. He understands the dynamics of the conference. He also understands what it takes to win and keep a majority.”