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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Chris Stein (now); Maya Yang (earlier)

Jim Jordan vows to press on for speaker’s chair despite second election loss - as it happened

Jim Jordan Patrick McHenry United States Republican Republican Party David Joyce Doug LaMalfa Kevin McCarthy Punchbowl News
Republican lawmaker Jim Jordan loses his second House speakership election in two days
Republican lawmaker Jim Jordan loses his second House speakership election in two days Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Closing summary

The House has once again failed to agree on electing a speaker, with Jim Jordan rejected for the second time in two days after 22 Republicans said no to their party’s nominee. What happens now? Who knows. Some Republicans want to hold a vote on giving acting speaker Patrick McHenry the job’s full powers so the chamber can get back to legislating on issues like aid to Israel and government funding. Jordan has said he would be in favor of holding a vote on that motion, but has also vowed to stay in the race. It appears we will not find out how Republicans’ conundrum resolves itself today – no more votes are expected in the House.

Here’s a look back on the day:

  • Capitol police were arresting protesters in a House office building, who had entered by the hundreds to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for Israel to allow humanitarian aid.

  • Jordan pleaded for unity, but one of his supporters warned he would lose more support in the second round of voting – and was right.

  • Romney-Cruz 2016? Not as far-fetched as it sounds, former Republican presidential candidate turned senator from Utah Mitt Romney writes in a new book.

  • McHenry’s acting capacity means pretty much all he can do is gavel the House into and out of session, and count the votes for speaker.

  • A Jordan opponent voted for John Boehner. Remember him?

No more votes in House expected today as GOP remains deadlocked over speaker

The House is done with voting for the day, a source familiar with the matter tells me, as Republican lawmakers remain unable to agree on elevating rightwing congressman Jim Jordan to the speaker’s post.

Hours ago, the second election to install Jordan as Kevin McCarthy’s successor failed after 22 Republicans and all Democrats rejected his candidacy for speaker. The House then adjourned, though there was speculation lawmakers could return for another round of voting, or to consider a resolution to give acting speaker Patrick McHenry the job.

Police arrest protesters at US Capitol calling for ceasefire in Gaza Strip

Police have arrested some of what appear to be hundreds of protesters who converged on the US Capitol calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter the territory.

The protest was organized by activist group Jewish Voice for Peace, which said some of its members had planned acts of civil disobedience. Reporters in the Capitol say the arrests took place in the Cannon office building, where House lawmakers have their chambers and which is open to the public:

Here are more photos from the protest:

Protesters with Jewish Voice for Peace in the atrium of the Cannon House office building.
Protesters with Jewish Voice for Peace in the atrium of the Cannon House office building. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA
Capitol Police detain a Jewish Voice for Peace protester.
Capitol Police detain a Jewish Voice for Peace protester. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

For the latest on the conflict in the Gaza Strip, and Joe Biden’s just-concluded visit to Israel, follow our live blog:

Updated

Texas’s Republican representative Chip Roy said that to grant further powers to the House’s speaker pro tempore in order to resume the House’s business “makes no sense” and is “directly contradictory to the Constitution.”

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Roy said:

“We should do our job and select a speaker. The constitution says that so any move to do otherwise is contrary to the Constitution and would do enormous damage to not just the Republican party but the House of Representatives. I violently oppose any effort to do that on the floor of the House…

I think it is directly contrary to the Constitution in terms of saying that we shall choose a speaker and to go appoint somebody with the full powers of the speaker without having chosen the speaker. It makes no sense so I think we need to take a step back, do our job and choose a speaker.”

He went on to add that he will support Jim Jordan for House speaker “for however long it takes.”

As Jim Jordan fails for the second time to garner enough votes to become speaker, a handful of Republicans are speaking out about the strong-arming they have been facing by Jordan’s allies in attempts to make him speaker, including allegedly sending anonymous text messages.

On Tuesday, 20 Republicans voted against the hard-right Ohioan’s speakership, continuing to leave the House in a state of limbo since extremist Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy in a historic vote earlier this month.

With Jordan struggling to secure the 217 votes needed to become speaker of the House, several Republicans have told Politico of Jordan’s “broader team … playing hardball” in attempts to garner votes.

The Nebraska congressman Don Bacon – one of the 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan in the first vote – told the outlet that his wife had received anonymous texts that warned of her husband never holding office again.

Screenshots of the alleged text messages sent to Bacon’s wife and shared with Politico showed one saying: “Talk to your husband tell him to step up and be a leader and help the Republican party get a speaker. There’s too much going on in the world for all this going on in Republican party. You guys take five steps forward and then turn around take 20 steps backwards – no wonder our party always ends up getting screwed over.”

For further details, click here:

Updated

Here is video of the moment a pro-Palestinian protestor interrupted the former treasury secretary Jack Lew’s Senate confirmation hearing for ambassador to Israel.

“How many children need to be killed? Our families are dying! We need a ceasefire now!” the protestor yelled at Joe Biden’s pick as security escorted him out of the room.

Another protestor then appeared, yelling: “Israel is committing genocide in Gaza … and we’re funding it!” She also was escorted out by security.

Updated

Utah’s Republican senator Mitt Romney considered a third presidential bid in 2016 in attempts to stop Donald Trump with “scary” Texas senator Ted Cruz, a new book reveals.

The Guardian’s Martin Pengelly reports:

“Romney was willing to wage a quixotic and humiliating presidential bid if that’s what it took,” McKay Coppins writes in Romney: A Reckoning, a biography of the 2012 Republican nominee written in close cooperation with its subject.

“He might even be able to swallow sharing a ticket with Cruz, a man he’d described as ‘scary’ and ‘a demagogue’ in his journal. But Romney didn’t think the gambit would actually succeed in taking down Trump. The problem was that no one else in the party seemed to know what to do about Trump, either.”

Widely trailed, Coppins’ book will be published in the US next Tuesday. The Guardian obtained a copy. A spokesperson for Cruz did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For further details, click here:

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks at his Iowa Caucus night rally with his wife and sons behind him in Des Moines, Iowa, January 3, 2012.
Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks at his Iowa Caucus night rally with his wife and sons behind him in Des Moines, Iowa, January 3, 2012. Photograph: Rick Wilking/REUTERS

Democratic minority House speaker Hakeem Jeffries who received 212 votes on Wednesday urged Republicans to work alongside Democrats, tweeting:

“The time has come for House Republicans to reject extremism and embrace bipartisanship.”

Jeffries’ tweet follows another one he made earlier in the day in which he called on House Republicans to “get real, end the Republican Civil War and join House Democrats in a bipartisan path forward.”

The day so far

The House has once again failed to agree on electing a speaker, with Jim Jordan rejected for the second time in two days after 22 Republicans said no to their party’s nominee. What happens now? Who knows. Some Republicans want to hold a vote on giving acting speaker Patrick McHenry the job’s full powers so the chamber can get back to legislating on issues like aid to Israel and government funding. Jordan has said he would be in favor of holding a vote on that motion, but he has also vowed to stay in the race. We’ll see if he opts to push for a third round of voting.

Here’s a recap of the day so far:

  • Jordan pleaded for unity, but one of his supporters warned he would lose more support in the second round of voting – and was right.

  • McHenry’s acting capacity means he can pretty much just gavel the House into and out of session, and count the votes for speaker.

  • A Jordan opponent voted for John Boehner. Remember him?

It’s tough to tell what happens next in the House.

Democratic whip Katherine Clark has told members “additional votes are possible today”, but there’s no saying when, or if, that happens.

A Republican aide told the Guardian’s US politics live blog that the party’s lawmakers were told to expect a meeting of the Republican conference, but that has not yet been officially scheduled.

The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell is at the Capitol, and spotted one of the surest signs that lawmakers aren’t leaving anytime soon: pizza is being delivered.

More Republicans call for elevating McHenry to full speaker

With their party apparently deadlocked over making Jim Jordan speaker of the House, more Republicans are calling to make Patrick McHenry the chamber’s leader.

McHenry took over as acting speaker following Kevin McCarthy’s ouster two weeks ago, while the GOP has nominated Jordan to become his permanent replacement. But Jordan has now twice failed to secure a majority of votes necessary to ascend to speaker’s chair, and some supporters now think it would be best to give McHenry the job and allow the chamber to begin functioning again.

Here’s California’s David Valadao, who represents a Democratic-leaning district and backed Jordan in the just-concluded round of voting:

Jordan’s detractors are also making their case to give McHenry the job. Here’s Jen Kiggans, a recent arrival in the House who represents a Virginia swing district:

And another vulernable Republican, Carlos Gimenez, remains upset about McCarthy’s removal. He, too, is in favor of putting McHenry in charge:

Jordan vows to press on for speaker's chair despite second election loss

Republican nominee Jim Jordan will continue his campaign for speaker of the House despite losing the second round of balloting for the position this afternoon.

“We’re going to keep going,” Jordan’s spokesman Russell Dye told me.

“No person having received a majority the whole number of votes cast by surname, a speaker has not been elected,” Patrick McHenry declared from the House dais.

What now? Some Republicans want to hold a vote on expanding McHenry’s powers from acting speaker to full speaker of the House. Earlier today, Jim Jordan said he would be in favor of putting that resolution up for consideration.

That could be a very interesting affair, since Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the party may be open to supporting that, but McHenry gaveled the House into recess, so it seems that vote won’t happen right away.

House again rejects Jim Jordan as speaker, with GOP defections mounting

Jim Jordan has lost the second election for House speaker, as more Republicans voted against elevating him to the chamber’s leadership role.

Jordan lost 22 GOP votes, two more than in the initial round of balloting on Tuesday. He received 199 votes in total, while Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries received 212.

Voting appears to be over, and we are now waiting for acting speaker Patrick McHenry to make the result official.

Jim Jordan has for the second day in a row failed to receive a majority vote to become speaker. After McHenry confirms the election, the question will become: what will the GOP do now?

There are now 21 no votes against Jordan – one more than in the first round of balloting yesterday.

The election has not yet concluded, but his margin of defeat is an indication of the amount of opposition Jordan will have to overcome if he is ever to get the speaker’s gavel.

Democrats, meanwhile, have unanimously voted for their minority leader Hakeem Jeffries. He has received 200 votes to Jordan’s 184.

Jim Jordan’s Republican objectors have voted for other politicians, usually former members of the House.

Pennsylvania’s Mike Kelly voted for John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the House from 2011 to 2015, who resigned his position in part due to trouble with the party’s conservative wing:

Michigan’s John James voted for former GOP congresswoman Candice Miller, one of the more obscure names called out in this round of voting,

We are now at 13 no votes against Jordan.

The big question now is how big of a loss this round of balloting will be for the GOP nominee for speaker. Yesterday, he lost with 20 Republican defections.

Punchbowl News reports that the House GOP will probably retire behind closed doors after this round of balloting is over:

Five Republicans have now voted for candidates other than Jim Jordan.

Oregon swing district congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer voted for Kevin McCarthy, the ousted House speaker. New York congressman Anthony D’Esposito voted for Lee Zeldin, a former congressman from the state.

Updated

Jordan on course to lose second speakership election

Four Republicans have voted for candidates other than Jim Jordan, putting the GOP nominee on course to lose the second election for House speaker.

Voting is ongoing.

This post has been corrected to note Jordan lost with four no votes, rather than three.

Updated

House begins second round of voting on making Jim Jordan speaker

The House has again begun voting on Republican Jim Jordan’s candidacy to become speaker.

Lawmakers are being called on alphabetically by last name, and responding with their vote. Jordan yesterday failed to secure a majority of votes, and he does not appear to have the support necessary today.

In his nominating speech, Tom Cole cast Jim Jordan as both a warrior who would pursue conservative policies on border security and government spending, and a uniter who could honor bipartisan priorities in the chamber.

“I don’t think anybody in here, on any issue, of any substance, would have to guess where Jim Jordan is gonna stand. He doesn’t deceive. He doesn’t dissemble. He simply tells you straight up,” Cole said.

Cole made a point of saying that Jordan would work with Democrats on supporting Israel.

“I say this on a bipartisan basis, I know he will stand up for Israel and I know in that area, we can come together. That crisis is on us now. We may get a request almost any time to act. We need to be able to act. My friend will act on that crisis. He’s shown his whole career,” Cole concluded.

A few tidbits of news from the Congress gurus at Punchbowl News regarding how House Republicans are thinking right now.

It seems clear Jim Jordan will lose this round of balloting, leaving the GOP with the choice of either holding another election, or seeking an alternative for speaker – such as the acting speaker, Patrick McHenry. Here’s how Punchbowl reports Republicans are reacting to that:

The quorum vote is concluded, with 432 members present.

Only one lawmaker is missing.

Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole is now at the podium to nominate Jim Jordan for House speaker.

We’re still waiting for the House to finish its quorum vote.

Two hundred and twenty one Republicans have signaled their presence, as have 211 Democrats. One lawmaker has not voted, and thus, voting cannot get under way.

As the House gears up for another round of voting on Republican Jim Jordan’s candidacy for speaker and potentially a resolution to allow acting speaker Patrick McHenry to assume the job’s full powers, here’s an explainer from the Associated Press on what we can expect from the election:

The US representative Jim Jordan faced strong opposition to his House speakership bid on Tuesday as 20 Republicans voted against him on a first ballot. The chamber adjourned for the day as the Ohio Republican worked to flip some of his detractors his way.

It’s the second time in this Congress that the House has faced multiple rounds of voting for speaker, following the protracted struggle in January when Kevin McCarthy won the gavel on the 15th attempt.

Twenty GOP lawmakers voted for a candidate other than Jordan, as many protested the removal of McCarthy as speaker earlier this month and the process that has unfolded to replace him.

Conservatives have been mounting an intense pressure campaign to persuade the final holdouts to support Jordan, but some of his opponents appear even more determined to stop him from becoming speaker.

Jordan will need to flip at least 16 Republicans to become speaker, as Democrats are certain to continue backing their own nominee, the minority leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Republicans currently control the House 221-212.

The House is expected to come back for a second round of voting on Wednesday.

Here’s what to know before more voting for speaker:

The House is currently holding a quorum vote to determine if enough lawmakers are in attendance.

This isn’t expected to generate any surprises, as party leaders have worked hard to make sure all their members are at the Capitol.

Ahead of that, here’s a clip from CNN of Jim Jordan saying he’s in favor of voting both on his candidacy and on a resolution to allow acting speaker Patrick McHenry to assume the position’s full powers:

House convenes for second vote on making Jim Jordan speaker

Patrick McHenry has gaveled the House into session, ahead of a vote on making Republican Jim Jordan the chamber’s speaker.

Jordan, the GOP nominee for the post, yesterday lost his initial round of balloting, with 20 Republicans and all Democrats opposing him. His candidacy will be voted on again today, but Jordan is expected to lose even more Republican support.

It’s possible the House will also take a vote on allowing McHenry, the acting speaker, to assume the post’s full powers.

Jordan calls for vote on resolution empowering McHenry as House speaker

Jim Jordan, the Republican nominee for speaker of the House who is struggling to win the necessary support, says he is in favor of voting on a resolution to make Patrick McHenry the chamber’s leader.

McHenry is currently serving as speaker in an acting capacity, with limited powers. Amid Democratic opposition and protracted deadlock within the GOP over supporting Jordan for the job, some Republicans have proposed granting McHenry the full powers of the job to allow the chamber to return to its normal function:

The House is scheduled to soon begin a second round of voting on Jordan’s candidacy for speaker. He can only lose four votes, but yesterday, 20 Republicans voted against Jordan.

This post has been corrected to say Jordan can only lose four votes, not three.

Updated

Despite the seemingly stiff opposition against him becoming speaker of the House, Jim Jordan told reports he is not in favor of empowering Patrick McHenry to take the job:

Note that McHenry is also a Republican.

Jordan ally warns he'll lose support in next vote

Scott Perry, a Jim Jordan ally, is warning that the speaker candidate will lose support in the vote scheduled to being after 11am today:

Jordan can only lose four votes, but yesterday, 20 Republicans voted against him.

This post has been corrected to say Jordan can only lose four votes, not three.

Updated

Jim Jordan asking lawmakers to oppose full powers for acting speaker McHenry

CNN reports that Jim Jordan is trying to encourage lawmakers to oppose the proposal to grant acting speaker Patrick McHenry full powers:

Meanwhile, Punchbowl News reports that Democrats are increasingly warm to the idea, arguing that stopping Jordan – a Donald Trump acolyte who has embraced conspiracy theories about his 2020 election loss – would be a victory:

Updated

Patrick McHenry currently serves as speaker pro tempore, a position he wound up in after Kevin McCarthy put his name at the top of a list of successors, and then got booted from office by rightwing insurgents and Democrats.

The position does not have many powers, and since assuming the role, McHenry has gaveled the chamber in and out of recess, and presided over yesterday’s speakership vote. Here he is, relating the news that Jim Jordan did not have the votes to win the gavel:

The proposal to give Patrick McHenry the full powers of speaker of the House may run into the same problems Republicans Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise and Kevin McCarthy have had when they’ve stood to lead the chamber: opposition from their own party.

With GOP lawmakers alone, the party would need near-unanimous agreement of 217 votes for McHenry to get the job, and they’ve struggled to find any sort of consensus in recent days.

But Punchbowl News reports that Democrats may be willing to get behind the idea. Here’s what minority leader Hakeem Jeffries had to say:

Conservatives propose empowering temporary speaker McHenry to solve GOP impasse

The future is unwritten, but as of now, it’s not looking good for Jim Jordan’s campaign to be elected speaker of the House. Here’s fresh reporting on his opponents’ organization, from CNN:

Every day that the House remains dysfunctional is another day the pressure rises on Republicans to find their way out of this mess. Over the past few hours, two influential conservatives have seized on a novel solution: expand the powers of Patrick McHenry, who took over as acting speaker following Kevin McCarthy’s ouster, to allow the chamber to pass legislation.

“If the House Republicans cannot resolve the speakership in the next few days, they may be better off to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry with the job of running the House through at least the end of the year,” former Republican speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wrote in a column yesterday.

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, an influential voice among conservatives, was also supportive, pointing to the pressing need for the House to stop a government shutdown that is weeks away, and decide whether to send more aid to Israel and Ukraine.

“The people’s House always includes some unserious characters, but now it has serious work to do. One option is to pull the Patrick McHenry emergency lever, which is to say, temporarily expand the Speaker Pro Tempore’s remit to cover a limited agenda,” they wrote.

“Mr. McHenry doesn’t seem to want the job, and at this point what sane person would? But he’s well respected, and he could be convinced to do it for the good of the country.”

As Punchbowl News reported this morning, Ohio Republican David Joyce is expected to today introduce a motion to make McHenry speaker. As with everything in this unruly House, it may not go anywhere, but it will be an idea to watch as the day unfolds.

At the tail end of yesterday, Jim Jordan tweeted a plea for unity in the GOP:

We’ll see if his words sway enough votes when the House convenes at 11am eastern time.

Jordan is expected to flip at least one opponent today: Doug LaMalfa, who yesterday opposed Jordan but announced he will vote for him going forward:

Jim Jordan looks to overcome holdouts as House gears up for second speakership vote

Will today be the day Republicans get it together and elect a new speaker of the House of Representatives? All that can be said for sure is that lawmakers will convene at 11am eastern time and cast ballots for the second day straight, and staunch conservative Jim Jordan will try to claim the 217 votes he needs to win the gavel. Other than that, it’s all up in the air. Yesterday, 20 GOP lawmakers said no to Jordan, including moderates representing swing districts. That’s a big number, and it’s unclear if Jordan has managed to change minds in the hours since that vote was held.

If Jordan is rejected again in today’s vote, it will up the pressure on the GOP to find someone else to fill the chair that Kevin McCarthy was forced out of two weeks ago by rightwing insurgents and Democratic acquiescence. But who? This morning, Punchbowl News reported that Republican congressman David Joyce will file a motion to give acting speaker Patrick McHenry full powers. We’ll see if that goes anywhere.

Here’s what else is happening today:

  • Joe Biden is in Israel, where he said a deadly hospital blast yesterday was “done by the other team”. Follow our live blog for more on this.

  • Donald Trump yesterday said he would appeal the limited gag order a federal judge imposed on him earlier this week in the election subversion case.

  • New polling from the University of Virginia finds significant shares of Americans interested in radical political ideas such as states seceding from the union and alternatives to democracy.

Updated

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