Speaker Race Back In Limbo As Republicans Shut Down Empowering McHenry

October 19, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 19: U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) arrives at his office in the Rayburn House Office Building on October 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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October 19, 2023

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was deposed over two weeks ago, and House Republicans still can’t elect a replacement.

Earlier today, the plan was to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC), to work on giving him enough powers to make the House functional again — likely with Democratic help. That largely collapsed after a near-physical Republican conference meeting, when lots of them came out against the idea.

Now Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) — who, on net, lost votes from the first to second rounds of voting — is trying to sway the holdouts at the eleventh hour, and promising another vote tomorrow. His task is likely even more difficult now, after his mobilization of the right-wing media machine flooded the holdouts with threats.

TPM’s Kate Riga and Emine Yücel are both reporting from Capitol Hill. Follow our live coverage below:

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Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was deposed over two weeks ago, and House Republicans still can’t elect a replacement.

Earlier today, the plan was to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC), to work on giving him enough powers to make the House functional again — likely with Democratic help. That largely collapsed after a near-physical Republican conference meeting, when lots of them came out against the idea.

Now Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) — who, on net, lost votes from the first to second rounds of voting — is trying to sway the holdouts at the eleventh hour, and promising another vote tomorrow. His task is likely even more difficult now, after his mobilization of the right-wing media machine flooded the holdouts with threats.

TPM’s Kate Riga and Emine Yücel are both reporting from Capitol Hill. Follow our live coverage below:

Notable Replies

  1. This went right past me. Who is Peter Balsamo?

  2. I don’t know, but there’s a pretty vitriolic right-winger on one of the Social media sites who’s name comes upright away.

  3. Did Gym really use the word “abhorrent” correctly in his tweet? At first I had my doubts, but then he’s probably heard it used about himself so many times that he would be familiar with it.

  4. So I guess Jordan’s tweet means he’s hereby renouncing TFG and the MAGA movement, eh? “It’s abhorrent,” meet your reflection in the mirror, pal.

  5. A certain truth about the GOP and Trump and Trumpees like Jordan that should have been obvious for decades, they are first and foremost followers and not leaders.

    That is the bullying that has become their main strategy, and in Jordan’s case his only strategy, is because it what his base understands. Jordan supporters may back off Jordan, they will not back off bullying.

    The only way the bullying will stop is for the GOP to back off their deplorable base.

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